JWT’s AnxietyIndex is designed as a place to discuss how brands and consumers are responding to the global recession. With daily content updates, AnxietyIndex.com includes contributions from around JWT’s network, offering a truly global perspective.
“Live fast, save young”—that’s the motto UBank preaches to Australian Millennials in its latest campaign geared at urging them to acquire smart financial habits early in life while promoting its USaver account. (This updates the campaign we wrote about a year ago.) Instead of celebrating the lavish trappings of stardom, UBank cleverly debunks the myth of “easy money and success” that so many young people ascribe to. The spots use catchy graphics and quick cuts to outline how two celebs transformed their 15 minutes of fame into business empires.
“Actress” cheekily asks viewers how they think today’s “it” girl, who seems to have had fame handed to her, got to the top. She “went to film school by day and worked tables by night, saving up all her tips for a film camera”; then, when the public was ready to give her the boot, the actress was ready to start a production company. “Now she’s in the mags, the perfume aisle and the boardroom, making Hollywood work for her.” Finally, viewers are reminded that, “When you see her on the red carpet rocking the free bling and the goodie bag, remember, she’s earned it.”
Considering that nearly 40 percent of young Australians feel their generation was dealt an unfair hand by the downturn, the messaging feels right for an unwaveringly optimistic (though sometimes childish) cohort that’s coming of age in uncertain economic times. It’s assuring to hear that hard work and determination can still pay off, especially if financial planning is approached like a marathon, not a sprint.
During the course of the economic crisis, we’ve seen many financial companies topple, and the survivors are playing up stability and strength in their communications. In two new commercials from Western & Southern Financial Group, the financial services firm brings these concepts literally to life.
The spots feature financial types standing firm despite challenges from all angles. In “Strength,” a buttoned-up businessman remains unfazed while being successively ambushed by a sumo wrestler, an elephant and a wrecking ball. He calmly boasts of the firm’s double-A-plus rating from S&P, a score that makes Western & Southern one of the nine strongest life insurance groups in the world, according to the claim. In “Stability,” a businesswoman on stilts withstands similar bizarre attacks, including one from a villain shooting tennis balls at her.
The simple language and concept are a refreshing change in a category that leaves many consumers confused and anxious. It’s likely this messaging will sit well with weary viewers who feel let down by the financial industry.
While it’s clear that not enough Americans are anxious about their health and motivated to improve it, they are likely concerned about the health of loved ones. For its 2010 Effie Award-winning campaign, the regional health insurance company Anthem created a “Health Footprint”—a score similar to a carbon footprint—designed to measure “your positive influence on others.” The message was that people’s actions have an effect on their social network; the bigger your Health Footprint, the greater your positive influence on others.
Believe it or not, studies suggest many of us can blame friends, family and co-workers for extra inches around the waistline. A 2007 study found that a person’s chances of becoming obese skyrocket if a friend becomes obese; conversely, “thinness is contagious.” Anthem’s TV commercials illustrate the concept—for example, a boy is seen imitating his dad’s good habits—and invite viewers to calculate their health footprint online and share their score with their virtual social networks. The microsite includes health and fitness tips.
The idea seemed to hit a nerve. Anthem’s microsite got 79,000-plus visits, more than double the goal. And 75 percent of those who started calculating their health footprint completed the process. By tapping into a social phenomenon, Anthem was able to engage consumers by helping them see how they can make a difference in the lives of loved ones, a message both empowering and inspiring.
With today’s big kickoff, World Cup fever is upon us. To tap into nationalist excitement, The New York Times reports, European retailers are offering money-back deals on a range of merchandise—TVs, cars, driver navigation systems, even vacations—if the relevant home team takes the trophy. The most fascinating promotion comes from Nationwide bank in the U.K., a sponsor of the England team. With the tagline “If England win, you win,” the 4 Year Football Bond offers a fixed bonus over the normal rate of 0.50 percent gross per year from May 2011 till maturity—in the event that “England lift the cup in South Africa.”
In the aftermath of the British banking crisis, it’s interesting to see a financial institution produce such a lighthearted promotion. Given that banks have been maligned as a key cause of the U.K.’s fiscal troubles, it seems like a good idea for Nationwide to be willing to take a hit—that is, pay more in interest—if those who believe in England (the team) are ultimately validated. And also to further link the brand with the team, an outlet for British anxieties—at least for as long as they stay in the tournament.
We’ve noted how drastically the luxury category changed with the recession. Ostentation is out, practicality is in. And while recent research from Harrison Group found that affluent consumers are less likely to feel guilty about buying luxury goods today than they did a year ago, that doesn’t mean a return to the days of freewheeling spending.
Luxury automaker Acura does an excellent job tapping into today’s practicality ethos with a campaign promoting its spring sales event, dubbed “Driven by Reason.” Six spots feature affluent shoppers making bogus justifications for eccentric luxury purchases. In one spot, a man confidently describes the virtues of his Damascus steel watch—which features a “perpetual calendar with leap year” and over 680 handmade moving parts—and in another ad, the proud owner of a tube amp owner throws around phrases such as “crossover croaxial” but shruggingly admits he doesn’t know much about how it works.
