Direct Line established high levels of recall among consumers. In September 2014, the brand worked with Saatchi and Saatchi to relaunch its advertising, using Hollywood actor Harvey Keitel as Winston Wolfe, a Mafia style 'fixer'. The company had one million customers after eight years. The company expanded with a series of new offshoots in the 1990s. In 1995, a Spanish offshoot, Linea Direct, started offering motor insurance in Spain. They expanded into travel insurance in 1996, pet insurance in 1997, and Direct Line Breakdown started offering breakdown insurance in 1998. Their non general insurance products umbrella Direct Line Financial services launched their
Direct Line Group its holding in February 2014. Direct Line sold its TRACKER Network UK telematics business to the private equity firm Lysanda in February 2014. In September 2014, it was announced that Mapfre would acquire the Italian and German businesses of Direct Line for a sum of €550 million. The Group owns a number of general insurance brands operating within the United Kingdom, including Direct Line, Churchill, Privilege and Green Flag. Direct Line is a company that specialises in selling insurance and other financial services, sold directly to consumers by telephone and the internet. Direct Line Group Direct Line Group plc is