Generali launches global brand campaign after appointing Dentsu Aegis

Italian insurance giant Assicurazioni Generali has launched its first global brand campaign in its 189-year history with support from an integrated team of Dentsu Aegis Network agencies.

The work, which will run across all media channels, is launching in Italy and Spain, and will then roll out to 15 other markets across EMEA, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

The campaign, "Red", follows the decision by Generali, one of the world’s top 10 insurance groups by premiums written, to appoint Dentsu Aegis as its integrated agency of record to handle creative, media, data and technology.

Dentsu Aegis said four of its agencies—Dentsumcgarrybowen, Dentsu X, Isobar and The Content Symphony—make up a bespoke team, called Team Generali, that operates chiefly out of Milan and London.

Generali first appointed Dentsu Aegis in a consolidation last year but news of the global account win in a competitive pitch has only emerged now. 

"The brief was to deliver a global communications platform and strategy to cement Generali as a ‘lifetime partner’ for their customers," Dentsu Aegis said.

It is designed to celebrate Generali’s difference from other insurance providers, "which is fuelled by their ‘red-blooded humanity’ and 150,000-plus agent network," Dentsu Aegis said.

Gordon Bowen, chairman of Dentsumcgarrybowen and chief creative officer at Dentsu Aegis, said: "Briefs that have such high ambitions as to redefine the communications for a category are rare. 

"What’s even more rare are brands that live up to that brief, providing us with a truly unique history, a powerful culture and a desire for a voice that will engage and connect with people. We said ‘Yes, please’ and we’re massively excited about the potential of the big organising idea we’ve created together for the Generali brand and business." 

Giulio Malegori, chief executive of Dentsu Aegis EMEA, added the full-service approach was an opportunity to tap into "the very best of what our network can deliver, all brought together into one, seamless integrated solution".

Media-focused Dentsu Aegis is looking to broaden its capabilities in creative and CRM, and has recruited Wendy Clark, formerly chief executive of DDB, to be its next global chief executive.

Dentsu, the Japanese parent company, has said it wants to bring its Japanese and international operations closer together and "to further integrate our services into one consistent global offering".

The value of the Generali account is undisclosed, but one industry observer estimated that it could be in the region of €80m in terms of media billings. Denstu Aegis would not comment.