vivo India wants folks to turn off their smartphones

In a world where everybody is expected to keep their hustle mode always on, switching off their smartphone is perhaps the most revolutionary step they can take.

vivo India’s new spot, the fourth edition of its #SwitchOff campaign, is a reflection of how smartphone addiction affects a marital relationship.

Conceptualised by FCB India, the ad film shows how a wife has to write an email to her husband beside her to inform him about her sickness despite being in the same bed.

Yogendra Sriramula, Head Brand Strategy, vivo India, said, “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 towards 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 depicts the changing relationship dynamics of married couples along with their addiction/dependence on their smartphones.”

The campaign was based on the finding from vivo - Cyber Media 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.

Abhinav Kaushik, President FCB India, said, “When we are spending too much time on the phone, we are in a way isolating the people around us and compromising the human relationships. The technology should get people to come close and not create distances 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 device. The spousal relationship and the emotion between the couple forms an eye-opening story that most of us can relate to.”

It was back in 2020 when vivo launched the first Switch Off campaign urging viewers to switch off their smartphones and spend time with their loved ones.

“We wanted to bring awareness to the idea that smartphones should be there as an aid. They should be there for our use, and not vice versa. While at an industry level, it might seem counter-intuitive for a smartphone brand to tell people to use them less, it is in sync with our brand purpose,” said Nipun Marya, then director of brand strategy, vivo to afaqs!