2009 News Releases

John Hancock and Hill Holliday Celebrate 25-Year Relationship  

BOSTON– John Hancock was recently named “Marketer of the Year” at The Ad Club’s 49^th Annual Hatch Awards.   John Hancock received this prestigious recognition at the Hatch Awards which took place on the evening of Oct. 6 at The World Trade Center in Boston.

Jim Bacharach, vice president of brand communications and creative services for John Hancock, accepted the award for John Hancock.   Mr. Bacharach stated:  “We are extremely proud of this recognition for our marketing efforts.  The John Hancock brand strives to understand our customers and provide solutions for any of their real life needs.  Our marketing efforts speak to the needs of consumers, making it easier for them to find good answers to their financial questions, and helping them to build and reinforce confidence about their financial futures.”

“We are thrilled for John Hancock’s well deserved recognition and humbled that we helped play a role in this great honor,” said Mike Sheehan, CEO of Hill Holliday.  “Since the beginning of our relationship with John Hancock in 1984, we have always embraced the brand and its unique value proposition built on consumer trust.”

John Hancock and Hill Holliday have been working together for 25 years, dating back to the mid 1980s and the introduction of the breakthrough “Real Life, Real Answers” campaign.  The initial campaign launched a unique brand platform that has consistently endured through the years. The most recent John Hancock campaign called “Cursor” exemplifies the thought-provoking messaging in a contemporary way by incorporating platforms we all use for our conversations today—texting, IM and online chats.  In addition, this latest campaign was shot locally in Boston, using primarily local talent, which provides yet another example of John Hancock’s commitment to the Boston community.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation
John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 22 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, Manulife Financial Corporation offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$421 billion (US$362 billion) at June 30, 2009.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at www.johnhancock.com.

About Hill Holliday
Hill Holliday, owned by the Interpublic Group of Companies and headquartered in Boston with offices in New York, Miami and Greenville, S.C., is one of the top communication agencies in the nation.  Hill Holliday has won every major award for advertising excellence and effectiveness and has among its roster of clients leading national and regional brands including Bank of America, Chili’s Grill & Bar, Covidien, CVS/pharmacy, Dunkin’ Donuts, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, John Hancock, The J.M. Smucker Company, King Pharmaceuticals, Liberty Mutual, The Massachusetts State Lottery, Novartis, Partners HealthCare, TJX Companies, and Verizon Wireless.  Hill Holliday can be found on the Web at www.hhcc.com.

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Contact:
Greg Winter
Hill Holliday                                                                               
617-366-4179                                                                             
greg.winter@hhcc.com                                                               

Beth McGoldrick
John Hancock
617-663-4751
bmcgoldrick@jhancock.com