Reliant Energy launches advertising campaign featuring employees.

Reliant Energy has launched a new advertising campaign featuring its employees to bring a human face to Reliant’s business while highlighting its customer service focus.

Reliant Energy worked with its two advertising agencies of record, The Richards Group in Dallas and Lopez Negrete Communications in Houston, to develop and launch a fully integrated set of television and radio ads as part of the campaign. Elements of the campaign, which also include online and direct marketing, will be seen in English and Spanish in key Reliant Energy markets in Texas, including Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Corpus Christi, McAllen-Harlingen, Abilene, Odessa-Midland and Waco/Temple/Killeen.

“As Reliant Energy employees, many of our friends, our families and our neighbors are our customers,” said Manny Rodriguez, vice president, Reliant Energy Brand and Marketing Services. “Our new advertising campaign illustrates that our employees are real people who interact with and serve our customers in a variety of settings beyond the typical workday.”

Eight television ads have been created, four in English and four in Spanish, each one focusing on topics including competitive rates and flexible plans, added-value moving services, customer service, and energy efficiency. The first television ad, which began airing the week of July 21, features Angie, a Reliant Energy employee, discussing why she enjoys working with customers. Angie discusses Reliant Energy’s competitive rates and pricing plans, communicating that each customer can work with Reliant Energy to determine the plan that best fits their needs. In the Hispanic-focused ad, Mario, a Reliant Energy employee, has a similar message and discusses the company’s competitive rates and pricing plans, and how he enjoys helping his neighbors with questions they may have and sharing his knowledge with others.

“Reliant Energy is focusing on delivering superior customer service,” said Mike Malone, a creative director at The Richards Group. “The Reliant Energy team challenged us to bring them ideas that allow people to see how passionate and caring the folks at Reliant really are.”

“In the Spanish-language spots, we wanted to portray that it’s the people at Reliant who make the difference,” said Lopez Negrete Communications Creative Director Jaime Belden. “They’re people, just like you and me, who truly care about their jobs and the customers they serve.”

The Richards Group campaign’s creative team includes Mike Malone, creative director; Lynn Fredericksen, art director; Kevin Paetzel, copywriter; Gabriel Silva, agency producer; and Jeff Bednarz, director. The Lopez Negrete Communications campaign team includes Jaime Belden, creative director; Fernando Gomez, associate creative director; Luis Zepeda, copywriter, Mike Hulsey, agency producer; and Patricia Burgos, group account director.