Johnny Manziel, Tonya Harding Appear In New Insurance Ads

Direct Auto Insurance's latest campaign will feature celebrities who have faced "challenging situations," including Johnny Manziel and Tonya Harding, according to Lindsay Stein of CAMPAIGN LIVE. In the ads, Manziel and Harding "reference their own woes in tongue-in-cheek or honest ways." Pereria O’Dell, S.F., handled the creative for the new "Get Direct and Get Going" campaign. Manziel and Harding each have their own 30-, 15-, and six-second TV and digital videos, along with an "additional compilation spot as part of the initiative." Print and digital visuals are also "key for the effort" (CAMPAIGNLIVE.com, 8/12). In Cleveland, Joey Morona notes Manziel in one spot "reads a mean tweet about him before getting to the pitch." He says in a second ad he knows “what’s it like to not know where your next paycheck is coming from.” The ad ends "when the camera reveals he’s using someone else’s office to make the commercial" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 8/13).