Mental Floss Bows 'Live Smarter' Vertical With Allstate

Allstate is hoping to connect with Millennials facing their first important financial decisions through a new partnership with Mental Floss, bringing the online publisher’s trademark quirky approach to cerebral content to questions spanning retirement, health, job searches, insurance, and major purchases like cars and houses, among other topics. (Full disclosure: the author is a freelance contributor to Mental Floss.)

The new vertical, dubbed “Live Smarter,” features a combination of original editorial content created under the supervision of a dedicated Mental Floss editor, and 64 pieces of custom content produced in collaboration with Allstate, according to publisher Molly Bechert.

The vertical is distinguished with a special “skin” and the inclusion of the Allstate logo. Mental Floss is also producing 18 custom Facebook videos and six custom YouTube videos, as well as custom Instagram posts.

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The “Live Smarter” vertical includes content formats found elsewhere on the site, like “Big Questions,” lists, and the “Amazing Fact Generator,” re-dubbed as the “Life Hack Generator.” According to Bechert, Mental Floss was already planning on launching the vertical when it was approached by Allstate, which eagerly embraced the idea of a sponsored vertical.

Bechert pointed out that the common image of Millennials as economic victims, which gained currency during the downturn, is often inaccurate and detrimental to brands that perpetuate it: “In the Millennial space, there was some content on finances, but a lot of it was dry and condescending. In contrast to us it was pessimistic – focusing on Millennials in dire financial straits, unable to find a job, living in their parents’ basement, and so on.”

By contrast, Bechert touted the Mental Floss audience as “an influential, aspirational group that’s making money and asserting their identities, and they’re now facing all these life firsts and big purchase decisions.

For example should you buy or lease a car, when to buy a house, what’s the difference between an IRA and a 401K. ‘Live Smarter’ is where we give our ambitious audience information, counsel, or just fun facts around these life events.”

Mental Floss isn’t the only publisher playing in the sponsored vertical space. Recently, Yahoo Sports launched the aptly named “The Vertical,” a hub for NBA news and information led by Adrian Wojnarowski, sponsored by State Farm.

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