American Family Insurance, in partnership with TIME, presented its “Dreamer of the Year” award, recognizing an individual or organization that works tirelessly to protect, restore and champion dreams, while inspiring others to do the same.
The Dreamer of the Year is part of the annual “Of the Year” programming that TIME creates to honor people and organizations across various sectors. Unlike Person of the Year, the Dreamer of the Year focuses on ambitious dreamers and doers that are having a meaningful and lasting impact on communities.
American Family Insurance’s 2024 Dreamer of the Year activation set a new benchmark for storytelling, honoring First Responders with a compelling, multi-platform campaign that brought their impact to life. Rather than focus on one Dreamer as in years past, the team identified a group of Dreamers that restored not just homes and infrastructure, but the dreams that dwell within. Three groups were honored for their efforts in the face of natural disasters: a wildfire in Oregon, multiple hurricanes in Florida, and a tornado in Nebraska.
The Insight: The 24 hour news-cycle showed the devastation and destruction left in the wake of increasingly powerful storms. Communities experienced the hopelessness and despair of those impacted in the moment and then the pure acts of heroism, courage and inspiration to help rebuild, restore and reinvigorate communities.
The Idea: At a moment when platforms and narratives were focusing on celebrating titans of industry or notoriety, we focused on celebrating the members of the community that were on the ground, helping restore what matters most - dreams. Rather than focus on one Dreamer as in years past, the team identified a group of Dreamers that restored not just homes and infrastructure, but the dreams that dwell within. From outsized hurricanes to devastating fires and tornadoes, American Family Insurance and TIME celebrated the real-life heroes among us who fearlessly face disasters.
The Activation: Three groups were honored for their efforts in the face of natural disasters: a wildfire in Oregon, multiple hurricanes in Florida, and a tornado in Nebraska. Collectively, the Dreamer of the Year award highlights their recovery work and serves as a reminder of the healing power of humanity and the ripple effect of helping others.
The 2024 Dreamers of the Year are: Portland Fire and Rescue, which, despite overwhelming odds, stepped up to fight four separate wildfires, burning through 600 square miles of brush, timberland and ranches in Oregon. Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay, whose team made headlines for donating hurricane relief kits, advocating for greater hurricane awareness and preparedness, and completing long-term recovery projects after hurricanes Helene and Milton slammed into Florida this fall. American Family Response Team, in Blair, Nebraska, where an EF4 tornado tore through the community. American Family Insurance agents and claims team were on the ground, rolling up their sleeves to volunteer, clean up debris and help customers through the claims process.
We brought the Dreamer of the Year event to life with a live spoken word performance by Grammy-winning artist J. Ivy, creating a moving and immersive brand moment. This activation strengthened American Family Insurance’s presence within A Year in TIME and reinforced its reputation as a brand dedicated to protecting and restoring dreams. Celebrating those who step up in critical moments showcased American Family Insurance’s unwavering commitment to supporting communities when they need it most.
The partnership between TIME and American Family Insurance was a true collaboration that leaned into the strengths of both partners to deliver a best-in-class program. Branded video content surpassed guaranteed impressions by delivering 5.6M versus the promised 5.3M, with a CTR of 0.09% that exceeded the benchmark range of 0.06%-0.1%. Overall campaign performance was outstanding with total delivered impressions of 15.9M against a 10.8M guarantee, generating nearly 174K clicks and achieving a strong blended CTR of 1.09%.
