• by Tanya Gazdik , March 28, 2012

John Hancock Financial Services is launching its first work under Chief Marketing Officer David Longfritz.

Longfritz, who in November took what is a new position at the financial services company, says the campaign “reflects the times we live in.”  The spots were created using the input from “good old-fashioned focus groups,” he said. “We talked with mass affluent investors and they admitted they’re avoiding investment risk, and as a result, they know they are taking on other risks -- such as lifestyle risk and retirement risk.”

The campaign, created by Boston-based Hill Holiday, urges consumers to talk to a financial advisor and include the tagline: “You Are Not Alone.”  Creative includes TV and online and launches this month.

The TV spot shows 10 different couples sharing the exact same conversation, at the exact same time. The spot is meant to prompt viewers to feel a strong sense of empathy, as it acknowledges that the economy is a big part of our culture.  

The media buy focuses on sports such as CBS and NBC golf coverage, including the US Open in June, and also the NHL on NBC, the Golf Channel and ESPN/ESP2. Online, the ads will appear on ESPN.com, SI.com, WSJ.com, Forbes.com and financial advisor sites such as Morningstar.com and TheStreet.com.

The positioning is consistent with prior John Hancock ads, said James Bacharach, vice president of brand strategy and communications at the financial services company.  In fact, the strategy is similar to a strategy originally conceived and executed by John Hancock and Hill Holliday more than 25 years ago, he said.

 “This latest work continues to depict realistic conversations that focus on people and what is important to them,” Bacharach said. “And we suggest that a strong financial leader like John Hancock can help them find opportunities amid the uncertainty.”