Rachel Dratch Returns as Warrantina in Frontdoor’s March Madness Campaign Push

Frontdoor, Inc, the parent company of home warranty firm American Home Shield, has launched the second iteration of its campaign featuring comedienne Rachel Dratch as Warrantina.

Created by Fallon, the campaign continues last year’s theme of educating homeowners about the value of a home warranty with an added focus on the brand’s new ability to video chat with an ‘Expert’. That’s the focus of ‘Ancient Manual’, one of two new spots, in which Rachel summons the expertise of said expert. Another spot, ‘Dollhouse’, is also included in the campaign. They were both directed by SMUGGLER’s Benji Weinstein.

“Rachel's sketch comedy and improv chops have been fundamental to co-creating and building the character of Warrantina,” says Kathy Collins, SVP and chief revenue officer at Frontdoor, speaking with LBB. “It’s all the more special because she’s brought her humour, positive attitude, passions, and more to the character. In what has been a somewhat humourless industry, Rachel has been invested in bringing this character to life since day one – a truly unique process.”

Stepping back into Warrantina’s “clogs and bangles” for a second year running was a “super fun” process, adds Rachel. “Last year when we created this character together with the team at Fallon, it was all about an introduction to who she was and what she valued - warranties, obviously. But this year, we’ve been able to dig a bit deeper, show her in home situations with families, and introduce some new ways to help customers. It’s been fun to expand her world and, I mean, who doesn’t want to be turned into a doll?”

“It’s one thing to get the opportunity to create a character like Warrantina with Rachel and American Home Shield, and a whole other amazing opportunity to get to do it two years in a row,” adds Emily Swenson, group creative director at Fallon. “This year we were able to delve deeper into who Warrantina is and how she might show up in new scenarios, from the relatability of looking for that long lost appliance manual to shopping with your family.”

A key element of the media strategy behind the new campaign is March Madness, along with the surging popularity of women’s basketball. With American Home Shield’s new video chat feature launching right as the tournament kicked off, it was a “no brainer” to use March Madness as a way to reach a leaned-in, engaged audience. During the tournament, networks airing games see an average ratings bump of 150% compared to regular programming - making it a prime opportunity to get in front of viewers.

“March Madness is a moment in sports and entertainment culture that allows American Home Shield to follow consumer trends,” says Kathy. “With the massive uptick in women’s basketball viewership, we’re able to buy into the women’s tournament as well.” She cites data that shows women’s tournament viewership was up 121% year-on-year from 2023 to 2024.

DirecTV also gives the brand the opportunity to follow streaming audiences - in 2024, 39.5% of March Madness viewers watched via streaming, up from 29.3% in 2023. “We're trending our spend in the same way entertainment is – streaming is continuously on the rise,” says Kathy. As such, American Home Shield has increased its connected TV budget by 43% year-on-year, as it has proven a better performer for acquiring new customers, consistently driving a lower cost-per-acquisition than linear TV. “It is also the most scalable medium, giving us the ability to be agile in target audience optimisations,” she adds.

With this campaign, Kathy hopes to clear up common misconceptions about the home warranty space - an often misunderstood industry. While people can’t prevent unexpected breakdowns, a home warranty helps mitigate the cost and offers valuable peace of mind, reckons Kathy.

“What we hope people take away from the new campaign is that a home warranty is a smart way to bring peace of mind to your home,” she says.

“It’s no small feat to explain all the benefits of a home warranty in thirty seconds! Finding the right balance of education and entertainment within the campaign has been key – Warrantina is able to bring both to bear. There is such a breadth of support that a home warranty can provide for your budget, your new home or your old home, and your peace of mind. We just hope this new work illustrates how helpful it can be to have a team of Experts in your corner when things break down.”