Retirement has always been seen as an ending, a winding down. Retirees sit on their porches watching sunsets or sit in boats on river cruises. It’s Friday has recognised that this thinking is so out of date.
Its new campaign for investment company, Colonial First State (CFS), sees retirement as a beginning. It starts with the question, What do you want to be when you grow up?”. A question usually asked of the young. And it shows off Australians’ answers, which range from starting a business to help save the planet to being a fashion influencer. Each character in the TV spots has a vision for their future that will give them as much, if not more, purpose than their working life.
Unleash Your Second Half boldly rejects the stereotypes of retirement, which no longer match the expectations or desires of many Australian pre-retirees. It encourages those looking to enter a new phase of life on their own terms, with new ambitions, fulfillment and meaning. A second half that isn’t defined by what they did in their first half.
Vince Lagana, chief creative officer of It’s Friday, added, “It’s exciting to take a category that often feels passive and clichéd and inject new energy into it by flipping the traditional message.
“Some retirees may want to sail off into the sunset and take long walks on a beach, and all too often that’s how older people are depicted in advertising, but retirement doesn’t have to be that. It can be a chance to rediscover your youthful exuberance and try new things. Acknowledging this will be a breath of fresh air for many pre-retirees, while repositioning CFS as the brand dedicated to making it happen.”
Todd Stevenson, chief customer officer at CFS, stated, “The new campaign created by It’s Friday recognises that, for many Australians, retirement isn’t what it used to be. When planned for, it can be an exciting new time of personal growth, achievement, and purpose. A time when people often have more freedom to pursue things that are meaningful to them, but not necessarily what they did in their first half. CFS wants to celebrate that and help Australians make it as great as it should be and recognise the important role that a financial adviser can play.”
The campaign is the first work by It’s Friday after winning the account in March.
Credits
Client: CFS
Creative Agency: It’s Friday
Production Company: Good Oil
Director: Curtis Hill
Post Production: The Editors
Music Production & Composition: Electric Sheep Music
Media Agency: Essence
