This Darkly Humorous Life Insurance Ad Has the Best Legal Disclaimer in Ad History
Author: David Griner Source: Adweek
Over the decades, legal teams have gotten increasingly insistent about adding warnings to ads.
Usually it’s in the vein of “Closed course with professional drivers” or the tried-and-true “Don’t try this at home.” Occasionally it’s downright laughable to imagine someone
But Ladder’s new ad for its life insurance not only follows an unexpected storyline for such a typically dry category, but also ends on the best legal disclaimer I’ve seen in 15 years of covering ads.
Without further ado, let’s get right to the 60-second spot, created by agency Fred & Farid Los Angeles:
The spot, showing a man narrowly evading his family’s many attempts to kill him, ends with the line, “Life insurance so good, they’re gonna want you dead.”
That’s a great bit of copy, of course, but even more entertaining is the warning in the closing frame: “But seriously, intentionally killing a policyholder will void all life insurance benefits.”
Olivia Borsje, vp of marketing at Ladder, described the ad as “everything we were looking for.”
“It’s memorable, it’s relatable, but most importantly it’s different,” she said. “Taking a fresh, innovative approach to advertising helps signal that our product is fresh and innovative too. The brand promise is incredibly strong and resonates with a generation of consumers that feels like life insurance wasn’t built for them.”
Director Casey Storm, who’s also made ads for brands including Apple, Halo Top, Expedia and more, said he was immediately drawn to the ad’s unexpected premise.
“The concept made me laugh out loud,” Storm said. “I felt like it was comical, bold and distinctly unique in advertising. It was an opportunity to make a short film that would be watchable and re-watchable, and would make the viewer laugh. I wanted to make life insurance more relatable and less overwhelming.”
The spot has begun airing on streaming networks and connected TV platforms such as Hulu, Roku and Tubi.