Colonial First State urges Aussies to take their super off autopilot in new work via It’s Friday
Colonial First State has launched a new campaign created by It’s Friday, designed to jolt every Australian into being more involved with their super.
It’s a confronting, but probably not surprising fact, that only one in two Australians are engaged with their super. Confused and unconfident about how to monitor its performance and make decisions around super, millions of Australians have it on ‘set and forget.’
In other words, their super is on autopilot.
In research conducted by Colonial First State, 51% of Australians admitted that autopilot is their current approach to their super.
Which is little wonder given that two in five of us find super confusing and 60% of us are unsure how their super performed last year.
We simply trust that our super fund will offer competitive returns and fees.
Colonial First State wants Aussies to make sure that their super isn’t sitting in an average fund, headed for an average retirement.
Launching across film, outdoor, radio, social and digital, the launch film depicts a range of ordinary Australians going about their daily lives, busy with work and family. What they don’t realise is that they’re hurtling across an unpromising landscape on a train – a metaphor for the decidedly average retirement their super’s headed to on autopilot.
Colonial First State is their way off the train and towards a more prosperous retirement.
Says Josh Grace, group executive, customer office at Colonial First State: “Being on autopilot with your super is an easy trap to fall into. The industry has conditioned Aussies to set and forget. But paying high fees or enduring poor performance can have a major impact on your retirement savings. In fact, they might be shocked at just how average their recent performance has been.
“With this campaign, we want to get people off autopilot and realise that it’s easier than they think to defy average simply by switching to Colonial First State. It’s one reason why CFS customers have amongst the highest confidence and preparedness for retirement.”
Says Vince Lagana, CCO of It’s Friday: “It’s eye-opening that so many Australians don’t know what their super is doing, or where it’s heading, but it shows just how common being on autopilot is. This powerful creative insight formed the basis of a simple and relatable message highlighting how Colonial First State gives Australians ways to switch off autopilot so they can easily take control of their super and avoid an average retirement.”
Client: Colonial First State
Group Executive – Customer Office – Josh Grace
Executive Director – Brand and Customer Acquisition – Kate Bevan
Senior Manager – Brand – Caitlin Shennan
Senior Manager – Brand – Catherine Versace
Creative Agency: It’s Friday
Production Company: Finch
Director – Stephen Carroll
Managing Director – Corey Esse
Executive Producer – Loren Bradley
Producer – Caroline David
DOP – Jeremy Rouse
Production Designer – Lucinda Thomson
Casting: Nick Hamon Casting
Post Production: The Editors
Offline Editor – Bernard Garry
Online Editor – Eugene Richards
Colourist – Ben Eagleton
Producer – Rita Gagliardi
Music & Sound: MassiveMusic
Composer – Ben Lam
Sound Design – Myles Lowe
Production – Luci Roe
Key Visual Production: Louis & Co + Electric Art
Photography – Matt Baker
Photography Production: Luke Della Santa
Post Production: Will MacKinnon
Retoucher – Inness Robins
20 Comments
Really different for the category. Love it!
The name ‘colonial’ is enough to turn anyone off
Taking the train is a brilliant choice for this topic. It’s refreshing. No forced humor. No “let’s get to know our Superfund” shtick. This approach taps into genuine insights about consumer behaviour on the topic. What bugs me, though, is that when the train stops, people end up stranded. They’re left in the middle of nowhere, trying to figure out their next move. The OOH does a better job regarding this.
Any super ad that starts with “When it comes to super….” or “Thinking about super?” will send 99% of viewers to the mute button or straight into a coma. Why do they keep doing it?
Nothing says “I’m advertising to you” quite like someone walking and talking at you
It’s average.
Whose doing their straegy these days?
Yeah…But it’d be worse if it was called Stone Age.
So many superannuation ads out there at the moment. I like this one out of all. Not flippant. Not trying hard. Not jokey. Not boring financey jargon.
I dig the analogy of the train. Got me thinking about my superannuation which I never do. Job done.
Media have noted that CFS is a low performing super. I am looking into changing.
No finance type of ad has ever made me question my future finances. Clever work.
Nice work getting this made, It’s Friday. I’m not sure the train is the best metaphor, but I’m betting that wasn’t the original idea presented.
Funds and their agencies need to stop pretending that low engagement with super, for younger people at least, is an insight.
It’s good. At least it isn’t a play on the word super.
That was so bad. The stupid sincere presenter, the awkward silences, the client written dialogue, the supers jammed in on signs in the desert, the random train thing, the jumbled metaphor, the dramatic music for no reason because it’s just not dramatic in any sense, the zombie customers at the end. All capped off by the agency jamming CB with positive comments. Yuk.
So much venom. Try being a little more constructive and positive, you will feel better for it. Might even lower your blood pressure. I wouldn’t say this is the best ad I’ve seen. Far from it. But it’s better than all the other super ads I’m constantly seeing.
This is awful.
I didn’t want to like a superannuation ad, but this one got me thinking.
Well crafted piece of work. I’m sure Snow Piercer was heavily referenced.
I thought planes went on autopilot, not trains?