By connecting with older adults in a positive way, the outdoor advertising design we created for Brightlife helps to reduce social isolation in the community.

Background

According to Government estimates, being socially isolated can be as damaging to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day*. To help reduce the impact of loneliness on older adults, Brightlife – a charity focused on supporting the wellbeing of people over 50 who may feel lonely or socially isolated – asked us to help them raise awareness of this social issue and promote their programmes in a positive and highly visible way.

Challenge

To effectively spread the message to the target audience, we decided to create an outdoor advertising design for bus shelters in key locations. Social isolation impacts individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, so it was important to create a campaign that was highly visible and would connect with potentially isolated adults by communicating with them about the issue ‘face to face’.

Solution

Building on the social awareness campaign we had created for them a few months earlier, our client’s research helped identify two key characters the target audience would identify with. “Mary” and “Jim” became “the faces” of the outdoor advertising campaign: they’re both confident ageing individuals who, despite their personal circumstances, demonstrate a bright outlook on life.

The bus shelter ads were tactically placed outside areas where our audience congregates: community centres, libraries and doctors surgeries, with messages reflecting the location of each bus shelter, making it feel like a personalised experience.

We carefully chose messages full of energy and encouragement: in just a few a words, Jim and Mary tell a positive story of the possibility of change thanks to Brightlife’s programmes. They’re telling the audience: “We know how you feel”, and the feeling of isolation already starts to fade.

Highlights

• We ensured continuity with the previous campaign, and we evolved it a little to create enough differentiation and standout, introducing secondary colours and a smoother arch.
• We also produced leaflets that were placed at doctor’s surgeries, community centres, etc, helping reinforce the message and making people in the community feel like Brightlife is already with them along the journey.
• The outdoor advertising design series has been so successful that we’re also working on a radio commercial to reach a wider audience.

(*) – source: Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive of Public Health England