Travelers Delivers Neighborhood Feels in Charming, Music-Driven Ads

A Travelers insurance agent scrawls a mysterious note that makes its way around town in “Pass It On,” one of two new spots developed by the insurer with TBWAChiatDay New York and Park Pictures.

Set to Lily Meola’s evocative, understated cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop,” we sense an uplifting payoff early on. Still, the novel setup of a slip of paper passing from hand to hand, and director Christian Weber’s fluid approach, keep us guessing until the end:

Ultimately, the pass-along’s message, “Changing tomorrow starts today,” strikes just the right tone—suitably relatable and understated.

Next, Lance Acord, who’s delivered the feels for Travelers before, spins a tale of helpful neighbors in “A Better Tomorrow,” driven by Bob Dylan’s reflective “If Not for You.”

“The films were not made to sell insurance policies,” TBWACD executive creative director Walter Connelly tells Muse. “Rather, they were created to share the belief that caring for each other is important, with the audience being all of us.”

Last year, Acord leaned into similar themes, producing quietly intense spots with layered narratives. These new films serve mainly as mood pieces, however, setting a hopeful tone for pandemic days, implying much about the human spirit, with attendant drama minimized.

Soothing Americana abounds, idealized but sincere, enhanced by the song selections.

“The lyrics of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Don’t Stop’ embodied our message of hope. However, the tempo of the original was too fast for our film,” Connelly recalls. “We re-recorded it with Lily Meola, a rising star. The slower version added the emotion we needed.” 

Dylan’s “If Not For You,” meanwhile, appears in a relaxed alternate take from his album Bootleg Series Vol 2.

While shooting the ads in central Florida, “safety was our No. 1 priority,” says TBWACD senior integrated producer Rick Segal. “We ensured our scripts would not require any talent to be within 10 feet from one another. We also agreed any exceptions to this rule would be allowable only if the on-camera talent were actual family members who were already quarantined together.”

“We went to great lengths to ensure social distancing was both practiced and modeled in both spots, unless a family scenario was shown, which allowed the audience to feel the subtle emotions displayed on our actors’ faces,” he adds.

CREDITS

TBWAChiatDay NY
Chris Beresford-Hill – Chief Creative Officer
Walter Connelly – Executive Creative Director
Alexander Holm – Associate Creative Director
Thalia Forbes – Senior Copywriter
John Doris – Head of Production
Chris Klein – Executive Producer
Rick Segal – Senior Integrated Producer
Thalia Tsouros – Director of Integrated Business Affairs
Stephanie Ambroise – Senior Integrated Business Affairs Manager
Jewel Chandler – Senior Talent Manager
Carrie Lipper – Business Leader
Mark Donohue – Business Director
Daniel Erazo – Business Manager
Natalie Puccio – Strategist
Rob Schwartz – CEO
Nancy Reyes – President

Travelers
Alan Schnitzer – Chairman and CEO
Lisa Caputo – EVP, Marketing, Communications and Customer Experience
John Morris – SVP, Enterprise Integrated Marketing
EJ Conlin – VP, Planning and Execution, Enterprise Integrated Marketing

Park Pictures
Lance Acord – Director
Christian Weber – Director/DP
Justin Pollock – Senior Executive Producer
Caroline Kousidonis – Executive Producer
Drew Toresco – Line Producer
Larry Shure – Production Supervisor

Exile Editorial
Kirk Baxter – Editor
Matt Murphy – Editor
Sasha Hirschfeld – Executive Producer
LauRenn Reed – Senior Producer
Brett Homan – Edit Assistant
Erin Offenhauser – Edit Assistant

Moving Picture Company
Mark Gethin – Colorist
Alvin Cruz – Creative Director
Tom McCullough – VFX Supervisor
Rob Walker – Flame Lead
David Piombino – 2D Artist
Julien Aucoturier – 2D Artist
Camila De Biaggi – Senior Executive Producer
Meghan Lang Bice – Executive Producer
Elissa Norman – Senior Producer
Diane Valera – Color Producer

Lime Studios
Dave Wagg – Mixer
Matthew Conzelmann – Assistant Engineer
Susie Boyajan – Executive Producer

Good Ears Music Supervision
Morgan Thoryk – Music Supervisor

Music
“If Not For You” by Bob Dylan (Bootleg Series Vol 2 alt. take)
“Don’t Stop” by Lily Meola (Fleetwood Mac cover)