SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Leading life insurer TAL has unveiled a bold new brand platform, ‘Life Takes Guts – Protecting it should be easy’, reinforcing its commitment to making life insurance simpler and more relevant, particularly for younger Australians.
This strategic repositioning, supported by a national campaign developed in collaboration with Ogilvy, marks a significant shift in how TAL engages with customers. At its heart, the refreshed platform is a celebration of the courage Australians show in everyday life, and TAL’s role in supporting that resilience through accessible, meaningful protection.
TAL Chief Customer and Brand Officer, Alex Homer, said: “‘Life Takes Guts’ is about celebrating the strength Australians show every day as they face life’s challenges and reinforcing that we stand with them.”
“We’re here to make life insurance the easy part of building a resilient life, supporting people through life’s moments and providing a safety net when needed.”
The campaign reflects TAL’s response to persistent challenges in the industry: many Australians, especially younger consumers, perceive life insurance as overly complex, or only relevant in the context of death. To change that narrative, TAL is reframing life insurance as a partner in life not just a safeguard in death.
Central to this is the introduction of a clearer way to understand insurance through two core categories:
- Living Insurance, which includes Income Protection, Critical Illness, and Total and Permanent Disability benefits, helping people recover from unexpected health setbacks.
- Life Insurance, which offers financial security through a lump sum payment in the event of death or terminal illness.
This dual focus approach not only demystifies the product but also underscores its relevance at every stage of life.
The integrated campaign crafted by Ogilvy Australia in partnership with Hogarth and Revolver features a suite of stories that capture real moments in real lives. One particularly moving piece features a real-life couple, a first for the life insurance category, bringing an authenticity and emotional resonance that sets the campaign apart.
Ogilvy Managing Partner Sally Borda said “TAL’s ambition challenged us to move beyond the usual category tropes of life insurance and provided the ideal opportunity to apply an agile way of working that united specialists from across the full Ogilvy network, and within TAL. This allowed Ogilvy and TAL to act as one team to create impactful, behaviour-changing work.”
The campaign will run across Broadcast Video on Demand (BVOD), YouTube, Out of Home (OOH), and digital display, with a strong focus on reaching younger Australians through social and streaming platforms.
Beyond media, the ‘Life Takes Guts’ platform will also extend into TAL’s owned channels and internal initiatives, serving as a unifying message across the business.
TAL’s internal research revealed a troubling insight: many younger Australians believe life insurance is only about death, and not something to consider until later in life. Yet, a striking 74% of claims TAL paid in its most recent financial year were Living Insurance benefits supporting people through illness and injury, often well before retirement age.
With this rebranding, TAL is not only reshaping public perception – it’s also reinforcing its promise to support Australians through all of life’s challenges.
Campaign Credits
Client: TAL
Alex Homer, Chief Customer & Brand Officer
Antony Wilson, General Manager Brand & Communications
Michelle Singer, Head of Brand
Joline Samawi, Senior Brand Manager
Amber Lowings, Brand Manager
Jade Su, Brand Manager
Strategy, Creative, PR: Ogilvy Australia (including Ogilvy Health, Ogilvy PR)
Agency Production: Hogarth
Production Company: Revolver
Fiona McGee, Director
Corey White, Photographer
Sound Design: Rumble
Inclusivity Partners: Shift 20, Get Skilled Access, Inclusively Made
Media Agency: Spark Foundry
Kimberly LeQuire, General Manager
James De Bond, Strategy Director
Feruzan Reporter, Client Partner
