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Published: 24 Jun 2015
We've just finished producing our new TV advertising campaign, reminding people of the benefits of being with an Industry SuperFund.
It’s the next chapter in a campaign stretching back nearly twenty years which has shaped our national retirement savings system. Along the way it has also helped Australians better understand super, and how to make informed choices about their savings. Think of how the term “compare the pair” or Paul Kelly’s wonderful “From little things” or our hand symbol have become part of the Aussie lexicon around super.
A few things struck me during the development of the latest TV ad. First was the people. They were real members, and willing to let us eavesdrop on their lives for a moment; reminding us that for them, super is as much about their lives outside work as it is what they do for a job.
The other thing that grabbed me, with the members we filmed as well as the focus groups we conducted, was how much more connected people are to their super these days, compared to a few years ago. The GFC might have been an elusive beast on the surface here in Australia, but many people felt its impact through their super. I got that there’s a stronger sense of ownership by people these days, not just of their own account, but of how the big cogs of the financial system interact with their super. It’s a kind of wariness and an unshakable belief that the super system needs to be set up in a way that protects their interests. Especially as it’s not front of mind for many people, because retirement is a long way off compared to packing the right lunch for the school excursion tomorrow.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise I suppose. After a generation of little things growing into big things, people are keen to know that the system comes with air bags to protect them and their families.
We had fun producing the ad, but we also came away richer for the insight we got into how super has muscled into the fabric of people’s lives outside work and into our national story. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
*The above material, whilst correct at the time of publication may include references or statements which are no longer current.