An idea worth £1.8bn

When we invented ‘the widow’, Scottish Widows was just another financial institution from over the border – albeit with a name that conjured up images of ‘witches and Macbeth’.

Some brands have confused or weak perceptions. This often leads people to perceive a weak or confused business. But other brands have bigger challenges. There can be some seemingly inherent negativity in their history, geography or even in their name.

That was certainly true of the Scottish Widows name – a hangover from the Crimean War…

Within 6 weeks of our campaign launch, prompted recall of the Scottish Widows’ name leaped from 30% to 80%. The idea has stood the test of time, and proven its worth even in times of poor performance.

Millward Brown assessed our Widows concept as ‘the most successful insurance company advertising ever’. And when the business was bought by Lloyds TSB, the sale included a £1.8 billion premium for the brand value.

In industry research, the Scottish Widows brand has been rated as the second strongest financial services brand – second only to HSBC.

The story of Scottish Widows demonstrates the power of iconic creative thinking. We found a powerful way to turn a complex, apparently intractable issue into an incredibly attractive – dare we say it? – sexy solution.

And not by reducing the client’s business or heritage to something simple, trite or cheesy. By getting to its very essence, we allowed the brand to gain in richness, intelligence and emotional resonance. Quite possibly, that’s an approach you would value for your brand?