Piano lessons and a class in retirement planning

Many Asian parents put their children's needs well ahead of their own, herding their offspring from sports practice to music class and goading them onwards and upwards with their scholastic achievements. Two studies surveying over 1,000 Singapore citizens and residents in 2021 even revealed that Singaporeans spend 2.5 times more on their children’s needs than their retirement planning.

To try to make such parents pause and consider their own futures, insurer AIA has today launched a retirement planning campaign in the city-state, titled “The Pianist: What will you do when they grow up?" The campaign's hero film tells the story of a father coming to terms with his own future after dedicating his life to helping his daughter doggedly pursue her dreams of being a renowned pianist. 

Melita Teo, chief customer and digital officer, AIA Singapore, said, “Retirement planning is a cornerstone of long-term financial security, and our recent studies found that 60% of Singaporeans face uncertainty in their future if they don’t make it a priority." In this case, the father finds himself adrift after his daughter moves out and hits the big time with her piano, though he finds solace in the same instrument that gave him purpose as a parent. 

Adds Nicolas Courant, chief creative officer at Ogilvy, "By turning the lens on the asymmetry between obsession with achieving the future of their loved ones versus the neglect of their own, we hope to drive much-needed conversation, contemplation and action.”

The campaign will run on free-to-air and cable TV, digital, radio and out of home.

CREDITS 

Campaign Name: The Pianist - What will you do when they grow up?
Campaign URL: www.aia.com.sg/retirement
Client: AIA Singapore
Creative Agency: Ogilvy Singapore
Media Agency: Arena Media
Chief Creative Officer: Nicolas Courant
Creative: Alessandro Agnellini, Shanghao Chen, Erwin Nah, Melvin Poon, Aaron Siaw, Alya Omar, Joe Tan, Crystal Chin
Strategy Director: Frederick Tong
Integrated Agency Leads: Akashah Q, U-Lynn Lee, Amanda Chong
Public Relations: Georgina Purdy, Michelle Lim, Louise Lam
Social Media: Brenda Ho, Rui Qi Lim, Jochebel Khong
Agency Producer: Josephine Pang
Post-production: Hogarth Worldwide
Post-producer: Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman
Production House: The P Film Company
Director: Ros Yusof
Executive Producer: Aundrea Bligh
Producer: Billie Choo-Letts  
Offline Editor: Azhar Ismon
Online: Davadrian Maramis , Shermin Chan
Colourist: Ng Tsu Jin
Photographer: Juliana Tan
Music: 1908 Scoring Studios