With most brands’ communication themed around COVID-19 crisis, it’s noteworthy to see how they deliver high brand recall post this epidemic. While Vodafone Italy’s commercial talks how it’s possible to share moments with loved ones virtually, homegrown OTT service MX Player through its characters conveys the need for home isolation and social distancing in its TVC. But one can’t miss global NGO No More’s campaign which urges people to recognise the signs of victims of domestic abuse and help them to safety during emergency. These are the ads that caught Madhuwanti’s attention
1. Vodafone Italy
With work-from-home becoming the new normal, the need for the internet couldn’t be stressed further. And, Vodafone Italy’s latest campaign ‘Even When We Cant Be Close We Can be Together’ shows just that.
The 45-second-ad advert, set to Beatles’ Come Together track, depicts different ways people can be together even at a distance – whether studying, working, training, playing or making music.
The spot, filmed entirely from the crew’s homes, opens with them starting their days with a cup of coffee before they start their work. From here on, we see the individuals working, training, doing yoga, playing and making music, dancing and cooking. It moves on to them chatting with their friends and families virtually as they share their lives over the net.
All the work was coordinated remotely, thanks to the Vodafone network, including casting, styling, shooting, editing and post-production. Vodafone customers from different cities across Italy were then directed remotely using smartphones, webcams and cameras.
As one can imagine, the ad talks about the importance of staying at home and together in these trying times. And how Vodafone Italy works as an enabler. It undoubtedly connects to me as it portrays a slice of my current life. There is a certain feel-good factor about it. Beatles’ track makes it even better. Vodafone Italy does an excellent job of putting forward the relevance of the category.
Through the ad spot, the company is looking to raise money for The Italian Red Cross during the coronavirus pandemic.
Campaign: Even When We Can’t Be Close, We Can Be Together
2.MX Player
Closer home there is MX Player, the OTT player from Times Internet released an advert under its campaign #ItCanWait. Titled ‘Ghar Baithe Bano Hero’, the 45-second commercial is a clever mashup of its shows to raise the importance of home isolation and social distancing.
The clip shows its various characters (from MX Player’s shows) going about their business outdoors till the advent of COVID-19 which forced them to stay indoors. The plot, with the characters, are stitched by a narrator who describes their professions before he switches to the importance of staying home. The message is simple: if they can stay at home, so can you. Everything else can wait. And, while you are at home, you can kill time by watching its shows.
It’s a crafty video where the brand delivers a socially relevant message while underlining the relevance of a category in the present times, without trying too hard.
Campaign: It Can Wait
3. No More
No More Foundation joined hands with US-based National Domestic Violence Hotline on a public awareness and action campaign that confronts a frightening by-product of isolating at home during the coronavirus pandemic: victims of domestic violence are increasingly trapped with their abusers.
Titled #Listeningfromhome, the campaign created in London by MRM, spreads awareness of this issue and highlights that, like Covid-19, signs of abuse are not always visible. It also aims people to learn to recognise the signs and encourage them to safely get help if they do hear or observe incidents of domestic abuse.
The ads comprise solitary images of people with caption ‘She’s been isolated and living in fear for years.’
It’s commendable of the organisations to come up with a hotline on this sensitive issue. It’s definitely the need of the hour given how rampant domestic abuse is. There is a high possibility of the current scenario (staying indoors due to coronavirus outbreak) leading to a significant surge in domestic abuse. Keeping that in mind the ads are thoughtful and, in all likelihood, speak to both victims and general public, without relying on a lengthy copy.
The campaign also asks people to make a donation to help support the Hotline’s response efforts. The (Hotline) team of 150 individuals have been working remotely from mid-March to help survivors with life-saving assistance.
Campaign: #Listeningfromhome
Agency: MRM
