Sun Life Financial’s newest iteration of its “Money for Life” campaign is out to challenge the clichés of retirement ads — that a financial institution can help people spend their golden years living out picturesque dreams in far-off places.
Instead, the financial services company is emphasizing that Canadians just want money to retire their way. The company’s main TV spot, which launched on conventional and specialty channels on Monday, features a retired couple at the wheel of a yacht.
Dressed in nautical stripes, with the wind whipping through their hair, the couple appear to be enjoying themselves. Soon, however, they’re left drenched by a massive wave. “We’re not sailors,” says the woman. “We’d rather retire our way.”
“We want to portray retirement as something you can own and not some paradise that’s long gone,” said Bill Ramsammy, assistant vice-president of corporate brand and marketing at Sun Life. He said research showed that only a small portion of Canadians identify with the idea of golfing or sailing in their later years.
“It’s about empowering Canadians to retire their way. It’s really breaking that cliché financial institutions put out there about retirement — the happy couple walking on the beach, reggae music in the background,” he said. “We’re not knocking typical retirement dreams. We’re not knocking golf or sailing, but our polls show it’s a small percentage of people who actually do those things.”
Sun Life’s research with Ipsos, and data from other lifestyle companies, revealed facts about the activities Canadians really look forward to doing in retirement, which include philanthropy and spending time with family and friends. Only 2% of Canadians belong to a yacht club.
“Only 17% of Canadians actually golf,” said Ramsammy, quoting 2012 numbers from the National Allied Golf Association. “So what are the other 83% doing in retirement?”
The campaign has a beefed up digital element, emerging partly from the fact that Sun Life is seeing people as young as 27 connect with the “Money for Life” message, which the company introduced four years ago.
YouTube videos with the hashtag #retireinspired feature real-life stories of Canadian retirees, such as a couple who works to send fire trucks and emergency equipment to the Dominican Republic, where they spend much of their time.
In addition to its social presence and web videos, the company has revamped its Advisor Match Tool to allow for commenting and geolocation and the ability to connect with advisors via LinkedIn.
FCB developed the creative. PHD handled the media buy.
