Local insurance giant picks the area's biggest ad firm for lead role

BY BOB RAYNER
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Oct 25, 2005

It was a match made in, well, Richmond.

One of the area's biggest corporations is hiring the largest local advertising firm.

Genworth Financial Inc., an insurance and investment-products company worth more than $14 billion, will name The Martin Agency today as its lead ad firm.

"It's great to be a part of bringing this emerging, global brand to an even broader group of customers," said Bruce Kelley, Martin's vice chairman. "We began doing some project work together and had a terrific experience."

The size of the account was not disclosed, but Genworth has unleashed a major advertising blitz since gaining independence from its parent, General Electric Co.

Martin will handle Genworth's consumer and trade-publication advertising, along with other marketing projects. The Richmond agency's work should start running early next year.

Buzz Richmond, Genworth's senior vice president of brand marketing, said his company was impressed with Martin's work on several projects, including some business-to-business ads.

"They gained the trust and confidence of our businesses' marketing leaders very quickly," Richmond said. "They really hit those projects right on the nose. We were very impressed with the insight and the focus they gave to our businesses."

Genworth became a publicly traded company in May 2004. Last month, GE reduced its ownership stake in the Richmond company to about 27 percent.

Genworth has been working to establish its own identity in the market without entirely giving up its historical links to GE.

Its most visible campaign: television commercials featuring husband-and-wife tennis stars Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi. Genworth signed the pair to a three-year contract as official spokescouple.

Klamath Communications in New York produced those spots.

So what's next?

"In a thoughtful and diligent manner, we're going to build our own brand identity," Richmond said. Details are still in the works.

At least it will be a short drive — for either side — to check out any ideas the ad agency hatches.