Liberty Mutual Trades in Bad Actors, Happy Thoughts and a Zoltar Machine

Sure, the guy in this new Liberty Mutual spot flubs his lines, cops an attitude toward the crew and walks into a boom mic. But cut him some slack. After all, he’s just following the script. 

That’s one of four new commercials created by Goodby Silverstein & Partners and director Harold Einstein of Dummy Films for the insurance company’s long-running “Truth Teller” campaign. Each ratchets up the silliness while maintaining the work’s familiar tone and Statue of Liberty backdrop.

“This campaign has been running for over five years,” says client vp of brand and integrated marketing Jenna Lebel. “To freshen it up, we infused more humor into them while keeping the equity of the campaign going. Humor is known to be effective at improving ad recall and has been working well for us. Our collective advertising efforts, including the last round of ‘Truth Tellers’ work, resulted in a 25 percent lift, year over year, in unaided awareness for the brand.”

Speaking of actors, the one in this second ad gives great face as he imagines what he’ll do with all the money he can save with the insurer’s car insurance: 

That’s like … ecstasy face! How much is he saving, exactly?

Next, a tipsy treatise on bogus brand claims. Again, the actor merits special mention, because … 

… he plays all three parts!

“It was fun figuring out how to dress and style him differently in each role,” says GS&P art director David Spradlin. “My personal favorite piece was his man-sandals.” 

Finally, a “Big” idea, as an animatronic “Zoltar” escapes from his fortune-telling machine:

“The poor guy was in that uncomfortable makeup all day, but at least he was comfortable from the waist down in Bermuda shorts,” Spradlin says.

Additional “Truth Tellers” ads are on tap, along with fresh installments of the recently launched “LiMu Emu” series. (You know, the ads where that big freaky bird and its buddy-cop partner give Progressive’s Flo and Jamie a run for their money as insurance advertising’s most dynamic—and for some viewers, annoying—duo.)

“We will have more new adventures for LiMu and Doug coming soon,” Lebel says.

CREDITS 

Starring: Tanner Novlan (“Bad Job”), John Ales (“Thoughts”), Jonathan Stoddard (“Before & After”), Dimiter Marinov (“Zoltar”)

Agency: Goodby Silverstein & Partners
Client: Liberty Mutual
Chief Marketing Officer: Emily Fink
VP, Brand & Integrated Marketing: Jenna Lebel
Assistant VP, Broad Reach Media: Lisa Paige
Program Manager, Broad Reach Marketing: Jacqui Cuccia
Chief Creative Officer: Margaret Johnson
Executive Creative Director: Danny Gonzalez & David Suarez
Creative Director: Cam Miller
Associate Creative Director: Joshua Hacohen & Dan Treichel
Art Director: David Spradlin
Art Director: Roseanne Overton
Copywriter: Craig Shervin
Copywriter: Kayla Lott
Production Director of Broadcast: Tod Puckett
Executive Producer: Leila Gage
Executive Producer: Nick Sage
Senior Producer: Justine Madero
Broadcast Producer: Sam Tarde
Group Account Director: Chris Ferko
Account Manager: Kate Colantuono
Assistant Account Manager: Samantha Manin
Business Affairs: Anna Diokno
Senior Brand Strategist: Marisa Perazzelli
Senior Quantitative Strategist: Jessica Badrous
Brand Strategist: Shaza Elsheshtawy
Production Company: Dummy Films
Director: Harold Einstein
Producer: Michael Kanter
Editorial: Arcade NY
Color / VFX: The Mill