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
TV advertisements by country dates may include more than one country). Liquor advertisements shown after 22:00h during non-Malay programmes have been banned in the country since 1995, while cigarette advertisements were banned from showing cigarette packaging in 1995, and were banned entirely in 2003. Fast-food advertisements during children's programmes were also banned in 2007. There are also restrictions on Malaysian television regarding advertisements for 18-rated films, women's sanitary products and unhealthy foods which must not be broadcast during children's programmes, and lottery advertising, which is prohibited during Malay programmes. Lingerie advertisements are prohibited on Malaysian television, but allowed in non-Malay magazines published in Malaysia.