Emmy-Nominated Comic Actor Provides ‘Sage’ Retirement Advice in New Online Videos
BELLEVUE, Wash. – Adding a splash of humor to the daunting topic of retirement planning, Symetra Life Insurance Company rolled out the latest phase of its “Don’t Fear 65” awareness campaign with online videos featuring Emmy-nominated character actor Fred Willard. The campaign challenges people to live a fearless retirement, supported by resources and interactive financial planning tools on DontFear65.com.
Best known for his film work in Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show, as well as continuing roles in the Emmy-winning TV series Modern Family and Everybody Loves Raymond, Willard appears in three new video shorts hosted on Symetra’s DontFear65.com website. Willard also is featured in online ads directing consumers to the site.
“‘Don’t Fear 65’ is more than an awareness campaign; it’s a call to action,” said Jim Pirak, Symetra vice president of Corporate Marketing. “With the confidence of many retirees shaken by the economic downturn, Don’t Fear 65 encourages people to take charge of their financial future and approach retirement with optimism. As the new face of our campaign, Fred Willard adds a sense of fun to this increasingly important topic.”
In the web videos, Willard is seen on a Sunday drive with an actor playing his grandson. “Grandpa” gives the boy dubious financial advice in vintage Fred Willard style. He regales his grandson with a series of observations about staying healthy, planning for retirement and achieving important milestones in retirement. A series of title cards are interspersed throughout the videos, countering the questionable advice from Grandpa with sound information about how Symetra’s income annuity products can help build guaranteed income for life.
The campaign will run nationally through banner ad placements on websites frequented by retirees and pre-retirees, including MSN, Yahoo, WSJ.com, MarketWatch.com, Barrons.com, SmartMoney.com, Kiplinger.com, and online media outlets on the Tribal Fusion ad network.
In addition to the videos, the refreshed Don’t Fear 65 website is rich with retirement planning tools and information, such as licensed articles from Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine; financial calculators to determine how long savings will last; and an advisor referral service. Now in its third year, the campaign website is a popular resource for Symetra distribution partners to use with their clients as they build financial plans.
Symetra worked on the updated campaign with Seattle-based Copacino+Fujikado.
About Symetra
Symetra Life Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Symetra Financial Corporation (NYSE:SYA), a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Wash. In business since 1957, Symetra provides employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through a national network of benefit consultants, financial institutions, and independent agents and advisors. For more information, visit www.symetra.com.
About Copacino+Fujikado
Founded in 1998, the agency has 30 employees and a range of clients that include the Seattle Mariners, Seattle Children’s Hospital, CareFusion, the Seattle Aquarium, Symetra Financial, Washington Forest Protection Association and Pacific Place. Copacino+Fujikado has won numerous industry awards and has been named one of the “Best Places to Work in Seattle” by Seattle Business Monthly magazine. For more information, visit www.copacino.com.
