vivo aims to bring back the joy in relationships with its fourth edition of #SwitchOff – urges couples to spend quality time with their loved one through its new film
India, December 2022: For anything and everything ranging from work to information exchange to entertainment, etc., smartphones have become an integral part of our daily lives. However, with this growing significance, excessive smartphone usage is adversely impacting relationships including that of spouses.
Deliberating on this thought, vivo, the innovative global smartphone brand, today introduced the fourth edition of the #SwitchOff campaign with a thought-provoking video that illustrates how couples are missing out on being fully present in each other’s lives. The campaign is based on the finding from Vivo – CyberMedia Research’s (CMR) study “Impact of Smartphones on Human Relationships 2022,” which highlights that 88% of married Indians believe that excessive smartphone use is weakening/ hurting their marriage. The study focuses on the dynamics of marital relationships in light of the pervasiveness and excessive use of smartphones.
Conceptualized by FCB India, the film has an emotionally captivating and stimulating storyline that shows how a wife has to write an email to her husband beside her to inform him about her sickness. The husband then realizes his mental absence in the relationship and the need to switch off his smartphone to be completely involved in his relationship with his wife.
Speaking about the film, Yogendra Sriramula, Head of Brand Strategy, vivo India, said, “Smartphones have permeated every aspect of life and the pandemic has only deepened its penetration. However, this is emerging as one of the stringent barriers to one-on-one human connections. Unintentionally, excessive usage of these devices is impacting the intimate relationship we share with our partners. Even while we may be physically present with them, our minds are always indulged in our phones, resulting in decreased attention toward our partner. The fourth edition of the ‘Switch off’ campaign is vivo’s effort to raise awareness and initiate a dialogue on how excessive smartphone use by spouses is harming their relationships with their better halves. This heart-touching and the eye-opening film depict the changing relationship dynamics of married couples along with their addiction/dependence on their smartphones.”
As a responsible brand, vivo endeavors to sensitize the users, especially married couples on the importance of prioritising quality time with their partner over quantity.”
Adding to that, Abhinav Kaushik, President of FCB India, said, “While technology has been an enabler for a lot of things in our lives, the all-pervasive nature of technology has also started to intrude on our lives & relationships. When we are spending too much time on the phone, we are in a way isolating the people around us and compromising human relationships. Technology should get people to come close and not create distance in relationships. ‘Switch Off’ by Vivo is a bold campaign that is not just a message but an attempt at recognizing the problem and creating ‘an act not an ad’ that encourages people to switch on human connections while switching off their devices. The spousal relationship and the emotion between the couple forms an eye-opening story that most of us can relate to.”