During the pitch, what stood out most to FCB Amsterdam was ZEKUR’s attitude. The brand came across as pragmatic, clear and no-nonsense. According to CEO Jos Vis, that mentality fits seamlessly with the way FCB Amsterdam does its best work. “ZEKUR is a very down-to-earth company. They are looking for a partner that truly takes the time to understand how they view insurance and why they make certain choices,” says Vis. “We prefer to work from mutual respect: clients know far more about their own business, and we know a great deal about communication, brand building and creativity. Once you acknowledge that, it creates room to think more sharply together.”

According to FCB Amsterdam, that level of strategic sharpness is crucial in a category where many brands look and sound alike. Creative opportunity does not come from shouting louder, but from offering a credible point of difference. ZEKUR deliberately chooses a grounded philosophy: only insure what consumers cannot afford to bear themselves. That runs counter to traditional insurance advertising, where maximum coverage and fear often take centre stage. It is precisely this difference, says Vis, that creates room for distinction, recognition and even relief among consumers.

Sharp choices

ZEKUR captures the essence of this differentiation in the phrase “responsible simplicity.” In its marketing communications, “easy” and “smart” take centre stage. The brand continuously returns to the core of insurance: understandable, accessible and free of unnecessary complexity. According to Vis, that does not require less thinking, but more precision. Simplicity is the result of making sharp choices behind the scenes, so that the consumer-facing experience feels right and inspires trust.

ZEKUR also feels that responsibility very strongly. “By simplifying choices and offering bundles, we make things easier and more transparent,” says Janneke Kloosterman, Brand & Marketing Communications Manager at ZEKUR. “But that also comes with a major responsibility. If we say you are always insured at a solid minimum level, then that really has to be true. Our sense of independence goes hand in hand with that responsibility.” In the campaign, brand awareness and conversion are designed to reinforce one another. “All our campaigns are product-led. By consistently expressing them through the brand, we see that this also feeds back into brand awareness.”

Moving fast

For FCB Amsterdam, the combination of brand and performance is not a tension point, but the very field of play. In a category such as insurance, says Vis, it makes perfect sense for brand trust and conversion to move together. Performance is not seen as a layer added afterwards, but as a way to sharpen the creative work and unlock business potential.

The collaboration is already underway. “We are already moving at a really good pace,” Vis says. “ZEKUR’s small, entrepreneurial team truly lives its own brand personality. As the ‘down-to-earth neighbour’, they are direct, to the point and just a little unconventional. That creates both energy and clarity.”

ZEKUR is a Univé brand focused on insurance for health, home, mobility and entrepreneurs. With more than 211,000 policies in force, the brand operates with a compact and driven team. Its ambition with FCB Amsterdam is clear: to communicate boldly without losing its grounded DNA, and in doing so build a brand that stands out through clarity rather than sheer volume.