LifeLock Archives

LifeLock’s Engaging 2-Minute Television Spot

By Jim Bruene Posted on August 28, 2007
Categories: Advertising & Promotion, Credit Reports & ID Theft Protection, LifeLock, Security & Privacy

Today, I was home for lunch and my son was watching a recorded episode of Myth Busters, a great show as anyone with a pre-teen child knows. As he was fast-forwarding through the commercials, I happened to see a glimpse of a LifeLock spot (see inset).

My son knows I like the commercials better than the shows, so he graciously replayed the entire thing for me. It seemed to go on forever, he said, "like a sponsored program of its own." Which from him is actually a compliment, I think. I checked out the replay online and saw that it was a 2-minute spot (note 1).

It features street scenes of New York (I think). It plays like news coverage as the big "billboard trucks" drive through town plastered with CEO Todd Davis's social security number in red, 3-foot high numbers. Interspersed are man-on-the-street soundbites from astonished pedestrians and a great testimonial from a LifeLock customer who credit the company from saving him from having someone buy an $83,000 RV in his name. It also has Mr. Davis pitching the product through a bullhorn on a crowded Manhattan street.

It's a real in-your-face commercial, but I really liked it. It does a great job of grabbing attention, reinforcing the benefits, and providing a can't-miss call-to-action. It's a good compliment to the over-the-top print ads featuring the CEO's social-security-number (see previous coverage here and note 2).

LifeLock uses two different URLs in the commercial, the normal <lifelock.com> and <lifelocktv.com>. Both point to the same page now, but the company must be considering a distinct landing page for the TV URL.

The video is available in the lower-left corner of the company's homepage (below). For more information on the market for credit report and identity theft services, see our most recent Online Banking Report here.

Note:

1. The commercial doesn't appear to be on YouTube yet, so I was unable to post the actual spot here.

2. A half-page version of LifeLock's social-security-number ad was in a recent WSJ.

LifeLock Buys Full Page in Wall Street Journal

By Jim Bruene Posted on July 26, 2007
Categories: Credit Reports & ID Theft Protection, LifeLock, Security & Privacy

Want a shock? Open today's Wall Street Journal to p. D3 (West Coast edition).

You'll see a full-page, black-and-white ad featuring LifeLock CEO Todd Davis's social security number in a massive reverse-type, page-dominating format. There is also a 1/4 scale photo of a smiling Davis holding his social security card out to the camera. The ad offers a 30-day free trial using the WALL10 promo code, before reverting to the normal $10/mo price.

The WSJ spread will be less of a surprise if you've seen LifeLock's television spots or website recently, where the same technique has been used for some time (see screenshot below).

Although the ad may partly be for PR in the investment community, the relatively large spend demonstrates just how lucrative, and appealing, financial security services can be. We'll look at LifeLock and the whole identity theft/credit monitoring space in our upcoming Online Banking Report, due out in about 10 days.

The Wall Street Journal Profiles Identity Theft Protection Services

By Jim Bruene Posted on August 1, 2006
Categories: CardCops, Credit Reports & ID Theft Protection, Cyveillance, LifeLock, Security & Privacy, TrustedID

Today's Wall Street Journal ran a run-down of identity theft startups. Companies mentioned:

LifeLock: Founded by Todd Davis, the Chandler, AZ-based firm has been offering its $10/mo service since April 2005. The company also protects children living in the same household for an additional $10 per year. Its plain-language guarantee featured prominently in the upper-right corner of its home page should serve as an example for financial institutions (see inset).
TrustedID: A Redwood City, CA-based company co-founded in January by former Fair Isaac executive Scott Mitic offers protection services for $7.95/mo.
CardCops: The Malibu, CA-based firm scans the Internet for stolen information and for $24.95/mo alerts its customers if their data has been compromised.
Cyveillance: The Arlington, VA firm also sifts through the online world looking for stolen data. The company resells its service as Identity Guard through Intersections Inc.

Financial institutions should be partnering with credit bureaus and/or identity theft providers to provide education and protection services to banking customers. Refer to previous articles here.

— JB