How AXA Asia Uses Colour Therapy to Highlight Self-Care

Asia’s economic well-being is not the only important topic on the agenda. For AXA, consumer well-being is a topic that has generated some concern, based on findings from its AXA Study of Mind Health and Wellbeing 2022. A mere 20% were found to be operating at optimal mental health, while 35% were just getting by. 

Part of AXA’s research revealed a dire need to address problems faced by the “sandwich generation”, who are the key target audience of AXA Asia. “Our campaign is inspired by the needs of the sandwich generation, who are often responsible for caring for their elderly parents and their children. Many of us belong to this group, and we understand the pressures they face because of their family commitments. They can often feel guilty or ashamed when they do find a few minutes to devote to themselves – especially if it means telling someone ‘No’,” shares Sabrina Cheung, chief brand and communications officer, AXA Asia & Africa.

She adds,” After the challenges of the pandemic, the need to “Make Time for Me-Time” has never been more relevant. That’s why we want to take the lead to show that it is only when you take care of yourself can you take care of others, which means supporting your body, mind and relationships, free from guilt.”

 

A very relatable and family-oriented approach was adopted for the TVC, created to highlight important consumer experiences. “This spot was created from our hearts. As both our amazing AXA clients and creative teams are also the target audience, it’s not difficult to create relatable work. We all have a lot of personal experiences to share in the creation of the spot, as too often we sacrifice the precious “me-time moments” for others, work, and family. This is a case when we no longer look at the “consumer” as a different species, but authentically as real human beings with needs,” says Natalie Lam, CCO of Publicis Groupe APAC & MEA.

LBB finds out more from Sabrina, Natalie and Bernice Fong, director of brand & content strategy, AXA Asia & Africa.

 

Natalie> Colours have strong therapeutic qualities, so in a campaign talking directly to the target audience about their own well-being, we thought, let’s not just stop at talking about being well, but also make the audience feel good in all the media touchpoints. So, we built in a subtle sort of “colour therapy” whenever the audience sees the TVC and engages with the Art Care series online and offline, every media touchpoint becomes an act of care/healing.

Sabrina> Mental health is a vital and increasingly visible issue in Asia that has only grown in importance during the pandemic. Our AXA Study of Mind Health and Wellbeing 2022 found that only 20% people in Asian markets are flourishing at the peak of mental health, versus 35% who are just getting by (they may have some areas of good well-being but not enough to reach the state of flourishing).

 

And while the pandemic has pushed mind health discussions to the fore, with 33% of respondents in Asia saying the stigma around mind health conditions had declined since the pandemic began, we believe there is a need to further open up space for honest communication on this topic. Drawing on these data as well as the other regional insights we gathered, we developed this campaign to shine a light on the importance of overall well-being. Our goal is to convey the importance of taking time out, without guilt, by redefining it is an essential part of being healthy.

 

Bernice> We didn’t want to “preach” AXA beliefs with standard one-way communication. We tried to make the audience feel better, calmer, and more energised by engaging with our campaign, so we set out to turn each media touchpoint into an act of healing through colour. We want the audience to practice self-care in playful ways without knowing they’re doing so. When it comes to Art Care, the scale of activation is significant, not only running in multiple markets including Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Thailand, but also in both online and offline channels.

For example, in Hong Kong to coincide with World Mental Health Day in October, a dedicated Art Care pop-up experience enabled people to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. It was well received and reminded people of the importance of taking care of their mental wellness. In Thailand, the Philippines, and Hong Kong, in the busiest central business districts and high-traffic roads when people most need a break, they can find the art care exercises on digital out-of-home channels, as well as on social platforms where they may be facing an overwhelming amount of content. We turned all these channels into moments for Art Care, relaxation, and me-time.

Natalie> We didn’t want to create “matching luggage” to get the message of “me-time” across, as we believe that a modern brand needs to both talk the talk, and walk the walk.

After making the point loud and clear in the TVC, we wanted all the other media touchpoints to be active enablers of “me-time” in our audience’s hectic lives. We all know from our own personal experiences how difficult it is to take the first step of developing a new habit, even though in principle we agree with the idea. Myself for example, I have chronic back problems and I know swimming is good for that, I have a pool in my apartment complex and I bought all the swim gear a year ago, but I still haven’t had the first swim. So we want to make “me-time” ultra simple, fun, and effortless. By even just stopping at a digital OOH to breathe, stretch and move your eyes for 5 seconds, during a busy commute or while waiting for the train, you’re starting to sneak a little me-time in.

With this goal in mind, we wanted an artist with a style that’s fun and simple, with strong scientific support behind their art. YOSHIROTTEN was the perfect artist as he collaborated with medical experts and research scientists to craft every colour and movement with his signature graphic styles and brought us these deceptively simple first steps to “Make Time For Me-Time.”

 

Bernice> We utilised a mix of TV, traditional, digital and social media and advertising platforms to maximise the audience reach and the impact of the campaign in local markets across the region, with influencers and celebrities sharing their personal experiences and tips for making time for Me-Time.

 

In addition, the campaign was featured across multiple AXA-owned social media channels such as LinkedIn, YouTube and Facebook, as well as internal communication channels.

 

Bernice> While we use common metrics such as the growth in media value in TV, traditional and social channels across the markets in Asia that launched the campaign, we are also closely tracking the conversion and lead generation rate. Fundamentally, our focus is on long-term impact. Therefore, when we conduct our surveys on brand performance in Asia and brand preference tracking in the next few months, we’ll be looking at whether we have managed to drive positive results in top-of-mind brand awareness and consideration.

Natalie> True client and agency collaboration is key to creating a different type of work. Traditionally the healthcare category is full of images of happy families and quite literal, so there’s no differentiation. Thanks to the faith and trust from AXA, we took the important first step into a fresh new territory, not just talking about something meaningful, but also giving the audience something hopefully helpful in their busy lives.

The tonality of the work is also quite different from the typical work in Asia. It’s calmer and quieter compared to the usual high-energy, over-the-top work that’s prevalent. It took a bit of convincing to get alignment, and it’s a huge step to broadening the dimension of the brand.

We don’t have the full results yet but we’re starting to hear that the new leads are much more qualified, and some markets are starting to roll out new healthcare products focusing on mental well-being. We’re looking forward to creating even more impactful, relevant work with AXA.