JWT AnxietyIndex: A surprising message from J.R. Ewing: ‘Shine, baby, shine’

Larry Hagman, best known as oilman J.R. Ewing in the hit 1980s television show Dallas, is now the face of SolarWorld, a German solar energy company. Long a solar energy enthusiast, Hagman recently told The New York Times he was motivated by the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico to speak out. He added: “Since Sarah Palin is saying, ‘Drill, baby, drill,’ I’m saying, ‘Shine, baby, shine.’”

That’s just what the actor says, with his trademark cackle, in a spot for SolarWorld’s new advertising campaign. We see J.R. looking disapprovingly at a portrait of his younger self in an oil field while a background TV screen gurgles with oil-spill images. He walks out of his house and we see a roof lined with solar panels. SolarWorld does an interesting thing here: It’s not only tapping into anxieties around the Gulf spill and the target consumers’ likely aversion to the “Drill, baby, drill” mind-set but is also showing how perspectives can change, even if J.R. is fictional.
JWT AnxietyIndex: Brand Answers for an Anxious World by Christine Miranda - New York

JWT AnxietyIndex: Colombia among least anxious countries

The latest installment of AnxietyIndex found that Colombia registers among the least anxious nations JWT has surveyed, with only 58 percent of respondents reporting feelings of nervousness or anxiety.

Our January 2010 survey of 1,253 Colombians aged 25-plus revealed that the primary drivers of anxiety in Colombia are crime, corruption, the state of the economy and the impact of global warming. With high rates of urban violence and theft, it’s not surprising that two-thirds report concern about crime in their neighborhood. And nearly 80 percent feel Columbian politicians are out of touch with how the global economic downturn is affecting the average person; about three-quarters fear the downturn is widening the economic gap between the rich and the poor in Colombia.

Still, Columbians are slightly more optimistic than the global average about near-term prospects of positive change, and most think Colombia has fared about the same or better in the recession than other Latin American countries. Almost six in 10 say Colombia has been less affected than “wealthier” countries.

For more on the drivers and levels of anxiety in Colombia, click here to download the report from our Trends and Research page.

JWT AnxietyIndex: Brand Answers for an Anxious World

JWT AnxietyIndex: Brand Answers for an Anxious World: AmEx downplays upmarket credentials in the U.K.

Recent American Express advertising in the U.K. attempts to reverse the brand’s luxury image, telling consumers they should no longer just consider it for “posh nosh” and “vintage bubbly” but also for burgers and shampoo (bubbles for your hair, not your glass). What’s interesting is that American Express has spent years creating its luxury image. But in this post-recessionary world, it’s frowned upon. Many of us are worried about being associated with the overtly upmarket or luxurious. Gone are the days of flashy watches, over-the-top cars and flashing the credit card that suggests you’re loaded. Frugal is still the new flash.

Consumers seem to like the ads—they garnered positive feel-good scores in a recent study of digital outdoor advertising by Clear Channel Outdoor and Kinetic that used new face-tracking technology. And what better cure for anxiety is there than that?

Photo Credit:http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/news/1002107/gallery/7594/page/1/#7594

JWT AnxietyIndex: Brand Answers for an Anxious World

JWT AnxietyIndex: Tropicana brings sun to the Arctic

The recent best in show at FAB International’s Food and Beverage Creative Excellence Awards, Tropicana’s “Arctic Sun” commercial shows how the brand addressed a key source of anxiety in the Arctic, tied to its positioning “Brighter mornings make brighter days.” One of the major external sources of happiness for humans is light, and while people in Arctic locations adapt to the circumstances, one of their major stresses is living in full darkness in mid-winter. So Tropicana brought light to Inuvik, in northern Canada, after 31 consecutive days of darkness. A Tropicana team lit up the town with a giant artificial sun, enabling its residents to experience a sunny day–an excellent idea that touches people’s hearts to create an emotional link with the brand.
JWT AnxietyIndex: Brand Answers for an Anxious World

JWT AnxietyIndex: Brand Answers for an Anxious World: Virgin Mobile targets Indian youth with smart marketing

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...JWT AnxietyIndex

JWT AnxietyIndex: Brand Answers for an Anxious World: Philip Morris, Clorets see co-selling opportunity in Japan

As mentioned in a previous post about co-branded kits of canned coffee and packages of smokes, cigarette brands facing declining sales and a shrinking market are looking for ways to steal share and reinforce loyalty wherever possible. The latest effort by Philip Morris leverages the ever-present concern of the smoker—smoker’s breath—by offering a box of cigarettes bundled with a pack of new Clorets gum in a two-in-one package.

