Manulife Hong Kong Launches Ad Campaign to Point out New Realities of Retirement

Hongkongers urged to start preparing early to enjoy a worry-free life after work

HONG KONG, Aug. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Manulife Hong Kong launched a multi-channel, consumer-oriented campaign today to encourage Hongkongers to re-think how prepared they are for retirement. Entitled "RetireSimple", the campaign is developed around the concept "A life that's simple now won't be simple when you retire". It aims to help consumers recognize the realities of retirement -- and the need to plan earlier for a worry-free life after work.

Entitled “RetireSimple”, Manulife’s brand campaign is developed around the concept of “A life that’s simple now won’t be simple when you retire”. The campaign includes print advertising, out-of-home (OOH) displays, digital advertising and online social media - to trigger conversation among the general public on the importance of retirement planning.

"With a lifespan among the longest in the world, Hong Kong people have more retirement years to look forward to than their predecessors," said Michael Huddart, Manulife's Executive Vice President and General Manager, Greater China. "Retirement planning is crucial to maintain the standard of living they enjoyed pre-retirement and to maximize the chance that they will not run out of money if they live for 25 or 35 or even 45 years in retirement. We have a proven record as a leader and expert in retirement solutions with our huge MPF (Mandatory Provident Fund) success. Manulife will help our customers understand the realities of retirement and help them achieve their goals through utilizing our wide range of personalized financial solutions covering pensions, protection, wealth accumulation and retirement income so that they can achieve financial independence."

In collaboration with advertising agency DDB Hong Kong, the campaign creative illustrates the fact that maintaining your current lifestyle when you retire is not as easy as you might think and that you should be prepared to face a more demanding future. The campaign includes print advertising, out-of-home (OOH) displays, digital advertising and online social media -- to trigger conversation among the general public on the importance of retirement planning.

Isabella Lau, Vice President and Chief Customer Officer for Manulife Hong Kong, said: "The campaign speaks directly to individual consumers, giving them an insight into what life after work might have in store for them. And with our wealth of experiences in retirement solutions, Manulife is poised to help Hongkongers understand how best to deal with the later stages of their lives. 'Plan for your retirement now. Talk to the experts' is our key message to them."

An interactive minisite, www.retiresimple.hk, has been created to drive all aspects of the campaign to one core area. It allows users to browse through eight different scenarios, giving them a sense of how the little things in life can add up. Each scenario illustrates how much money it could cost to buy everyday items once you retire: from a cup of coffee to vacations; from eating out to visiting the doctor. Users can pick their 10 must-have daily items and learn about the future cost of these items when they retire.

The multi-channel advertising campaign also covers print ads, which are running in major dailies, with headline reading: "Prices you won't believe! Check out the incredible prices of a few retirement basics." There are OOH displays at popular city locations showing giant receipt with the total cost of particular daily expenses during retirement.

And online ads will also run on sites including Yahoo, OpenRice and selected travel websites.

Simone Tam, President and CEO of DDB Group Hong Kong and Guangzhou, commented: "Our strategic insight for the campaign is the fact that people in Hong Kong have an unrealistic view of their retirement and have made insufficient provision for it. The creative idea uncovers what is often overlooked in retirement planning and shows how Manulife can help Hongkongers get their retirement dreams back on track."

The new campaign builds on Manulife's brand proposition "For Your Future", which launched in 2011. This encapsulated the brand's consumer-oriented messaging and communicated Manulife's strong, reliable, trustworthy and forward-thinking values.

About Manulife (International) Limited

Manulife (International) Limited is a member of the Manulife Financial group of companies. Manulife Financial is a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. Clients look to Manulife for strong, reliable, trustworthy and forward-thinking solutions for their most significant financial decisions. Our international network of employees, agents and distribution partners offers financial protection and wealth management products and services to millions of clients. We also provide asset management services to institutional customers. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were C$567 billion (HK$ 4,183 billion) as at June 30, 2013. The Company operates as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.

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