The campaign, developed by Harrison Communications, a subsidiary of McCann Erickson, is designed to jumpstart saving habits among children in a country where few people save money. Children buying the comic book, which costs 200 pesos (US$4), receive a free savings card worth 100 pesos.
A Pioneer Life spokesperson said that the brand wanted to target children since “buying habits and brand choice are starting at a younger age than ever before”. The series focuses on the exploits of financially literate heroine Private Iris, who is used as a role model.
Even though the product’s name does not figure in the comic’s storyline, there is a dedicated page for parents in the book that communicates the details of Sparx.
The company has partnered with comic book publisher Blue Cow to publish the series. “We created a way to make purchasing insurance as convenient as purchasing a comic book and as simple as buying a pre-paid load for one’s mobile phone,” said Nanjo Berba, senior vice-president for business development of Pioneer Life.
The creative idea behind the campaign was ‘Start small, end big’, and the tagline used in the creative execution is ‘Sparx - fire up big dreams’. Private Iris takes the lead in the various communication materials to attract the target audience. At the launch phase, the company used schools and bookstores to create awareness for the product. Outdoor and ambient advertising was also used to support the launch.
As part of the below-the- line activation, the company partnered with five elementary schools to conduct financial wellness programmes. The company plans to extend this activation to 35 more schools.
Sparx targets children below 10 with small savings. Sold in bite-sized cards, or ‘sachets’, it allows small savings to be accrued as people spend. This is an affordable savings and insurance option in the Philippines, where traditional schemes start with higher investments. Pioneer Life is one of the Philippines’ leading life insurance companies.
