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Today, I was home for lunch and my son was watching a recorded episode of Myth Busters, a great show as anyone with a pre-teen child knows. As he was fast-forwarding through the commercials, I happened to see a glimpse of a LifeLock spot (see inset).
My son knows I like the commercials better than the shows, so he graciously replayed the entire thing for me. It seemed to go on forever, he said, "like a sponsored program of its own." Which from him is actually a compliment, I think. I checked out the replay online and saw that it was a 2-minute spot (note 1).
It features street scenes of New York (I think). It plays like news coverage as the big "billboard trucks" drive through town plastered with CEO Todd Davis's social security number in red, 3-foot high numbers. Interspersed are man-on-the-street soundbites from astonished pedestrians and a great testimonial from a LifeLock customer who credit the company from saving him from having someone buy an $83,000 RV in his name. It also has Mr. Davis pitching the product through a bullhorn on a crowded Manhattan street.
It's a real in-your-face commercial, but I really liked it. It does a great job of grabbing attention, reinforcing the benefits, and providing a can't-miss call-to-action. It's a good compliment to the over-the-top print ads featuring the CEO's social-security-number (see previous coverage here and note 2).
LifeLock uses two different URLs in the commercial, the normal <lifelock.com> and <lifelocktv.com>. Both point to the same page now, but the company must be considering a distinct landing page for the TV URL.
The video is available in the lower-left corner of the company's homepage (below). For more information on the market for credit report and identity theft services, see our most recent Online Banking Report here.
Note:
1. The commercial doesn't appear to be on YouTube yet, so I was unable to post the actual spot here.
2. A half-page version of LifeLock's social-security-number ad was in a recent WSJ.
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Comments (6)
Here's a review of the company and its service from their hometown paper, The Phoenix New Times. http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2007-07-19/news/money-for-nothing/
Posted by Michael R. Crusoe | August 29, 2007 12:34 AM
Posted on August 29, 2007 00:34
Since Todd Davis the CEO became an identity theft victim within the last few months and one of the founders of LifeLock was remove (or he left) due to the fact of press how he was an ID Theft himself and the FTC stopped his phony xcredit repair business a few yearsback.... it is no wonder with all the investment money LifeLock is spending mega bucks to snowball the consumer to think they are great. Anyway all they do is put a fraud alert on yur credit file 4 times a year which you can do yourself and those "instant credit" firms never even pull your credit report (that is how Todd Davis became a victim). From what I can see, LifeLock is smoke and mirrors an if you read the Terms & Conditions to join they say you can not do what the CEO does in the commercial, that is publize your social security number.
Posted by L. Guy | August 29, 2007 2:18 PM
Posted on August 29, 2007 14:18
@L Guy
You bring up valid concerns about LifeLock's price/value. It's certainly not for everyone. And they've had their share of controversy.
I just enjoy their brash marketing approach.
Posted by NetBanker (Jim Bruene) | August 29, 2007 2:42 PM
Posted on August 29, 2007 14:42
it's a brash marketing approach that misleads consumers into thinking that it's OK to shout your SSN on the streets of NYC! I'm surprised to see netbanker implicitly endorsing such a unethical approach to marketing a service.
Posted by Sandy Martin | August 29, 2007 8:40 PM
Posted on August 29, 2007 20:40
@Sandy
I only like the TV spot as "theater," I assume the event was staged for the cameras.
Posted by Jim Bruene![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.netbanker.com/nav-commenters.gif)
|
August 29, 2007 9:25 PM
Posted on August 29, 2007 21:25
Though I do think the commercial was a bit staged I loved the idea of shouting out your social security number. I mean what better way to prove that they can stop identity theft than by giving away your SSN number.
There is more information on LifelockTV here.
Posted by Sean | September 25, 2007 9:27 AM
Posted on September 25, 2007 09:27