Many people find themselves in a quandary these days when it comes to their smartphones.
On the one hand you might think to yourself, ‘I’m getting addicted’ or ‘I’m missing out on real life’ or ‘I’m wasting my life on pointless things’. On the other hand you’re probably also thinking ‘I should probably just check Twitter again to make sure nothing’s changed…’ or ‘I wonder if people like my latest Insta photo…?’.
‘Phone detoxing’ and Screen-time Mindfulness are certainly trends gaining traction as people grow wary of the effects of their phone addiction. More and more people want to track, monitor and cut down on their screen usage; for those Apple lovers out there, the new weekly screen time statistics offer alarming insights into your relationship with your phone.
We have seen how both the tech world as well as lifestyle and travel brands are tapping into these trends. But this is not great news for connectivity brands who want consumers to spend as much time on their phones as possible.
Three has taken action. Their new marketing campaign centres around ‘Phones are Good’ (video here), in which they make a move away from their hybrid animal mascots but certainly haven’t lost their sense of humour.
The premise is simple: to remind us all how brilliant our phones are, and how much better our lives are as a result.
Imagine, for example, if Henry VIII had access to tinder – it may well have saved a few heads.
And what if cavemen had been able to order Deliveroo – they would never have starved (a stretch but let’s go with it…)
The campaign not only makes people laugh, but it also makes people feel good about their phones – which is refreshing and heartening against the tide of anti-screen-time sentiment.
Shadi Halliwell, CMO at Three, said of the sector in an interview ‘It’s a dull industry; it’s too corporate and nobody knows how to talk to customers’. Well this campaign certainly proves that Three does know how to talk to consumers, and a reminder that brands don’t have to shout about great offers to entice consumers in.
Screen guilt – out: phone love – in.