Travelers umbrella back on top 

More proof that what goes around, comes around.  The Travelers insurance group has regained possession of their red umbrella logo.  The only remnant for Citibank is a red curved blip over the “iti” in its name. 

In my opinion, The Travelers red umbrella is the best insurance company logo ever created.  Currently, the company is showing off its coverage and protection connotations with a terrific TV spot.  Have you seen it?  It features a grandfatherly gentleman with a huge umbrella.  He uses the umbrella to help others travel to their destinations – by air, by water, over land. 

Other effective insurance logos 

An effective logo tells a story visually. My candidates for the five best-ever insurance logos are: (1) Travelers umbrella;  (2) Allstate “good hands”; (4) John Hancock signature; (5) Prudential Rock of Gibraltar;  (6) State Farm three product circles when they were used to promote auto insurance---they were used as car horns beeping sequentially in TV spots.  

Developing your logo 

The whole idea is to use your logo as one more way to separate your agency brand from the competition.  It is worth investing time and money into developing a distinctive logo that tells a story. And it is worth doing it right the first time. Used on letterheads, envelopes, promotion pieces, in ads, on your Web site, it will be seen by thousands of prospects and customers in the years ahead.  

A sidebar: one consideration when you are working on improving the logo you have or developing a new one is to “think TV and think Web.”  Can the logo ideas you are looking at be animated simply and effectively?  Breathing life into logos through animation is a critical success factor.  Use the Travlers umbrella commercials as your guide.