Paris, France – As we’ve all seen, keeping in touch has become more important than ever during the lockdown. Our smartphones and computers have never played a bigger role. Every day, millions of people around the world log in to Zoom, Skype, Hangouts and other applications to see their loved ones – to reassure them, offer support, and maintain life as normally as possible. But for many, that’s not so easy, particularly for seniors. As the most susceptible group, they’re also likely to be most affected by the isolation brought on by lockdowns, in house arrest and deprived of all contact, for their own safety. That’s why Orange, the leading telephone operator in France, decided to offer ad space to French people so they can share messages with their elders, directly on television. Because if there’s one thing almost all our parents and grandparents have, it’s a TV.
Orange, in collaboration with agency la chose, gives another dimension to its signature “Bringing you closer to the essential” because right now, offering people the opportunity to share messages with their elderly relatives is not only essential, but almost vital. Orange is aware that senior citizens are still too often exposed to digital exclusion, whether through lack of knowledge or lack of equipment.
To give you an idea, here are a few quick stats in France:
– 17% of seniors don’t own a mobile phone
– 25% don’t have a computer
– 52% do not have smartphones *
* according to a BVA study with a representative sample of the French population – 2019.
Based on the observation that seniors in France spend an average of nearly 8 hours per day in front of TV (according to a 2019 Nielsen Study), Orange developed an online platform that enables everyone, whether or not they are a customer, to pass along a message to their parents, grandparents or friends through advertisements on their favorite programs.
The operator began airing messages April 11, during 9 programs, from news shows to game shows, on 4 networks, at various times throughout the day. The operation was organized through an online platform, on-reste-ensemble.fr, which enables users to indicate the first and last name of recipients and to film a 5-10 second message. Those whose videos are selected receive a message so they can notify their loved ones of the date and time of the ad’s broadcast. The first videos can be viewed below, and Orange plans to carry on the operation for the foreseeable future.
For Béatrice Mandine, Executive Vice President of Communications and Brand at Orange, “the network has never been so essential and vital to everyone. It is this link that enables everyone to keep in touch with others and, for a very large part of the population, it gives us the opportunity to continue to see our loved ones. Very often, our parents and grandparents do not have the tools or access to videoconferencing platforms. That’s why we’re launching the “On Reste Ensemble” program in France, to offer our advertising space to the general public so that they can pass on messages to those they love and who have no possibility of seeing them.”
CREDITS
Production
Production – la chose
Producer – Laura Sacarrère
Agency
Agency – la chose
Management – Eric Tong Cuong, Olivier Lopez, Alice Lemmet, Barka Zerouali
Creative Director – Fabien Teichner
Copywriter – Antoine Defaye
Art Director – Mathieu Viollet-Bosson
TV Producer – Laura Sacarrère
About the Author
Theda Braddock is an American who lives and works in Paris. She helps agencies develop their communication and promote creativity, and writes for several publications when she has time.
