American Family Insurance has launched a branded reality competition series, “Designed To Last,” a first-of-its-kind show that reimagines how to think about protecting homes and families against increasing climate risk.
The four-episode series sponsored by American Family Insurance premiered May 5 and streams on Hulu. Watch the trailer here.
“Designed To Last” brings together architects, engineers and inventors to tackle one of today’s most urgent challenges: safeguarding homes against unpredictable and extreme real-world conditions. Through high-stakes design challenges, the series showcases innovative solutions that aim to fortify homes while inspiring audiences to think differently about preparedness, protection and resilience. Each episode focuses on a specific environmental threat—wind, water, snow/ice and fire—highlighting vulnerabilities faced by homeowners across the country and exploring practical, forward-thinking ways for proactive structural protection and to prevent costly damage.
“Through our collaboration with Disney Advertising we’re able to meet audiences where they are, highlighting the importance of proactive protection and inspiring people to safeguard what matters most,” said Sherina Smith, chief marketing officer at American Family Insurance. “At American Family Insurance, our mission is to inspire, protect and restore dreams — and the ‘Designed To Last’ series brings that commitment to life by recognizing the home is where dreams begin.”
“The next evolution of brand storytelling is about delivering value, not just visibility,” said John Campbell, SVP, entertainment and streaming solutions at Disney Advertising. “Together with American Family Insurance, ‘Designed To Last’ builds a story that combines compelling entertainment with practical insights to deliver experience more relevant, more useful, and ultimately more impactful for audiences.”
Hosted by Maria Menounos, the series follows three teams of architects, engineers and inventors as they compete in 10-hour build challenges, modifying tiny homes to withstand specific environmental hazards.
Their work is guided and evaluated by award-winning contractor Eric Eremita and designer Wendell Holland, who judge each design on resilience, craftsmanship, practicality and creativity under real-world testing conditions. The winning team earns a $100,000 grant to further develop their innovation, helping turn ideas into tangible solutions that can make a lasting impact.
The series was executive produced by 3Ball Entertainment’s Ross Weintraub, Reinout Oerlemans and Matthew C. Allyn, alongside Claire Kosloff and Known’s Mark Feldstein and Ross Martin. Supporting media plan developed by Infinite Roar, A Publicis Agency. Directed by Anna Moulaison, the series was created in partnership with Elite Media, American Family Insurance and Disney CreativeWorks.
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