J. Walter Thompson uses stand-up comedy to promote Manulife’s 110 years in the Philippines

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Manulife.jpgInsurance and stand-up comedy may not be the most obvious bedfellows, but that is the path J. Walter Thompson Manila’s chose to celebrate Manulife’s 110 years in the Philippines.

Featuring real-life Filipino comic Victor Anastacio, and loosely based on his own struggles, the online spot tells the tale of how he left banking (“by choice,” he says, adding: “my boss’ choice when she fired me”) and began performing stand-up. At the time, his mother was skeptical but his dad backed his son.

The “Stand Up” spot is filled with one-liners about Anastacio’s family, including his siblings, one a lawyer and the other a doctor. “So you have a doctor’s appointment, an attorney’s appointment,” he says, adding: “and a disappointment.”

Manulife 3.jpg“We’re in a business that is largely built on relationships – with our clients, our insurance advisors, our employees,” said Melissa Henson, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Manulife Philippines. “So we wanted to launch a campaign that celebrates the many relationships that allowed Manulife to serve Filipinos for 100 years.”

“We’re grateful to have brave clients allowing us to do this one,” said Dave Ferrer, Chief Creative Officer of J. Walter Thompson Manila. “It gave the agency team, the director and the production team space to try a few things and make the fun happen.”