• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, February 3, 2012

MetLife will join the line-up of first-time Super Bowl advertisers with a 30-second spot featuring the Peanuts characters, which have been central to its marketing for decades. The company has a relationship with one of the game’s teams with its name on the New York Giants home field.

In addition to Snoopy, a screen shot on WashingtonPost.com indicates a slew of “classic cartoon characters” will also be featured.

MetLife said it is using the big game to debut a new campaign with the tagline “MetLife: I Can Do This.” It was unclear whether that would mean the retirement of the decades-old “Get Met, It Pays” catch phrase.

At the core of the campaign, from agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky, is messaging that people need insurance, but the process of securing it is difficult. CEO Steven Kandarian stated that it “highlights the steps we’ve taken to make the insurance-buying process simpler, faster, more affordable, and easier to understand.”

Multiple spots will advance the campaign later in February, while a slew of social media efforts are being undertaken to support the Super Bowl appearance.

MetLife’s sports involvement has also included its branded blimp.