Stay at home but go to work. Go outside but don’t go outside. Since lockdown easing began in the UK, much of the nation has been left confused by authorities' inconsistent advice. Aiming to offer some light relief from it all, DRGN is poking fun at the messaging in its OOH campaign. We explore the insights behind this, and why people are looking for brands to lift the mood of the nation.
Drinks brand DRGN is launching an OOH campaign in partnership with Clear Channel that takes a light-hearted approach to advertising during the crisis. Across a series of spots in London, the creative features the slogans ‘Stay in, but not in in,’ ‘Go out, but not out out,’ and ‘Go to work, but don’t travel to work,’ alongside promotions for its turmeric-based superdrink, which aims to reduce fatigue and support the immune system. “We felt it was a nice way to tie in our product’s USPs with the general mood that the British public has probably felt for the last couple of months,” explains CEO and co-founder Vishal Sodha.
Poking fun at government guidance around the roadmap to recovery, the ad comes at a time when lockdown fatigue is palpable. Indeed, research from King’s College London and Ipsos in late May 2020 reveals that 59% of people think the government’s response is confusing and inconsistent – that’s 17 percentage points higher than the sentiment in April. And with over a third (36%) of Britons also unclear on whether they should wear a mask in public, or when/if they should return to work, there has been a slew of memes circulating in social spaces poking fun at the guidelines; a parody video from comedian Matt Lucas has even been viewed more than 6.2 million times.
By aligning with the mood of a nation and taking a light-hearted approach to its advertising, the brand is offering some much-needed relief to balance the stress in people’s daily lives. It's also illustrating how brands can talk to political issues in a way that doesn't alienate their consumer base - especially considering that just 19% of Britons think that commercial and retail brands should take a side on political issues. This type of tongue-in-cheek marketing is a tactic that Brewdog similarly tapped into during the Brexit vote when Britons were fatigued by voting politics, while Emily Snacks leaned into self-deprecating humour to poke fun at the fact it launched its first OOH campaign at the start of lockdown - when no one would see it.
Hannah Elderfield is associate insight director at Canvas8. She oversees the Science Of series and has worked with global clients including Facebook, Nike, BelVita, Wagamama, the UK Government, the FCO, and Superbrands. Outside of work, she enjoys watching trashy TV shows, bunkering up at home, and adding half-read books to her bookshelf.
