Great Work for Boring Clients

Some of my favorite commercials are for clients and products most agencies won't touch. The great Bob Barrie said, "Do great work for boring clients." So in that spirit, here are some great ads for clients who don't shill beer, cars or use sex to sell themselves.

Aflac - The Duck
Before this campaign no one knew what Aflac was what it did. The Kaplan Thaler Group changed that with one loud-mouthed central-continuity character. The Aflac name also became the product's identification as Kleenex, Chapstick and BandAids did in their fields. Highlights include, "Silent Movie" and "Berra at the Barber."

Rozerem - Your Dreams Miss You
OK, so using Abraham Lincoln, a gopher and an astronaut is a weird way to remind you that "when you can't sleep, you can't dream." Regardless, it's the best commercial for a prescription drug I've ever seen and it illustrates the point without a middle-aged man throwing a football through a tire.

Liberty Mutual - Responsibility: What's you policy?
This spot shows how a good deed comes full circle. It takes a while to get to the pay off, but it's beautifully phrased. "When it's people who do the right thing, they call it being responsible. When it's an insurance company, they call it Liberty Mutual." I call that a darn good commercial.