20060619 KDDC The Zurich Television Commercials

The Zurich Television Commercials

I like television commercials. Consistently, some of the best art on TV is found in the commercials.

Recently I have noticed the commercials for Zurich insurance, “Because change happenz,” I finally found a still-detail from the video and I have pasted it above…

(The Zurich web site explains that “Zurich Financial Services Group go back to the 19th century. Founded in 1872…”)

The web site for Zurich reports that the “the theme of Zurich's latest TV and print advertising campaign, centers on Zurich's ability to actively evaluate change. Now and in the future customers know they will get more innovative, relevant, contemporary and secure solutions.”

The visual art is certainly well executed, but what has me really intrigued is the music. Recently I went on the web to see if I could out more about the music.

So far I have not found anything about the music, but I found the commercial in English - - and the German version of the commercial. The German version is even more fascinating visually.

Click here for the English version and click here for the German version. It will take you to a site called "vividas," where you can choose what bandwidth you are on...

The German version brought back memories of many years ago, the Black and Decker annual stockholder meetings were held in Hampstead and one of the highlights of the meeting was when they would play their latest foreign commercials.

“Visit4info.com,” a British web site explains the German ad: “As the narrator talks about what happens about change in different situations the images are show to represent what is happing. First a bizarre product launch is shown going global, then a snowboarder is shown to be an older man. Next cars are shown driving through a junction with out stopping, and avoiding each other all because they use a GPS system, and ends with a shop literally changing it's business model in front of your eyes.”

And the same web site gives some of the commercial’s credits: “Ad location Creative agency Publicis Creative Sacha Moser, Tim Hoppin TV Producer Daniela Berther Production Co Stink, Smuggler (USA) Director Stylewar Producer Mungo Maclagan Photography Mungo Maclagan Post Production Method (California) Uploaded 04 Mar 2006”

Another Zurich commercial for Britain features flying pigs. I kid you not. It is quite a hoot. Go here to view the video. (Oh, once you get to the web page, hit the “Play Ad” button. (There is a “Download button," but they want to charge you “£2 per download.”)

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org

####