It’s tissue season and many Australians – a few days into a cold or flu – have already discovered that softness is an asset.
J.Walter Thompson is turning tissue season into Kleenex season by making sure that the brand holds onto its ownership of softness.
It has taken hold of another connotation of the word, softness, after two years of promoting the power of people’s softer side to keep them connected to others.
In 2012, Kleenex Share the Softness allowed 100,000 Australians to send a pack of free tissues to someone they care about. In 2013, it asked Australians to make a pledge of softness (that is, an act of kindness) to someone. The pledges were used to create a virtual wall of softness.
This year, it is promoting the idea that’s ok to show your softer side. Or as ex-AFL hard man, Barry Hall, says, “Soft feels good.”
At the spearhead of the 2015 campaign are three TVCs which show Hall unashamedly demonstrating his soft side in three situations. The full campaign includes online video and social content and a large-scale radio partnership, including radio street team activations in Sydney.
“Barry Hall was the perfect Australian tough guy to communicate the new brand point-of-view and make Kleenex Tissues synonymous with emotional softness, not just functional softness. He’s a real life ‘hard nut’ turned soft advocate, giving others permission to give in to their emotions and experience the benefits. ” explained J. Walter Thompson executive creative director, Simon Langley.
According to Kimberly Clark marketing sector lead, family care, Dominique Chandler, the creative approach was ignited by research that showed that 71% of Australians admit to hiding their emotions. [The Kleenex Soften Up 2015 Report, conducted by Maidstone Consulting in November 2014. The study surveyed 1,522 Australians.]
“While there’s often a taboo around displaying too much emotion, we know from our research that being open can help us lead happier lives,” she remarked.
Creative credits:
Agency: J. Walter Thompson Sydney
Executive creative director: Simon Langley
Senior copywriter: Damien Linklater
Senior art director: Chris Searle
Broadcast producer: Ellen Fraser
Senior planner: Celia Garforth
Production Company: Fiction Film Company
Director: Jake Robb
Producer: Jackie Fish
Director of Photography: Garry Richards
Offline edit: Fiction Film Company
Offline editor: Michael Houlahan
Grade/Online Edit: Method Studios Sydney
Colourist: Andrew Clarkson
Online editor: Lee Sandiford
Post producer: Emily Nelson
Sound Studio: Nylon Studios
Engineer: Simon Lister
Studio Producer: Emma Hodge
