Matt Lester, Creative Director
THE CHALLENGE
Adapt a 200 + page white paper on the changing landscape of the once-crucial and now sidelined underwriter, turning the underwriter into tomorrow’s hero(ine) and a complex tome into less than 4 minutes of crackling storytelling.
THE INSIGHT
Superheroes. Even before the Marvel Universe captured public imagination in heretofore unseen numbers, superheroes and heroines were always with us. It’s an archetype so familiar that expositing on its story star-power is frivolous. Because what’s not to love about an underwriter who goes from underdog to top dog?
THE SOLUTION
Turn four personas – the Sales Executive, Decision Scientist, Customer Advocate and Innovator – into one unlikely hero(ine) by leaning into the most classic tenants of storytelling and, at the same time, bringing clarity and character to the role of the underwriter of the future. In other words, tackle the white paper as if it were a novel, and adapt it into a short screenplay.
THE RESULT
The seminal EY “Underwriter of the Future” white-board animation video, became the most-watched video in EY history, even spawning a sequel, “The Underwriter of the Future is Now”, that saw equal success. The characters created for the campaign continue to be critical and relevant brand ambassadors, highlighting the expanding value proposition for underwriting and the transformative value of underwriters themselves.