A spy running late, a spooky Halloween inspired game for brokers and a controversial home insurance advert. What has the insurance industry been up to lately? You heard it here first…
No Time to Delay
What has James Bond got to do with insurance? The latest film in the franchise - No Time to Die, which premiered on 30 September 2021 - was underwritten by Allianz Global Corporate and Speciality (AGCS).
According to a LinkedIn post, Michael Furtschegger, global head of entertainment at AGCS, and his team of 60 underwriting and claims experts have supported many film production companies that were hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. No Time to Die was delayed three times since April 2020.
It’s a Monster Match
In honour of Halloween this month, MGA Iprism has created a spooky visual engagement game for brokers called Monster Match.
The game of pairs asks brokers to match up Halloween-themed tiles - the fastest to do so secures a place on the leaderboard. Those that top the rankings on 31 October at midnight will win sweets for their entire broker team.
In a trick or treat twist, Iprism’s technology team have added an element of risk to the game as well – land on certain tiles and time will either be added or deducted, impacting leaderboard scores.
Weighing up options
Trade body the ABI this month released its insurance fraud claims figures, noting that the value of the average fraud detected has increased by 6% since 2019 to now reach £12,000.
In one example, a gardener made several fake claims for an alleged knee and elbow injury - he first stated that he slipped on decking, while a second claim described the gardener as falling down some stairs.
However, his claims fell apart when social media posts showed him weightlifting.
Playing house
John Lewis’ latest home insurance advert has seen 337 complaints and counting.
The ad in question aired in October and shows a boy rocking out to Stevie Nicks’ Edge of Seventeen while dressed in his mother’s clothing with makeup on.
While some viewers complained that the boy was dressed in female clothing and makeup, others said the advert sexualises the boy and normalises children being destructive at home, implying that insurance would cover any damages.
John Lewis confirmed that this type of damage would be covered by its home insurance policy, however eagle-eyed industry commentators think this could be misleading, as the damage displayed in the advert was deliberate and would not typically be insured under an accidental damage insurance policy.
The Speculator
October saw one of juiciest M&A deals hit the trade press as Howden bought Aston Lark.
The pair’s combined business aims to become a UK broking powerhouse – but what will this look like? Integration work will only just have started being planned, but with Aston Lark’s lengthy list of recent purchases, this process could take longer than the firms think.
Howden has ambitions to continue growing in Europe, hoping to help independent brokers in the UK to join forces with businesses in Germany and Spain.
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