More Th>n drops teapot for gritty ads

Insurance giant More Th>n has ditched the giant teapot and biscuits to launch a more gritty marketing campaign promoting its home cover, featuring a man who returns to find his house has been burgled.
The campaign, through VCCP me, introduces a new strapline, “Where you mean more”, and is designed to show the caring side of the business.
It opens with a middle-aged man returning home, accompanied by what appears to be his daughter. As he walks towards the house, he notices the front door has been forced open and his “daughter” looks on in horror as he enters the property.
She then follows him in to discover the place has been ransacked, and then tells him: “Don’t worry we’ll get this sorted out. Put the kettle on.” The voiceover states: “At More Th>n… we won’t interrogate you, or pass you around the building, we’ll just do all we can to help, like any decent person.”
As he proceeds to clear up the mess, the scene cuts to show the same woman manning the phones at a More Th>n call centre, followed by the call to action and new strapline. It is being supported by a print and online guide, entitled “Helping you to keep your home safe and secure.”
However, on the brand’s Facebook page someone has already written: “Don’t touch More Than with a barge pole. You’ll regret it when you have to make a claim.”
The campaign is a major departure from the insurance company’s “Feel the Love” push, which featured a giant teapot being paraded through the streets of St Albans, complete with jazz band and a giant tin of biscuits.
Much derided by some sections of the marketing press – it even had the dubious honour of being named Turkey of the Week in Campaign magazine – the initiative was designed as a “thank-you” to existing customers. It replaced the Moreth>n Freeman brand character, which featured a voiceover by US impressionist Josh Robert-Thompson in the style of Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman.

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