Written by: Vickie Sullivan  |  December 26, 2024

How Humor Can Elevate a Marketing Campaign: Nationwide Knows

As we celebrate Boxing Day with holiday leftovers, let’s have some fun with a humorous marketing campaign that Nationwide Insurance runs.

Each year since 2009, the insurance company presents its Hambone Award to “shed light on the everyday and sometimes bizarre incidents that can befall our beloved pets — and how pet insurance plays a role in caring for them.” Nominations come from pet insurance claims, and winners are determined via a public vote.

This year’s award went to Luca, a Shiloh Shepherd who dismantled a kitchen cabinet to get to the trash hidden inside.

“I looked up the stairs and saw that my cabinet was gone,” says Luca’s owner, Lori. “He had pulled the entire thing out, track and all. The barrel and the cabinet front were flung into my dining room.”

Luca had eaten several corn cobs and needed immediate medical attention. Luca survived to accept his award, and Nationwide helped with expenses while also getting widespread attention.

Structured as a contest, Nationwide’s Hambone Award marketing campaign celebrates hijinks like Luca’s that pet owners can relate to. These hilarious stories are freely shared by pet parents. Plus, the humor captures the attention of households like mine that don’t have fur babies. Talk about wide appeal.

This is a great way to introduce humor and a human (er, animal) element to what could be a dull marketing campaign about insurance. Nationwide’s message: Things change in an instant. And when they do, we’re here for you.

For your content marketing campaigns next year, think about taking a lighthearted approach. Humor is a powerful tool in the attention economy.

Listen: The Business Case for Sharing Funny Stories

Now Read This:

• The Last Barf Bag: How Humor Transforms Content Marketing
• Brand and Message Strategy for Thought Leaders

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.