Need to Know
24 : 09 : 20

By Sophie Boldog, Rumi Josephs and Abi Buller

Robogee humanises refugee narratives, A TikTok dance challenge inspired by first aid, and young US consumers are boasting money-savviness on social media.

In today's news:

An Instagram comic that tells the stories of refugee youth

Coca-Cola’s public service advert features no products

This TikTok dance challenge teaches first aid

Stat: Gen Z shoppers are sharing deals on social media

An Instagram comic that tells the stories of refugee youth

Robogee by We Are Pi, Syria

Syria – Robogee is an animated character and Instagram-based comic that aims to change negative perceptions of refugees.

Inspired by the real stories of refugee youth, the concept was created by creative agency We Are Pi and non-profit-making organisation MAPs. The comic tells a story of a young robot refugee travelling across the galaxy, bringing together the experiences of displaced people on a platform where followers can engage with the refugee community directly.

‘We created Robogee as a community initiative that protects refugees from the mindset that they are hopeless victims. Robogee activates refugees to think about their futures and creates real hope,’ explains Dr Fadi Al Halabi, founder of MAPs. Bringing the project offline, Robogee will soon be turned into a hand-crafted toy by an artisan group of refugee and low-income Lebanese women called the Crochet Community, to further educate the public and support refugees.

Robogee shows how brands and media are turning to virtual storytelling to encourage empathy amid ongoing refugee crises.

Coca-Cola’s public service advert features no products

Half and Half by Coca-Cola, China

China – Coca-Cola is seeking to raise awareness of the medical profession in China with its short film, Half and Half.

Considered a public service advertisement, the short film features no Coca-Cola products or branding. Instead, it draws attention to the daily lives of doctors in China. While mistrust of health services in China has grown in recent months, Coca-Cola is using its reach to shine a light on the difficult realities of being a doctor.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Coca-Cola also launched a Wuhan-specific campaign to support the region. Initiatives like this resonate well with Chinese audiences, offering positive messages around societal issues.

Globally, consumers are still grappling with the long-term impacts of Covid-19, looking to brands to provide support and positivity in place of typical marketing messages – something we explore in Sacrificial Advertising.

This TikTok dance challenge teaches first aid

France – The #PLSchallenge is a new TikTok dance challenge inspired by first aid measures.

Before the launch of the awareness campaign, the French Red Cross trained four TikTok influencers in first aid: @rose.thr, @lenna.vivas, @baptistecassagnolle and @whatsupclaire. Taking inspiration from recovery positions to CPR, the famous French TikTokers then put together their individual dance routine with the aim to equip their combined seven million following base with life-saving skills.

#PLSchallenge has been created by creative agency Kewl as a result of the French government’s target to train 80% of the population in first aid within the next 10 years. The choice of medium has been TikTok since the focus is currently to educate young people as research revealed that 40% of French high school students have never received first aid training.

Brands and media are increasingly tapping into the field of education by harnessing the power of technology in creative ways. For more, read our interview with Javier Chan Ruiz, CEO of Processim Labs.

#PLSchallenge by Red Cross, France

Stat: Gen Z shoppers are sharing deals on social media

Otrium, The Netherlands

Since the beginning of the pandemic, money-savvy Generation Z consumers in the US have been taking to social media to share deals and coupons.

Research by Honey, a PayPal service, has revealed that just over half (52%) of Gen Z share deals on Instagram, followed by 49% on Snapchat and 37% on TikTok. More generally, US consumers are also dedicating a lot of time to money-savvy habits, with 37% saying they spend at least 1-2 hours a week looking for coupons and another 20% spending 3-4 hours per week doing so.

As consumers continue to shop with cost in mind, brands have an opportunity to improve the experience of finding deals online, particularly those that are shareable. Younger shoppers continue to show pragmatic financial behaviour, categorised by their inclination for planning and recession-proof living. For more, dive into our Generation Z Money Market.