Local Insurance, Creative Radio at its finest.
An Introduction
Launched in August 2022, Local Insurance grabbed our attention with some cheeky, parody themed radio ads, poking fun at bigger, more established competitors. Their launch ad begins with a lady looking to claim on her insurance for a minor accident. After a series of questions about the chips in her windscreen the insurer advises, in his northern accent “we only cover chips” and the listener is directed to Local Insurance. Local Insurance, from the very get go, showed themselves to be the local, friendly insurance company that would work with the customer to help them make the best choices for their car and home insurance – and not just slap on any old insurance plan that they have on hand. Local Insurance came in with a simple mission – insurance that ‘Works for you.’
The Project
Local Insurance wanted to reach audiences outside of Dublin who they felt were underrepresented in the past when it comes to awareness and choice of insurance providers. With that objective in mind IRS+ was the most natural media partner with their network of 15 local radio stations throughout Ireland. Radio has the benefit of being a legacy media avenue, meaning it has been around for long before television, and modern wonders like TikTok and social media, allowing it to be more credible, more expansive in each, and an economical alternative for brands on a budget.
The project at hand was simple: Spread word of Local Insurance as their next best friend in the tricky world of insurance, with a focus on non-Dublin audience. IRS+ got to work to create a campaign, that you might STILL hear on your local radio station!
The Solution
Created by Foe, they were clever with their recruitment of strong voice over talent, meticulously matched to the script. The ads were simultaneously engaging and relatable. Our favourite, the “Hill 16” ad for home insurance, begins with a thick, gravely, unmistakably Dublin accent answering a phone call.
“Hello, Hill 16 Insurance, how can I help ya?”
This strong intro immediately sets out to raise some eyebrows and arouse curiosities. Who the hell are Hill 16 Insurance? The local caller seeks out home insurance and is quickly advised that “Hill 16 is Dublin only”. For us, the ads tick most, if not all the boxes for creative radio ads – single-minded, consistent branding, tells a simple but relatable story, has a strong CTA and OMG does it sweat that voice over talent!
Take a listen for yourself and see if it ticks all your boxes for creativity in radio.
The Result
Clearly, we weren’t the only ones who loved the radio campaign. For seven weeks from launch, Local Insurance had run a digital only campaign for home insurance. Once IRS+ helped them introduce a radio ad specifically for home insurance, leads increased by 106% and sales increased by 42% while visits to the home insurance page increased by 218% during the same period – with improved brand awareness, and a solid step in the direction of improving market share, and making Local Insurance the provider of choice – nationwide.
Talking about the team in IRS+ Barry O’Sullivan, Chief Executive of Acorn Brokerage and representative of Local Insurance said “The team in IRS+ are very easy to deal with and have treated us as partners since Day 1, working with us to experiment and explore optimal advertising times for our brand across their network. They have kept us informed every step of the way allowing us to really analyse the positive impact that local radio advertising has on our leads, quotes and ultimately sales.”
It is this joint collaboration between IRS+, Foe, Acorn Brokerage and Local Insurance that helped create a radio campaign that spread like wildfire, which continues to generate leads and engagement with a national audience – long after its conception.
For seven weeks from launch Local Insurance ran a digital only campaign for home insurance. Once they introduced a radio ad specifically for home insurance, leads increased by 106% and sales increased by 42% while visits to the home insurance page increased by 218% during the same period.