The feeling of career stagnation can be tricky to overcome – especially for experienced workers who have been trapped in the rat race for years. AIA Malaysia is courting bored workers with a humorous ad that taps into their desire to upskill at work, promising them that joining AIA will offer a fresh start. We explore the insights behind the ad and discover how it taps into the desire to keep learning on the job.
AIA Malaysia has released a short clip framed as a humorous PSA to raise awareness of the ‘700-Day Itch’ – a feeling of restlessness that sets in just shy of two years into a job. Created by Leo Burnett Malaysia and Société Film, it frames career stagnation as a disease that can make going to work feel like a horror film, suggesting that theAIA Elite Academy’s training programme could be a way for people to overcome professional frustration. “Even though the scenarios in the launch film are heightened – zombies, monsters, etc – to grab attention, they stem from very real feelings that qualified people face when they’re dissatisfied with their jobs,”said Iska Hashim, Leo Burnett’s Malaysia executive creative director.
The ad’s concept stemmed from conversations with existing graduates of the Elite Academy’s training programme, which revealed the emotions associated with career stagnation and the joy of starting over. Hashim says Leo Burnett worked closely with AIA to identify insights on which to base the campaign, which is aimed at boosting the recruitment of experienced, top-tier talent. “[The] team at Société Film have created something truly special with this film. It’s bold and irreverent, yet still embodies the traits of the Elite Academy: purpose, professionalism, and progress,” says Heng Zee Wang, AIA’s chief marketing officer.
For many employees, making sure they have access to on-the-job development is a top priority – 48% of Gen Yers say having access to opportunities for continuous learning is a crucial factor when job hunting. The ad taps into this desire to keep learning and progressing, letting people know AIA Elite Academy will be skilling them up from the get-go. AIA brings to life the negative emotions that accompany stagnation, and then neatly positions themselves as the solution to workers’ woes. “The AIA Elite Academy programme is the first of its kind in the industry,”says Heng. “It’s an exclusive on-boarding program equipping our life planners with the necessary skills to excel in their profession. We wanted an equally groundbreaking campaign to publicise it.” Other employers, like Mentorloop, for example, are also zeroing in on this desire, prioritising employee development to attract the best talent.
Helen Jambunathan is a behavioural analyst at Canvas8. An anthropologist and writer, she holds a Masters degree from the University of Cambridge and has more than five years of experience researching the specialty coffee industry. Outside of work, she is a die-hard tennis fan, wearer of many rings and reader of many things.