This is a good example of turning an issue of consumer anxiety arising from one brand into a co-selling opportunity with a second brand that solves the problem, resulting in a win-win for both. Philip Morris gains a chance to convert new users, while Clorets gets its new product into the hands of a potentially core target. This is also an example of creatively re-imagining how your products are sold, one of our recommendations for brands in our Recession Handbook. Read @ JWT AnxietyIndex: Brand Answers for an Anxious World

JWT AnxietyIndex: Acura rationalizes luxury with ‘Excuses’ campaign

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. Please click here to view video: JWT AnxietyIndex: Brand Answers for an Anxious World

JWT AnxietyIndex: As U.K. election nears, ?The Independent? taps into reader anxieties, while IKEA finds the humor

As the U.K. counts down to the May 6 general election, a tight three-way race, an ad campaign from The Independent is tapping into the political anxieties of its target readers and attempting to inspire them. “A few people count way too much,” an election-themed video warns, listing Rupert Murdoch (who will “throw the weight of the country’s two biggest newspapers behind one party”) and the millions spent by the Tory-supporting Lord Ashcroft and by unions.

The point is not only that The Independent will provide the facts—“Truth matters” is the campaign’s tagline—but that the facts will empower voters (“People should not fear their government. Government should fear you”). Outdoor ads distill the message—says one: “Rupert Murdoch won’t decide this election. You will.” The campaign, which coincides with a major redesign of the newspaper and the arrival of a new owner, seems like a smart way to connect with readers at a tense time.

Meanwhile, IKEA is tackling election anxiety with levity on its U.K. site, presenting “kitchen designs inspired by our would-be PMs.” Each candidate gets a suitably Swedish name—for example, Brown becomes Brün; his kitchen is “durable and prudent for the economically conscious.” The idea reminds us of 7-Eleven’s recent whimsical elections-themed promotion in the Philippines.

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JWT AnxietyIndex: Walmart shows Mexicans it’s engaged in local concerns

Mexicans are increasingly anxious about personal safety and more empathetic to crime victims. When a little girl, Paulette Gebara Farah, was reported missing last month, millions of Mexicans rallied around her cause (sadly, and confoundingly, nine days later she was found dead in her bedroom). Walmart responded by quickly joining the collective effort, proving that the global company could be an active member of its local community. The retailer put photos of the girl on every cash register and let sheets with her picture be affixed to the back of cereal boxes.

Walmart’s reaction was a significant way of showing Mexicans that it has a real interest in giving something back to the community, especially when confronted with an anxiety-inducing situation. They say “Desperate times require desperate measures,” and for companies or brands to show interest and actively engage on issues and events of concern to society can surely generate only good will.
JWT AnxietyIndex: Brand Answers for an Anxious World

JWT AnxietyIndex: Stouffer’s taps into parental anxieties about children

Worried about your children using drugs? Wondering if they get along with other kids at school? How are their grades? A Stouffer’s campaign 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.


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JWT AnxietyIndex: Brand Answers for an Anxious World: Virgin Atlantic helps travelers cut costs with cab-sharing program

One of the recommendations for brands in our recent Recession Handbook (downloadable here) is for brands to provide a real service during difficult times—giving consumers tools that help them cope positions the brand as an ally of consumers, supportive and dependable. Virgin Atlantic is doing just that as a “co-innovator” of Taxi2, a cab-sharing initiative for passengers arriving at airports (currently New York’s JFK and London’s Heathrow but there are plans to expand). Users can enter their flight information, and the system finds a potential sharing partner. It’s up to the passenger whether to agree to the match; women can even specify if they prefer a female travel companion. The program also has the potential of becoming a “carpooling/environmentally friendly” initiative. One doesn’t even have to be a Virgin Atlantic passenger to take advantage of it—but with this smart program, Virgin may well be attracting more passengers to its brand.

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