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.
Subaru hits an emotional chord (with some at a dealer meeting even reportedly tearing up) in a commercial that aptly addresses the profound anxiety felt by parents as their children get behind the wheel. A concerned but proud dad softly cautions his daughter, an adorable 6-year-old: “Leave your phone in your purse. I don’t want you texting, OK? … Call me—but not when you’re driving.” The daughter driving away is a teen—but, of course, still the little girl in her father’s eyes.
When we discussed Oprah’s efforts to tackle distracted driving, we asked how brands could appropriately address the issue and help to improve road safety. Subaru subtly speaks to concerns about teen drivers texting—a problem that has even spawned mobile monitoring software—rather than further heightening anxiety (as we’ve seen with spots from Liberty Mutual).
Moreover, the tone is spot-on. It may help that both girls are real-life daughters to the actor here, Andy Lyons, adding to the authenticity. Subaru successfully projects a real understanding of parental anxiety—both that which stems from today’s road dangers and the more timeless “anxiety of handing over the keys for the first time,” as Lyons put it—to help convey its trustworthiness and reliability.
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.
Marriage can be a great source of anxiety for young Indians, whose marital fate is often out of their own hands, arranged through the parents’ network, a priest or ads in local newspapers. The anxiety is that much more intense for educated, independent-minded women who don’t want to compromise on their beliefs and lifestyle but may be rushed to commit to someone they hardly know. (Our sister site has written about one Indian brand’s response to the modern woman’s wariness of arranged marriage.)
Earlier this year Times of India, a leading national daily, introduced the Times Equality Matrimonials to its Sunday supplement of matrimonial classifieds. “This space rejects the conventional thinking of a woman playing second fiddle to her husband and regards marriage as a true partnership placing both people are on an equal footing,” The Times declares. It even ran an Equality Marriage Manifesto. Separate ads target women (“Does hello to marriage mean goodbye to life as you know it?”) and men (“Do you want someone you can dictate to, or someone you can ask for advice?”).
The Times approach is likely to generate goodwill among its target consumer whether or not they place an ad (indeed, even if they’re already married). This is a great example of how a very old product or service can tap into current truths or anxieties to come across as very contemporary and strengthen bonds with younger generations.
In Saudi, where grooms are expected to pay the bride’s family a dowry for her hand in marriage, many young men are asked to bear financial burdens they cannot hope to shoulder. Saco Hardware, in collaboration with JWT, created a social media promotion that spotlights the financial challenges facing young people and positions the retailer as a tool for helping them.
We came up with a simple concept/story: A video clip shows young Mousaed making the traditional visit to his future father-in-law, who demands 28 items from Saco as a dowry. Returning home, Mousead finds the catalogue is ripped to shreds, and the young man is left to guess the names of the items he needs to buy. Photos of torn pages were posted to the Saco Facebook page, and people were encouraged to identify the products to help Mousaed get one more item toward his marriage. Correct guesses won items.
The campaign is doing well with minimal support, and the hope is to evolve the effort into a commitment to sponsor newlyweds who need to furnish their apartments. For more social media case studies, see our Social Media Checklist.
Our recent AnxietyIndex study in Mexico found that the economy is a primary driver of anxiety and—contrary to the image the world may have of Mexicans as optimists or even dreamers—they are pessimistic about the future. One of Mexicans’ main concerns about the future is being unable to afford a good education for their children.
Brands have an opportunity to help parents find some hope. A good example is Jugos Del Valle, a Mexican juice brand recently acquired by the Coca-Cola Co., which recently ran a promotion that gave parents the opportunity to win a scholarship to ensure their kids’ education from kindergarten through college; secondary prizes of mx$80,000 (about $6,250) to support school expenses were awarded daily. A TV spot showed a woman grocery-shopping with her toddler seated in the shopping cart. As she scans shelves lined with Del Valle products, the child morphs into an adult doctor, astronaut, chef and, finally, college graduate to clearly outline the opportunities a good education can create. “Now, when you choose Del Valle, your kid chooses his future,” the voiceover tells parents.
