• The New York Times, Friday, September 29, 2006 1 PM

John Hancock Financial Services, which was acquired by Manulife Financial Corp. of Canada in 2004, is rolling out its first fresh campaign in a decade next week. In TV spots, an announcer intones: "At John Hancock, we have the products you need to help build, protect and sustain the future you've always wanted. At John Hancock, the future is yours." Hancock's financial offerings are explained further in collateral materials, Under "build" are products like mutual funds and college savings plans. Products that "protect" include life insurance and long-term care insurance. And the "sustain" products are annuities, mutual funds and life insurance.

Hancock is joining the legions of mainstream marketers that are devoting additional resources to nontraditional media, adding outlets like satellite radio for commercials and increasing its presence online with a dedicated Web site. "After the merger [with Manulife], we're even more about investments, more about retirement, more about the future," says Donna Driscoll, Hancock's svp for brand management and corporate communications, which helped lead to the adoption of the new theme. The campaign has a budget estimated at $25 million to $35 million through the end of next year.

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