India Post News Service

NEW YORK: To celebrate the launch of its new South Asian advertising campaign, Nationwide, one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the world, hosted a special screening of its six new television spots during a reception held June 21, at AMC Loews Village 7, in downtown Manhattan.Capitalizing on its previous advertising success, the new work continues the humorous 'Life Comes at You Fast' brand campaign.

The ads were shot in Mumbai and Goa in India and various cities in South Africa. Six new television spots and five new print ads will begin running in June on prominent South Asian TV networks and in major newspapers."Last year was the first time we created advertising specifically targeting the South Asian market," said Tariq Khan, Nationwide's vice president of Market Development and Diversity.

"The response was fantastic, so we're very excited to be launching this new round of work while continuing to support the South Asian community."Unique to Nationwide's South Asian ad campaign is the use of humor to reinforce Nationwide's brand message, while keeping it in consonance with South Asian ethos. "The rapidly growing South Asian market is very important to us," said Keith Millner, president of Nationwide Financial Network, a Nationwide company.

"The creative work in these print ads and TV spots reflect traditions and situations that South Asians can relate to. We get their attention with humor and the a deliver an important message about the importance of investing now to prepare for important events, such as college, marriage and retirement."Millner further said addressing their marketing campaigns specifically at diverse markets is an investment that results in meaningful returns for their shareholders and hence makes "good business" sense to target individual communities."Asian Americans constitute 5 percent of the American population, but they represent a very lucrative market, owing to their high education levels and professional backgrounds," Millner pointed out.

"Events like children's education, retirement, social security, etc. are things that are impacting other communities in the country, are similarly impacting the Asian American community also."In an impressive presentation, Khan showcased the latest print and television ads for Nationwide targeted at the South Asian market. In "Bedroom," one of the first TV spots to air, a young man is so engrossed in his sports program on TV that he ignores the advances of his young wife.The harder she tries for his attention, the more he pleads for her to let him finish watching the game. When the game ends he turns to his wife, who is now in her 50s, while the voiceover states, "Life comes at you fast. Get your priorities straight."In another spot, "Hindi Lesson," a mother tries to teach her young son Hindi by sounding out different phrases, but the son just can't seem to get it right. The camera cuts to a shot of the mother holding up a chart and sounding out the phrases.

Then it cuts to her son, who is now a teenager, as he turns his Hindi lesson into a fast-paced rap. In yet another spot, a mom is showing her young son pictures of potential brides, but the son finds fault in all of them. Finally when his mom shows him a picture of a slightly older woman, the son says 'yes', but this time, the mom says, "No son, she's too young for you' The son realizes, he is now in his late 60s.Revealing the results of a post-campaign survey of the South Asian community conducted after last year's campaign, Khan said in just four months of airing the ads, 49 percent people recognized the brand where earlier surveys had shown that not many in the community had even heard of company.Throughout his presentation Khan reiterated the tag line of Nationwide that Life comes at you fast, and when it does, Nationwide is on your side.

The idea, he explained was to tell people not to procrastinate, to get their priorities in life straight, to plan and have a partner to be on your side when life throws its surprises at you.Nationwide, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the world, with more than $160 billion in assets.

The company provides a full range of insurance and financial services, including auto, motorcycle, boat, homeowners, life, commercial insurance, administrative services, annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions and long-term savings plans. The company is ranked No.104 on the Fortune 500 based on 2006 revenue.