In positive psychology, anxiety is described as the mental state that results from a challenge for which the subject has insufficient coping skills. So it’s no surprise that consumers get anxious about the perceived difficulty of breaking up their contractual obligations for better deals. In Australia, Virgin Mobile is leveraging this truth with the integrated campaign “Switcheroo,” encouraging consumers to boldly take control and break up their bad telco relationships for a better deal with Virgin.
As part of the campaign, Virgin declared the day after Valentine’s as Break Up Day, announcing a $100 credit for people who bring their phone and do the Switcheroo to Virgin Mobile by the end of March. In Sydney, the offer was promoted by hunky men in Speedos with “We make breaking up easy” written on their chests. By encouraging consumers to feel empowered, the campaign helps them get over their hesitation to change the status quo.
Meanwhile, National Australia Bank (which goes by NAB) took the occasion of Valentine’s Day for a novel social campaign promoting its breakup with a consortium of several other banks. Breakup.nab.com.au links to various videos, including the writing of a tongue-in-cheek breakup letter and various stunts (e.g., barbershop-style singers interrupt a banker’s luncheon to deliver a tuneful goodbye). In this case, NAB positions itself as the empowered party, showing consumers that the bank itself represents a break from the status quo.
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