DDB Group HK launches new campaign for Manulife focusing on comfortable retirement
Manulife Hong Kong has launched the latest chapter in its multi-channel, consumer-oriented advertising campaign focusing on the need for retirement planning as many Hongkongers have responsibilities towards their spouse even in retirement. The latest campaign from DDB Group Hong Kong is an extension of the company’s “Retirement Solutions” campaign launched last year, which highlights the cost associated with retirement and the need to plan early for a comfortable retirement.
Isabella Lau, Vice President and Chief Customer Officer for Manulife Hong Kong, said, “This chapter in our campaign brings to the front that Manulife is the expert for retirement solutions and we are well positioned to help customers build their wealth, protect their wealth and plan for retirement income. While we continue to highlight the cost-realities of retirement, this campaign takes on a family approach and asks Hongkongers to think of their loved ones’ future, not just their own.”
Based on the fact women live longer than men on average – a gap of about six years – the new campaign reminds Hongkongers that their spousal and family responsibilities continue after they retire. The new TV commercial features a couple sitting together happily in their kitchen and asks, “If you want to take care of your partner when you retire, will spending quality time with them be enough? Take a closer look. Retirement costs a lot more than you think.” Ever-mounting and ever-escalating hidden costs are then revealed, such as health checks, short haul trips, dinning out, utility bills – the list goes on and on. The TV commercial closes with the voiceover “But don’t worry, we can help. Talk to the experts, and start planning now.”
The TV commercial runs in conjunction with two other 20-second spots entitled “Staying Healthy” and “Mortgage”. Running on a similar train of thought, they ask the questions “If you want to stay healthy after you retire, will exercising be enough?” and “If you want a comfortable home when you retire, will paying off the mortgage be enough?”
A huge outdoor advertising showcase will take over Causeway Bay MTR station. Manulife ads will also run in Taikoo MTR station and on in-train stickers. Bus shelter posters will be positioned around the city, while print advertising mirrors the TVCs.
An interactive minisite, now also includes family scenes, as well as other everyday scenarios, giving Hongkongers a sense of how the little things in life can add up. A growing selection of articles on disparate retirement-related issues is also posted under “Talking Retirement”, helping people plan for a comfortable future.
Simone Tam, President and CEO of DDB Group Hong Kong and Guangzhou, commented, “Our strategic insight for the campaign is the fact that people in Hong Kong may not have realized how much the necessities of retirement actually cost – not just for themselves, but for their spouse too. The creative idea uncovers what is often overlooked in retirement planning and shows how Manulife can help Hongkongers achieve their retirement life expectation.”
The new campaign builds on Manulife’s brand proposition “For Your Future”, which launched in 2011. This encapsulates the brand’s consumer-oriented messaging and communicated Manulife’s strong, reliable, trustworthy and forward-thinking values.
Since its launch in 2013, the “RetireSimple” campaign has received top accolades in the advertising industry, which includes top prize in the Best Integrated Campaign category at the 2013 Kam Fan Awards and a bronze at AdFest under the Best Integrated Direct Campaign category, demonstrating the creativity and effectiveness of the campaign.