Promotions have always been effective during crisis times as people look to get the most from each penny, but success is especially likely if the offer is focused on relieving one of people’s deepest concerns.
Where youth, especially students, are concerned, it’s always recession. Strapped for cash and addicted to their pretty gadgets, especially the mobile (aka their lifeline), they end up carrying a couple of SIMs so they can switch between them and save money. Virgin Mobile is doing a good job tapping into this need to save, along with showcasing the very Indian youth characteristic of being “jugaadu,” a colloquial Hindi word for an innovative fix. Its new campaign introduces “Get paid for incoming calls,” part of its GSM standard offerings, and features actor Ranbir Kapoor, who devises innovative ways to get incoming calls so he can save money and spend more time calling his girlfriend.
Through its communication and its tagline, Think Hatke (“Think Different”), Virgin clearly establishes itself as understanding what this audience needs and wants without compromising on the brand’s image as the youthful, irreverent contender in the mobile category. As it aims to become the mobile operator of choice for youth, Virgin is focused solely on wooing this audience, creating products and services exclusively for them. And unlike many brands that project a youthful image but do very little for youth, Virgin puts its money where its mouth is. Considering that India has one of the world’s biggest youth populations, this could signal trouble for the other mass mobile giants, Airtel, Vodafone and Idea.
One of the many anxieties surrounding the environment is the condition in which we’re leaving the planet for future generations. Hanes taps into this concern with a humorous commercial for its EcoSmart line of T-shirts, briefs and socks. Two guys stroll through a mall in seemingly similar outfits. But the voiceover reveals that James, who’s wearing Hanes EcoSmart items, is “doing his part to help the environment for future generations,” with clothing made from recycled fiber and powered by renewable energy. The less conscientious Pete, on the other hand, gets the stink-eye from various kids.
Hanes has also created an eco-portal, hanesgreen.com, which outlines the company’s recent greenification (a move that ties into our Maximum Disclosure trend). The site details key accomplishments to date and goals for the future.
Hanes appears to be trying to create a stigma around not being a green consumer. This tactic seems to be smart, especially in light of recent research (highlighted by The Guardian) suggesting that peer pressure is a key driver of green lifestyles. And Hanes manages to make the message clear without getting saccharine, alarmist or sappy.
In Saudi Arabia, there’s not much in the way of entertainment. I grew up spending quite a bit of time in malls and restaurants, the only source of entertainment. They are also among the few open places in a country that mostly segregates women and men. But although religious and social norms call for respect toward women, they are often harassed in malls.
Now some young men in Riyadh have formed a group called Layeg Aleek (“It Suits You”), which sets up stands in malls to educate both young men and women on appropriate behavior in public places. It used to be that only government-appointed officers would be responsible for this; having young men speak to their peers instead is a refreshing and overdue idea. (Socially, Saudis do condone giving advice and discussing matters of religions and manners quite openly.)
While this initiative is very specific to Saudi society, perhaps brands can take inspiration from the notion of helping to make shoppers more comfortable in the retail environment.
Worried about your children using drugs? Wondering if they get along with other kids at school? How are their grades? A Stouffer’s campaign from our JWT New York office tells parents the answer to all these questions can be found right at the dinner table.
The frozen-foods brand has crafted its “Let’s fix dinner” campaign around the insight that dinner as a family has a positive impact. TV spots feature different types of families gathering around the dinner table and direct viewers to letsfixdinner.com. The site challenges real families to eat together more often, listing stats about the benefits (teens who have family meals are 66 percent less likely to try drugs, etc.), even noting that teens will be more likely to talk about their problems.
Tapping into consumer anxiety about their children’s well-being, Stouffer’s smartly presents a strategy for parents, positioning itself as part of this solution.
