Dive Brief:
- Farmers Insurance has launched a digital campaign that plays on the Netflix hit "Stranger Things," complete with a 360-degree experience where users can explore some of the company's strangest insurance claims, according to a press release. "The Stranger Claims" effort taps into the spooky Halloween theme of the series and runs from Friday, Oct. 13, to the end of the month. It can be accessed through Farmers' official website.
- Developed by agency RPA, the 360 experience, which replicates a haunted house with various touch points that launch digital video ads, will appear as a masthead on YouTube. It's also being promoted via pre-roll spots, across social media channels and as a Facebook canvas unit.
- Actor J.K. Simmons narrates the videos as Professor Nathaniel Burke, a character created by Farmers Insurance and used in its advertising since 2010. Some of the claims he describes in the spots include rock formations appearing on driveways, a wolf in the backseat of a car and a giant patch of grass stolen from someone's yard in the middle of the night.
Dive Insight:
Farmers Insurance is smartly trying to ride on the popularity of "Stranger Things" ahead of its season two premiere on Oct. 27. The Netflix property has quickly evolved from a cult favorite to a viral sensation, and a number of other brands this year are eager to bring the show and its young stars into their marketing, including Converse and Domino's Pizza. For Farmers, it can tie the series' spooky Halloween flavor into its long-running "Hall of Claims" platform, highlighting some of the most peculiar insurance claims the company's handled.
Several brands have enlisted 360-degree video to attract and engage consumers for longer periods, as the interactive format can be more effective than traditional video in sparking an emotional response and memorability. Farmers is essentially offering an immersive virtual take on a haunted house theme ride. That combination of interactive technology and seasonally-appropriate content, along with recalling "Stranger Things," might spin The Stranger Claims campaign into a big marketing win, and the brand is ensuring a wide reach with the heavy social media promotions.
Marketers including Honda and the airline KLM have recently created ads that successfully deploy 360-degree video, which is valued for its ability to let users choose the content they want to view and engage with.
