Keeping Track: Suncare advert taps into emotional benefits for consumers

Nivea have released a print ad in Brazil that can be ripped out and worn as a wristband so parents can track their kids on the beach.

The wristband, developed by creative agency FCB Brasil, contains a built-in locator device that functions with the Nivea Sun Protégé app. Parents can sync the wristband to their phones, assign a name to each wristband, and assign a maximum distance the wristband can be from the phone before an alert is made.

Staying in the know

Consumers are adopting more tools that allow them to keep track of themselves, their loved ones, and their possessions. For parents, brands can provide extra value if they help with keeping track of the kids—something that the Nivea ad does in a literal sense.

We’ve seen this type of child tracking in Brazil before, when schools started adding microchips into kids’ uniforms in order to keep parents calm and keep kids from skipping school. Tracking children has also been made possible through a more permanent wearable device  and an app.

As more consumers become aware of the importance of suncare in protecting against harmful skin damage and skin cancer, the market is growing. In fact, according to Mintel’s Suncare Brazil 2014 report, the market saw double-digit growth (11.5%) in 2013. The same report found that half of consumers (50%) with children in their household said they’d used suncare products in the past six months.

Nivea’s print ad appeals to parents’ protective instincts at a time when the protective qualities of a Nivea suncare product are relevant—on the beach. Brands would do well to consider how they can provide consumers with the emotional benefits of their products in other ways. Consumers are becoming more keen to try tracking technology, giving brands a chance to analyze how a tracking, recording, or locating device can provide value in their industries.

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Kirk Vaclavik is an analyst of consumer trends, curious to identify what’s motivating consumer behavior. With a background in account planning for advertising agencies, Kirk has a strong interest in providing applicable insights for brands and businesses.