One insurance brokerage in Canada has definitely won points for ad effectiveness.
The billboard for Thor Insurance and Registries, a company based in the small town of Toefield, Alberta, Canada, featured a run-of-the mill, white-spaced board with the words “You never know when you’ll need us.” The surprise was at the base.
A pickup truck that appeared to have smashed into the base of the billboard structure was wrapped around the pole, made to look like a real life accident. A clever twist on the brokerage’s motto, certainly, but perhaps a bit too effective.
People passing the ad almost immediately began stopping to see what happened, and to ensure the driver was okay. Some even called the local police to report the crash, with one person even claiming to have seen the accident happened.
Just five days of this melee was enough to get local authorities to ask Thor to remove the smashed truck.
It wasn’t quite the run Thor may have expected, but they can’t be disappointed with the effect or resulting media coverage.
