AUCKLAND, Today: 2degrees and TBWA\NZ have launched Ring Ring, a campaign nudging Kiwis to put the scrolling on pause and call the people who actually matter.
At the centre is a limited-edition thumb ring engraved with the phone number of someone you care about, turning a mindless scroll into a reminder to make a proper call.
While smart rings track sleep, stress and health, Ring Ring keeps things refreshingly simple. It does one thing only: puts a number in front of you, so you can call it.
The idea taps into a simple truth. We are spending more time on our phones than ever, but often not using them for the thing they were originally made to do.
According to new 2degrees research, more than two-thirds of New Zealanders feel meaningful conversations are getting harder to find. When Kiwis get a spare moment, they are also nine times more likely to open social media than call someone they care about.
Ring Ring is the latest move from 2degrees’ Fairer Phones Project. It follows Real Mode, Good Tings, and other efforts aimed at helping people build healthier habits with their phones.
Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer for 2degrees, Zac Summers, says the campaign marks another step in how the brand is turning up for customers.
“In a world where every wearable is trying to do more, we wanted to create something that deliberately does less. Ring Ring is a genuinely useful object wrapped in an idea that feels warm, slightly absurd, and completely human.” – Shane Bradnick, Chief Creative Officer, TBWA\New Zealand
“We’re using our phones more than ever but not always in ways that help us feel connected. We know a simple phone call can make us feel better, yet it’s often the last thing we do.
“Ring Ring is a fun, unexpected way to start a conversation about that. It plays on our obsession with wearable tech, but instead of tracking data, it simply nudges you to do something we know works – pick up the phone and call someone,” adds Summers.
Developed by TBWA\NZ, the teaser campaign borrows from the look and feel of a major tech launch, complete with slick macro shots, dramatic music and product-style naming. All of it builds towards one very simple function: see the number, dial the number.
The product reveal film will be followed by a series of commitment films, encouraging New Zealanders to publicly promise to call more and scroll less for the chance to win a Ring Ring.
Shane Bradnick, Chief Creative Officer at TBWA\New Zealand, says the beauty of the campaign is how stripped back it is.
“In a world where every wearable is trying to do more, we wanted to create something that deliberately does less. Ring Ring is a genuinely useful object wrapped in an idea that feels warm, slightly absurd, and completely human.”
A limited-edition run of rings has been created for the campaign, with New Zealanders able to get their thumbs on one through 2degrees.
Built to stretch well beyond paid media, the campaign will roll out across OOH, digital, social, influencer and PR, all aimed at getting Kiwis to scroll less and call more.
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