Field Notes
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Progress Owes No Apology
In the summer of 2020, Root Insurance, a Columbus-based insurtech company, had a marketing challenge. Root was preparing to go public that fall in what would become Ohio's largest IPO, and needed to stand out in a crowded national media cycle heading into a presidential election. Root had identified NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace as the right brand partner for the moment and signed him over the summer, leaving a very tight timeline ahead of the fall IPO. Root engaged Green Blanket, who was up for the challenge that Root’s Chief Communications Officer, Kelly Ruoff described as: " This project demanded more than production expertise. It required a partner willing to engage in open, thoughtful, hard conversations about equality, fairness, representation, and progress. Green Blanket was that partner from day one. They helped us protect the integrity of the message, find the right talent in front of and behind the camera, and work through challenging shooting conditions .” Given the pace of the work, Green Blanket integrated directly with Root's brand leadership team as a Creative Production Partner. Working hand in hand from strategy through delivery, Green Blanket accelerated the process while protecting the creative intent, bringing in trusted partners where needed across concept development, creative brief, director selection, writing, production planning, and execution. From the first flight to meet Bubba in July through the production wrap in September, Green Blanket was there to ensure the right client outcome for Root. The ads launched on October 22, 2020, as Root's first national athletic sponsorship and its first move into sports marketing. It ran nationally in long and short form, took over Times Square, and drew coverage from Adweek , Fast Company , and Muse by Clios . Results quantified: