SGIC car insurance advertisement
The Bicycle Institute has just been alerted to an advertisement that SGIC have released which shows all that can beset you if you are without your car. I haven't seen the ad myself but visit http://www.sgic.com.au/car-insurance/never-without-a-car/index.shtm... to see the clips involved.
While health costs spiral ever upwards, Australia is registered as the second most obese population and petrol hits $1.50 this is the best some advertising agency can do? Make walking and cycling seem awkward and inconvenient, what a joke!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Stig of The Dump on -
Yeah i thought it was a bit annoying, but its pandering to how most people think.
Theres another one for an SUV which overtakes some cyclists on the left, then stops dead in front of them, its all stylised/animated, but it still annoys me.
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Permalink Reply by heather on -
On 2 May I posted about this with SGIC in the heading. Then changed the heading to 'Advert of unpleasant life without a car'.
No response, so changed the heading to 'bike vs car -- any cartoons?'.
"Would a clever cyclist like to produce cartoons or video clip of how enjoyable life is with a bicycle? Make that bicycles, because AC members seem to collect more than one bike each."
http://www.adelaidecyclists.com/forum/topics/bike-vs-car-any-cartoons
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Permalink Reply by Sue on -
I saw these ads a couple of months ago and instantly disliked them. They try to make being without a car seem so inconvenient. Very annoying.
Personally I am at the point where driving my car is more hassle than it's worth such as having to find a parking space and not being able to go from door to door as you can on a bike. I discovered this recently when I drove into the city for the 1st time during the day in well over a year or maybe even 2-3 as I was sick and didn't have the energy to ride in but found myself really frustrated by looking for car-parks and having to park and walk a long way when feeling unwell. It would have been easier and less stressful on my body to have ridden in.
Maybe we need to put together our own community counter-ads and show the awesomeness and ease that is the reality of cycling. :-)
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Permalink Reply by daniel f on -
there is a youtube video that jeremy miller had a hand in that does just this.
i say we all contact SGIC and make it known to them, that based on this campaign, we will seek to not use them again as an insurer and anyone who is with them should change insurers.
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Permalink Reply by Mike W on -
They may have overlooked the fact that cyclists are growing in numbers but they all have some form of insurance and are smart enough to eliminate some organisations from their potential provider list...
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Permalink Reply by heather on
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The link includes niche market like veteran and classic cars. Yet it omits bicycle and cycling insurance. In another 20 years driving may be less common (peak oil, carbon tax, traffic congestion, car parking) and they may want our business. My insurance is not with those companies.
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Permalink Reply by MARK FERGUSON (SPARTACUS) on -
Don't SGIC want cyclists as customers? The add is a disgrace!
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Permalink Reply by craig sinclair on -
Thrust of the ad is, without a car, you'll be a social leper, or worse, a cyclist. Little bit Lowest Common Denominator.
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Permalink Reply by Daryl Whitwell on
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Who wants to be without a car and not give their Insurance company a slice of the pie. I like to over acting of all the participants involved....
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Permalink Reply by MARK FERGUSON (SPARTACUS) on
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I've had a workmate who was driving to work and saw me riding on Payneham Road. After I had got to work changed out of my cycling clothes, made a coffee and was sitting at my computer, he walked in and said "how the hell did you beat me in?"
More convenient by car my ass!
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Permalink Reply by Mike Brisco on -
Yup, SGIC isnt being a good "corporate citizen" here. Or rather, Insurance Australia Limited (IAG) [ABN 11 000 016 722]isnt. This is the large private multi national owns the SGIC brand and trades, using that name.
In my experience, the mechanisms for complaining about ads, are toothless. But With SGIC/IAG we have a more interesting situation. IAG/SGIC website boasts a Code of Corporate ethics. Yet in my opinion, SGIC's ad, breaks several sections of SGIC's own Code of Ethics!
Did they actually read the Code, and check the Ads didnt contradict it?
One wonders - if they do this over a mere ad - how they would act over a claim!
I've set out the grounds and links to the Code below.
The ads might sell a few more insurance policies. But they also show up SGIC/IAG, as less community minded, than they would have us believe. So the dont-be-without-a-car campaign, is a potential PR disaster for them. In my opinion.
It's not all that often, one can catch an insurance corporation out like this - so make the most of the fun, and tell your friends!
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The links for IAG's home page and Code of Ethics - which is supposed to apply to all they do - are (http://www.iag.com.au/about/index.shtml)
(http://www.iag.com.au/about/ethics/media/Code_of_ethics_IAG.pdf),
Page 1 of the Code of Ethics booklet gets straight to the point, with the section titled "What are Our Ethical Principles?"
"The Code expresses the fundamental ethical principles that are applicable across all parts of the business,regardless of the country of operation. Our ethical principles are provided to help guide each of our people when they make a judgement on what is right, proper and appropriate in a given situation. These ethical
principles will assist us in:
• Determining the most appropriate way to deliver on IAG’s purpose to help people manage risk and recover
One aspect of risk people have to manage, is health risk. IE risk of heart attack, stroke diabetes, etc from living a highly sedentary western lifestyle and not getting enough exercise. This has been known for years, and there have been several SA govt campaigns promoting activity. However SGIC instead of supporting those messages and helping people to manage those risks - chooses to portray healthy cycling and walking in a very negative way. In short SGIC's way of helping people manage health risks - is to disparage behaviours that reduce those risks . Their commercial, makes cycling and walking, look inconvenient, annoying, accident prone, and unpleasant.
Worse, page 4 of IAG/SGIC's Code of Ethics says " Accountability for Our Marketing We believe in marketing and selling our products responsibly and being accountable for the promises we make in our advertising and marketing."
One would hardly call, disparaging an active lifestyle in favour of the sedentary car-driving one - :responsible marketing. It is encouraging people to make unhealthy choices. SGIC say they want to be accountable - but if you on account of seeing their ads decide walking is unpleasant - and that contributes to you becoming obese and getting diabetes - are SGIC going to pay for that?
And page 5 of IAG/SGIC's Code of Ethics, on how they treat the community and environment ethically
" Recognising Our Impact We recognise that our business has impacts on the community, the environment and the wider economy. We believe that it is good business to operate in a way that recognises adverse impacts and manages them effectively."
The current ads have an adverse impact on the communtiy. They make healthy lifestyle options look unattractive. They show that people who cycle or walk, are not quite in control of events - the bike is hard to steer; unexpected and unpleasant things happen. This will discourage people from getting exercise. Thus add to the burden, of heart disease, stroke, diabetes found in teh Community. SGIC could easily do the opposite and promote healthy active lives - that would have had benefits fro the community. They chose to do the opposite.
In my opinion, These three points suggest one of two things. Either SGIC did not bother to check this ad campaign against its own code of ethics. Or worse, when the ethics get in the way of selling insurance - they just ignore the ethics and act, by their own standards unethically.
from the hardship of unexpected loss"
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