As social distancing continues to be a global priority, brands are finding new ways to show how far people should be from one another. In Italy, Fineco Bank has taken a creative approach, using optical illusion billboards to stamp out confusion. We explore the insights behind this, and why brands are taking a more directive approach to public guidance.
After almost two months of quarantine, Italian citizens are able to move with greater freedom, but under strict guidelines regarding social interaction. In a bid to help people protect themselves, Fineco Bank has released a social distancing-themed campaign. Thanks to a trompe l'oeil effect, the digital display billboard is only readable from more than one metre away, helping passers-by visualise what the appropriate social distance looks like. The ad delivers a straightforward message of ‘maintain one metre apart, invest in your safety’. Finnish retailer HOK-Elanto has taken a similar approach, playing on optical illusions to illustrate a safe social distance for its customers.
COVID-19 has brought about new anxieties around the potential dangers of close social interaction, and 81% of Italians expect brands to be a reliable source of news when it comes to navigating an increasingly uncertain world. Yet despite the drive towards clearer communication and guidelines around recommended distancing practices, the message is still not hitting home for everyone. Amid news of busy beaches in Florida and crowds gathering on London’s Westminster Bridge, and with 48% of Americans encountering COVID-related fake news online, there's a need for more clarity.
Distrusting the media, people are looking to certified sources of information, such as epidemiologists and virologists, to guide them. But brands can also offer support and information in a way that feels useful. Some brands are using their platforms to educate; Cottonelle, for instance, released an ad illustrating the dangers of stock-piling, while Nike plays on collective action to encourage people to stay indoors.
And at a time when people feel overwhelmed by the amount of information and advice around COVID-19, rather than adding to the noise, there's room for brands to make their messaging more direct and useful to people in playful ways that grab attention. One brand in this space is Pornhub, which is cutting through the confusion around hygiene advice by releasing short, instructive video ads featuring adult stars designed to educate people on safe intimacy in a way that will stick.
Matilda Ruck is a Junior Behavioural Analyst at Canvas8. She has a degree in Politics and Philosophy as well as a foundation in psychotherapy and is passionate about exploring the interplay between creativity, psychology and culture. Outside of work, you can find her writing short stories, tending to her ginger cat Thomas O’Malley or oscillating between yoga and karaoke practice.
