2021 Gold Best Design or Art Direction

Agency: Ogilvy UK

Client: Relate

Campaign Name: Let's Talk The Joys of Later Life Sex

Campaign Overview

Getting the country talking about sex and intimacy in later life isn’t easy when 80% of people in the UK prefer to think that older people simply aren't 'doing it’.

How could Relate address this reluctance that affects older people's wellbeing

Strategy

Relate is the UK's leading relationship charity, and one of its key aims is to generate open conversation around sex and intimacy.

The organisation identified that less than 10% of over-65s think people are okay talking about sex and intimacy in later life.

Stats show wider society agrees.

Just when sex is getting naturally more difficult and older people need to talk to someone, they often feel they can't.

A bold approach was required.

Creativity

'Let's talk the joy of later life sex' shone a spotlight on unseen intimacy in later years, by creating a new visual language that celebrates the joy of sex at this life stage.

The design and art direction were crucial in making sex for older people something we should all look forward to. Images were classic and tasteful black and white, and deliberately juxtaposed with vibrant, colourful and playful type.

The series of photographs showed genuine moments of older people in intimate situations; sensual and tasteful.

On Google, you’ll find barely any representation of older people being naturally intimate. And definitely not images of gay or ethnically diverse older couples.

The photos started to change that.

They were shared and talked about enough to show that sex and intimacy in later life can finally be seen for what it is: beautiful, natural and something to be celebrate

Results

A great reflection of the copywriting was the fact that leading national journalists were among those directly quoting headlines as part of their editorial.

The tone of voice clearly struck the right chord, and it resulted in campaign metrics including:

• Over 1.5 billion reach

• Over 200 pieces of national & international press coverage

• Within a week of launch, +123% traffic to Relate website

• 30% increase in website users

• More than +50% uptake in sex therapy bookings

While the focus was mainly UK, the strength of the story and images travelled globally, from Australia to Poland and Italy to Brazil.

The Team

Ogilvy - Andre Laurentino, Chief Creative Officer - Jules Chalkley, Chief Executive Officer - Nicola Wood, Creative Director/Art Director & Copywriter - Andy Forrest, Creative Director/Art Director & Copywriter - Katharine Easteal, Client Partner - Rachael Coomber-Nolan, Client Partner - DK Cheung, Business Director - Sophie Rhys Evans, Project Management - Luke Ridgway, Deputy Executive Creative Director Design - Lesley Scott, Art Buying - Jodie Woodhouse-Ward, Art buying - Amy Tipper-Hale, Planner - Shadi Sarresh, Strategy - Hannah Crowley, Strategy

Hogarth - Fabio Liguori, Editor - Leo Thornborough, Post Producer

Relate - Sarah Osmik, Media and Comms Manager - Sarah Milsom, Director of Communications and Engagemen

Contributors

RANKIN PHOTOGRAPHY