These characters may be wealthy, but they are fools. A voiceover at the end of each spot explains, “There are excuses for spending money on luxury, and then there are reasons,” giving the target consumer permission to find sound justification for buying a new Acura. The spots are funny and should resonate with affluent shoppers, who are increasingly rethinking their frugal habits post-recession.
Promoting optimism through difficult times has been a recurring theme among marketers. Now New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority is doing the same—very literally—through a public art project. Beginning last fall, the MTA’s Authority Arts for Transit, one of the world’s largest public arts institutions, began adding the word “optimism” to the reverse of 14 million MetroCards.
The idea comes from graphic and conceptual artist Reed Seifer, whose Project Optimism originated in 1995 as part of his senior art thesis. His goal is “to communicate a sense of positive, forward-looking energy into the hands of those using the MetroCard through the simple use of the word.” Rolling out the project in the midst of a recession was a simple and timely idea for a city that’s been badly bruised by the downturn. Its residents are hurting—as of December, Manhattan had the nation’s highest level of unemployment—and Wall Street has become a symbol for all that was wrong with the economy before the bust. “Optimism” is a heartening message for a city that can certainly use a smile.
As we’ve noted, a couple of recent commercials are tapping into today’s populist sentiment. Hyundai does a good job of this in a recent spot for the popular Assurance Program, hammering home its commitment to the little guy. While “the dust has started to settle, and some indicators are up—especially for the big guys,” Hyundai understands that many people are still anxious. So it’s sticking with its Assurance Program, reassuring viewers that “The economy hasn’t really turned around for any of us until it turns around for all of us.”
An Ad Age article, “Now’s the Time to Reset Marketing for Post-Recession,” cites this spot as an example of messaging that “bridge[s] from recession to recovery.” But a real recovery isn’t likely to happen soon—as we noted in our 10 trends for the year ahead, consumer spending in 2010 will look very much as it did last year, with people continuing to exercise restraint until they see more clear and dependable signs of stability. By addressing the current sense of instability—and the resulting anxiety—head on, Hyundai offers yet another example of smart marketing in a downturn.
The recession saw many consumers postpone big-ticket purchases, a challenge that electronics chain Best Buy is addressing with its novel Pitch In card. Think bridal registry meets microfinancing meets layaway. Best Buy terms it “easy group gifting.”
Customers looking for help financing a purchase create a Pitch In card along with a Best Buy wish list, which they share with friends and family. Gift-givers can contribute payments ranging from $5 to $9,999.99. “It’s the perfect way to get that big Wish List item you’ve been dreaming of,” says Best Buy on its Web site.
Recently we’ve seen a rise in collective action, with people increasingly understanding that every bit counts in addressing today’s big issues, from the economy to the environment—adopting a “we” rather than a “me” mentality. While we’ve seen similar efforts in the independent music scene, Best Buy is charting new territory by bringing this idea to the commercial realm, enabling consumers to tap into the collective conscious of their friends.
It’s a great example of how brands can help spur spending without relying on steep discounts while their customers are laying off the plastic.
Kia Motors envisions a new future for the American auto industry in a spot introducing the company’s West Point, Ga., plant, its first manufacturing facility in the U.S.
The commercial features a young boy in 1951 riding a bicycle through time straight into 2010 and the company’s brand new Georgia plant. As the boy rides, a voiceover describes how Kia has evolved over the past 60 years from a bike manufacturer to a leading international automaker. Kia attributes its success to the company’s progressive spirit. Since the 1950s, Kia has continually challenged itself to “come up with better ways to help people get around.” The voiceover goes on to say how the new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in West Point, Ga., is the company’s proudest achievement yet, not because it demonstrates how far Kia has come, but because it offers “a glimpse of where we’re headed tomorrow.” The commercial concludes with Kia’s past and present alongside each other as the boy and his bike watch Kia’s newest car, the Sorento, drive off into the future.
This spot provides an excellent example of how hope-filled rather than fear-filled messaging can help brands transition into recovery. Instead of focusing on the auto industry’s turbulent past, Kia is shining a light on the future promising better days ahead for the American auto industry and auto worker. In this spot, Kia offers a future in which consumers will be better off thanks to the ambition, innovation and optimism at the core of the company.
For $99, a nAscent Art consultant will visit a client’s home or office to match works from the company’s catalogue of emerging New York artists. The client then pays a monthly rental fee for the work, a portion of which can go toward its eventual purchase. Renters who choose not to buy can simply trade in their artwork when they want something new.
The recession has had a sobering effect on the contemporary art market (after 10 years of explosive growth, the art auction market saw a 75 percent decline in sales this past year), leading many sellers to investigate alternative distribution channels. Could “cooperative consumption” (as we’ve termed the spread of the timeshare concept) and rent-to-buy models be one solution? We’ve seen these models win converts in new categories during the downturn, and we’re likely to continue to see experimentation in categories that once seemed unlikely candidates for this concept.
