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October 01, 2006 at 04:00 AM
In another push to capture sales from baby boomers, Ameriprise Financial is relying on a “1960s-style” red chair and actor Dennis Hopper. They are the main ingredients in the latest Ameriprise ad campaign entitled “Dreams Don’t Retire.”
The campaign, which follows the introduction of the company’s “Dream Book” guide and affiliated ad program of 2005, kicked off on September 10 — the first night of the 2006-2007 “NBC Sunday Night Football” season. It was developed in cooperation with Saatchi & Saatchi and also airs during TV shows like “Lost,” “Desperate Housewives” and “CSI: Miami,” as well as in print, on radio spots and via online ads.
According to Ameriprise, the red chair is meant to symbolize the “launching pad for boomers’ retirement dreams” and serves “as an ‘anti-rocking’ chair.” “The theme is meant to say that people today don’t take retirement lying down and are looking at inspirational ways to retire,” explains Kim Sharan, executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer.
With the Dream Book, Ameriprise aimed to connect its new post-American Express brand with consumers and present them with its “redefinition of financial planning.” The ’06 campaign strives to illustrate how Ameriprise continues to redefine financial planning over a lifetime relationship with its clients, according to Sharan.
“Hopper embodies the spirit of the baby boomer,” Sharan says. “Consumer research shows that his message resonates highly with a target audience. He’s also seen as a ’60s icon.”
The star, who began acting in films in the 1950s with James Dean, directed and starred in the film “Easy Rider” with Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson in 1969. Since then, he has appeared in “Apocalypse Now” (1979), “Blue Velvet” (1986), “Speed” (1994), “Waterworld” (1995) and a number of other movies.
