• by Les Luchter , March 31, 2024

Rather than just conveying end-of-life wishes to loved ones, you should “Make It Count” by legally documenting them, implores D2C estate planning provider Trust & Will in a new TV spot.

In the ad, a couple tells their children's “favorite aunt” that she should “take the kids” if “anything happened to us.” At that point, a likeable stranger pops into their living room, saying the touching conversation “doesn’t count,” and suggesting the use of Trust & Will, with fees starting at $199.

Additional creative will launch in the coming months, Trust & Will CMO Dale Sperling tells Marketing Daily.

“We're targeting a broad audience, running national campaigns on linear and streaming,” Sperling says. “Since everyone over the age of 18 needs a will, we intend to have the biggest reach possible for these spots.”

The media buy thus includes a variety of dayparts and categories, including news, entertainment, lifestyle, and sports, he says, with specific networks including ESPN, MSNBC, Lifetime, FX, Travel Channel, Food Network, Discovery & Travel Channel.

The media buying, brand strategy, creative and production have all been handled by Minneapolis-based agency Marketing Architects, which will also do measurement.

The campaign’s success, Sperling says, will be judged by response rates, conversion rates, cost per response, cost per registration, cost per conversion, and return on ad spend.

“Make It Count” marks the latest TV campaign from seven-year-old Trust & Will, whose previous national spots have featured such stars as L.A. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and his wife Kelly, as well as Trust & Will’s own founder/CEO Cody Barbo and general counsel Patrick Hicks.

Trust & Will is one of a number of players in the growing online will space. NerdWallet in mid-March gave it the site’s highest rating, ahead of LegalZoom, for ease of use and customizability.