HDFC Standard Life, the first life insurance company in India to firmly position itself as a well-defined and differentiated brand, launched its new Children’s Plans campaign.

Announcing the launch of its new campaign, Sanjay Tripathy, EVP & Head-Marketing, HDFC Standard life said, “There is a high degree of similarity in the products offered by different life insurance companies, but HDFC Standard Life has successfully been able to differentiate its communication with its ‘Sar Utha ke Jiyo’ brand idea. Our new Children’s Plan communication is designed to allow customers to think of their children and their future in a natural way.”

Given their fickleness, there’s always something new that inspires children everyday and they wish to take that as their profession when they grow up. At HDFC Standard Life, we want to enable parents to encourage their children to dream, because our Children’s Plans can make those dreams come true, added Mr. Tripathy. “What’s more, we want to reassure the parents that when it comes to their children’s dreams, they don’t need to rely on anyone else other than self to make it true. That’s where Sar Utha Ke Jiyo starts becoming really meaningful to the target segment.”

“We are not selling dreams through our ad. We have shown a small child aspiring for an expensive profession and subconsciously assuming that her dad may not be able to support her. She instantly figures out a solution – her well-to-do uncle. The penny drops at this moment, as this is capable of hurting any parents’ pride. So we are actually shaking them up by showing a very natural, day-to-day instance that can occur to anyone. The dad in the TVC reassures his child by saying that he has actually planned for her future, thus heightening the moment of self respect which the brand stands for,” commented Mr. K.V. Sridhar, National Creative Director, Leo Burnett India. HDFC Standard Life’s new Children’s Plan film has been conceptualized and scripted by Leo Burnett and directed by Prakash Verma from Nirvana Films.

The film opens in a middle class household where the child while looking through a book on space, innocently expresses her desire to become an astronaut. The film captures moments between the child and her father, wherein the father lovingly assures his daughter of a secure future and promises to fulfill her dream. The film in a subtle fashion brings across the importance of planning early for a child’s future needs.

In its advertising campaigns, HDFC Standard Life has found relevant ways to touch a chord with consumers across their life stages and link it back to its brand idea of ‘Sar Utha Ke Jiyo’. This is because the company believes that people have dreams, but above all they have pride and they will not compromise on their pride to make their dreams come true. In fact, HDFC Standard Life was one of the first private life insurers to break the ice using the idea of self respect (Sar Utha Ke Jiyo) to convey its brand proposition instead of the usual ‘Trust’, ‘Security’ or ‘Protection’ used by most other Life Insurance companies.

HDFC Standard Life plans a 360-degree campaign to take its communication idea through different platforms and intensify the brand experience. Apart from television, this film will be supported by other mediums such as print, radio, OOH, Internet, mobile, and on-ground Initiatives.

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About HDFC Standard Life

HDFC Standard Life is one of India’s leading private life insurance companies, which offers a range of individual and group insurance solutions. It is a joint venture between Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC), India’s leading housing finance institution and Standard Life plc, the leading provider of financial services in the United Kingdom.

HDFC Standard Life’s Product portfolio comprises solutions, which meet various customer needs such as Protection, Pension, Savings, and Investment. Customers have the added advantage of customizing the Plans, by adding optional benefits called riders, at a nominal price. The company currently has 19 retail and 6 group products in its portfolio, along with five optional rider benefits catering to the savings, investment, protection and retirement needs of customers.

HDFC Standard Life continues to have one of the widest reaches among new insurance companies. The company strengthened its number of offices from 103 to 572 across the country in less than 3 years. Through these offices, the company today services customer needs in over 730 cities and towns. The company also increased its depth in existing markets by increasing its Financial Consultant strength from 74,000 as on March 31, 2007 to 1,44,000 as on March 31, 2008.