US insurer briefs McCann Erickson

McCann Erickson London has scooped the multi-million pound pan-European launch brief for US insurance company Genworth Financial.

The brief for the agency will be to help it expand internationally, as Genworth embarks on its first significant growth outside North America.

The company was spun-off from The General Electric Company in an initial public offering in May 2004 and has a high profile presence in the US – with Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf appearing in its advertising and the sponsorship of TV show The Apprentice.

McCann Erickson has been made responsible for developing a campaign specific to the European market, which will initially run in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany and Spain.

It aims to establish Genworth’s presence in Europe and its “forward thinking” approach to insurance.

International brand manager Javier Diez-Aguirre says the agency was initially selected to provide strategy and a campaign for a “high profile” offline launch but its remit has been extended to include interactive, event and sponsorship support.

It is not known if the agency had to pitch for the business although the financial services giant is believed to have stipulated a network to handle the account because of the pan-European brief.

Diez-Aguirre, who is based in London – Genworth’s European headquarters – was appointed to the role last month and is responsible for launching the Genworth brand in markets outside the US.

Genworth offers mortgage and payment protection insurance services in Europe. Genworth has more than 15 million customers and a presence in more than 25 countries.