As Halloween approaches, Direct Line has launched an Alfred Hitchcock-inspired campaign showcasing the haunting effects of mistakes among young people.
Targeting 17- to 34-year olds, the "Survive the horror" campaign, by Saatchi & Saatchi, was inspired by the anxiety experienced by young people as they begin to face mistakes and claims without the help of parents or guardians.
A short film called "The torment" follows a young driver who scratched up her car on the way back from the supermarket after realising she forgot to buy cheese.
"Our audience are at a time when they want to maximise their personal freedom and decision-making. However, this comes with worry about things going wrong," Rachael Lynch, brand activation manager at Direct Line, said.
"We’ve tried to find entertaining ways to show how our promise is relevant in their lives. Nobody‘s perfect: at some point, we all mess up – but Direct Line understands and is there to help."
The work was created by Caroline Petrie and Brochan Watts, and directed by Black Mirror: Bandersnatch star and Sightseers co-writer Alice Lowe – who also wrote the ad – through Western Edge Pictures. The media agency is MediaCom. Music was by Toydrum (who wrote and produced music for This is England).
The spot will appear in cinemas screening horror movies during Halloween, alongside out-of-home activity and a series of six-second social videos showcasing the real-life trauma of cracked laptops and lost phones.
Franki Goodwin, creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi London, said: "The true horrors of growing up and being responsible are at their most visceral when something goes wrong.
"We’ve tapped into a genre most popular with our audience to create a campaign that is as resonant as it is entertaining."
This follows the insurance company’s sponsorship of Film on 4, with Direct Line releasing a series of idents to mark the occasion in June.
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