Line #33 Advertising/MetLife


1	[[quoteright:342:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cdnihaymarketmediaasia.png]][[caption-width-right:342:Get Met. It pays.]]
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3	In 1985, the insurance company Metropolitan Life, often shortened to either Met Life or [=MetLife=], began featuring the characters from ''Franchise/{{Peanuts}}'' in a series of commercials in an effort to appear more approachable during a time when insurance companies were thought to be "cold and distant."
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5	Most of these ads featured [[WolverinePublicity Snoopy]] in the role of the "world-famous [=MetLife=] representative," helping the other characters with various insurance-related needs. The commercials played off several iconic {{Running Gag}}s from the comic strip and its adaptations, such as Lucy pulling away the football, Snoopy opposing the Red Baron, or Linus' dependency on his SecurityBlanket. Later commercials had the characters discuss healthy living to promote [=MetLife=]'s health education programs.
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7	This campaign extended beyond the commercials to include the ''Peanuts'' characters in premium items, sales literature, and even the [=MetLife=] sports blimps "Snoopy 1" and "Snoopy 2." In 2002, [=MetLife=] signed an exclusive contract that granted them the rights to continue using ''Peanuts'' in their advertising materials, which became an international contract in 2006.
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9	In 2016, as part of a shift away from consumer insurance in favor of corporate clients, [=MetLife=] ended its partnership with ''Peanuts'' and rebranded to remove ''Peanuts'' imagery. Fortunately, Snoopy returned in 2023 to promote [=MetLife=]'s new Pet Insurance plans.
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12	!!Tropes seen in the campaign include:
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14	* AbandonedMascot: Snoopy spent decades as the mascot of the company, but was retired along with the other ''Peanuts'' characters after the 2016 rebrand.
15	* AnthropomorphicTypography: A [=MetLife=] campaign from the early 2000s discussed the various "if"s in life, which were represented by the word "if" appearing in various life situations. In some situations, the word was anthropomorphized, like when one "if" slams into another "if" during a football game, causing an injury.
16	* BigDamnHeroes: Several ads have a character, often live-action, stuck in distress, only for Snoopy to swing in and save them. For example, he saved a woman from falling off a cliff, he saved a man from a tiger attack by swinging in on some vines and taming the tiger to act like a kitty, and he flew in with a ladder to save a canoeing couple from going over a waterfall.
17	* BirthdayEpisode: One ad takes place on Linus' birthday. Lucy tries to persuade him to use his birthday money on a big party, but Linus wants to put it into a mutual fund. Lucy gets hot with anger until she hears about the potential for Linus to make ''more'' money.
18	* BouquetToss: A pair of birds get married in one spot and throw Snoopy the tiny bouquet, causing him to gulp nervously.
19	* ChristmasEpisode: A Christmas-themed spot had Snoopy play charades with the kids at a Christmas party, miming the phrase "Season's Greetings."
20	* {{Dualvertisement}}:
21	** One spot promoted Colgate, Chevrolet, and Crayola because the companies use [=MetLife=], with the ''Peanuts'' characters visiting each company.
22	** The company advertised a prepaid [=MetLife=] card that could be bought exclusively at UsefulNotes/{{Walmart}}. In the ad, Lucy hosted a life insurance stand inside a Walmart.
23	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: Lucy describing Schroeder: "Now please enjoy this hold music, performed by the world's cutest, sweetest, most ''cutest'' musician ever. Did I mention he's cute?"
24	* EverythingsLouderWithBagpipes: In one ad, Charlie Brown and Sally show off some outfits their grandpa sent them from an international trip. Then Charlie Brown is loudly interrupted by blaring bagpipes, and he remarks with embarrassment, "Oh yeah, he sent my dog something too." Cut to Snoopy playing the bagpipes as Woodstock and the birds provide percussion, all wearing [[ManInAKilt little kilts]].
25	* HeliCritter: Snoopy can rotate his ears to behave like a helicopter, which comes in handy whenever he needs to save someone from falling to their doom.
26	* HerCodeNameWasMarySue: In one ad, Snoopy writes a story on his typewriter about a series of disasters going off around a maid on a dark and stormy night, but the maid wasn't worried because her money was safe with Met Life, thanks to her hero, "the dashing Met Life Rep." Linus rolls his eyes when he reads that part.
27	* HighDiveHijinks: In one spot, Woodstock plunges into Snoopy's water dish from the high dive. Three nearby birds [[HoldUpYourScore hold up cards with very high scores]].
28	* InevitableWaterfall: In one ad, a live-action couple canoeing down a river find themselves stuck on the edge of a waterfall. Luckily, Snoopy helicopters in (using his ears) and brings them to safety.
29	* InjectionPlot: One spot had the kids wait to get immunized, educating the audience about how important it is to vaccinate children.
30	* LiteralSoapboxSpeech: One of the commercials with the ''Franchise/{{Peanuts}}'' gang had Sally Brown stand on a soapbox to wax poetic about Metropolitan Life with much SesquipedalianLoquaciousness.
31	* MassiveMultiplayerCrossover: One [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0blgtGvrz0A commercial]] started with the ''Peanuts'' cast as usual, walking through a forest... then brought in [[WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983 He-Man]], WesternAnimation/PepeLePew and Penelope Pussycat, [[WesternAnimation/TheAtomAntShow Atom Ant]], WesternAnimation/SpeedyGonzales, Franchise/ScoobyDoo and his gang, WesternAnimation/MrMagoo, WesternAnimation/CasperTheFriendlyGhost, WesternAnimation/FatAlbertAndTheCosbyKids, [[Literature/WheresWaldo Waldo]] (far in the background, naturally), and various other iconic cartoon characters.
32	* OutOfFocus: During the mid-2000s "For all the 'if's in life" campaign, Snoopy was the only ''Peanuts'' character who regularly appeared in advertising, with the others rarely appearing in ads. The 2010s featured the other characters more often, but characters that weren't Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and Lucy appeared less often than they did in the early days of the campaign.
33	* PersonalRaincloud: In one spot, a raincloud suddenly appears over Peppermint Patty's head, rains on her, and zaps her with lightning, representing the uncontrollable misfortune that may befell [=MetLife=] customers.
34	* RogerRabbitEffect: Some spots from the mid 90's and 2010's blended the cartoon ''Peanuts'' characters with live action settings and actors.
35	* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: In one spot, Sally Brown gives a soapbox speech about the insurance company, using a lot of flowery complicated language. Snoopy [[TalkingWithSigns chimes in with signs]] reminding her, "Keep it simple, sweetie," since [=MetLife=] tries to make things simple to understand. Sally even turns the "Get Met, it pays" slogan into, "Acquire Met, it remunerates!"
36	* {{Slogan}}: Early commercials all end with, "Get Met. It pays." Later slogans included, "For all the "if"s in life" and "I can do this."
37	* ThanksgivingEpisode: One spot has the kids put on a Thanksgiving play.
38	* VineSwing: Snoopy saves a man in a jungle from a tiger attack by swinging in on some vines and whipping the tiger into submission, complete with a Tarzan yell.
39	-->'''Voiceover''': Are you lost in a financial jungle? What you need... is someone who knows the ropes.
40	* WingdingEyes: When Lucy hears that Linus could make thousands of dollars with a mutual fund, she gets dollar signs in her eyes.

Context Advertising / MetLife