Usain Bolt Takes a Breather at Yoga Retreat in Amusing Campaign for Allianz Direct

After the success of the first Allianz Direct campaign earlier this year, the fastest man alive is back. This time we meet him at a yoga retreat. The message of the new European campaign is: ‘Insure your home in now time with Allianz Direct’.

In the new campaign, the former sprinter from Jamaica is going to a yoga retreat. Even the fastest man in the world needs to take it easy at some point. Time for reflection, to think. For example, are valuables in the house insured? Time for Bolt to check if he has a home insurance policy and to get it directly at Allianz Direct.

Like so many others, the production of the commercial was faced with the challenges of Covid-19. While the team traveled from the Netherlands to Jamaica for the first European campaign with Usain Bolt, this was not possible during this production. Both Allianz Direct and Amsterdam based agency Alfred International came up with an unusual, but very creative solution for a long-distance production.

Jorn Kruijsen, creative director at Alfred, said: “We first shot the commercial in the Netherlands, using a stand-in for Usain. We made an edit and then had Usain redo the scenes for a green screen. That sounds challenging, but because we knew exactly what we needed from the Dutch stand-in, we were able to give Usain quick and efficient directions.”

Natasja Staal, senior marketeer at Allianz Direct, commented: “We are very happy with the end result, which again fits well with our proposition to get your insurance quickly and easily online. Despite the challenges we faced due to the corona virus, like being on set with Usain Bolt for example.”

This is Allianz Direct’s first European campaign with a clear focus on home insurance, after adding it to its portfolio in 2018.