vivo India’s ad tells parents to #SwitchOff and listen to their kids

74% parents confess that excessive use of smartphones has hurt their relationship with their kids, reveals vivo-SwitchOff 3.0 report.

Smartphones are an integral part of our daily lives, be it business, communication, information or entertainment. However, with this increasing significance, especially post-COVID, their excessive use has also impacted human relationships.

We may not be fully aware, but smartphones have jeopardised the quality of our relationships with everyone around us. It is now adversely impacting the parent-child relationship too.

In line with this thought, smartphone brand vivo has launched the third edition of the #SwitchOff campaign. It showcases how parents are missing out on being fully present in their children’s lives.

The campaign is based on the observation from vivo-CyberMedia Research (CMR) study ‘Impact of Smartphones on Human Relationships 2021’. It underlines 74 per cent of parents confessing that the excessive use of smartphones has hurt their relationship with their children. The study focuses on the relationship dynamics of parents and children with respect to the omnipresence of smartphones in families.

Conceptualised by Lowe Lintas, the ad film has an emotional storyline. It shows how a good father-son relationship was of ‘best friends’ before the smartphone became indispensable. The character of the father, played by actor Jimmy Shergil, in the end realises the need to disconnect and recapture the relationship he once shared with his son.

Speaking about the film, Yogendra Sriramula, director, brand strategy, vivo India, said, “The pandemic has made digital technology and smartphone devices an indispensable need for all of us. What we don’t often realise is that how excessive usage of these devices is impacting the young and naïve minds around us.”

“We might be around our children, but the quality of the time spent with them is something that we don’t pay much attention to. Hence, this year, we thought of focusing on driving awareness and realisation of excessive smartphone usage by adults that is impacting their relationship with their kids. And, that is what vivo’s ‘SwitchOff’ film depicts.”

“vivo’s purpose to spread the joy of connections via this film is hinged on sensitising the users, especially the parents, to choose healthy habits for shaping the minds of our future generation. We believe the film delivers an eye-opening and thought-provoking message to all of us.”

Added Amar Singh, regional creative officer, Lowe Lintas, “Children are very quick to pick up on the signals we send out. And a child’s mind is a very fertile place. This film, conceptualised by Rajat, Vishal, Stuti and Kushal, explores what may be going through a child’s mind as he sees his parents obsessing with their phone. What inferences his little mind might draw. And how it’s imperative for adults to find it within themselves, to stop.”

vivo recently announced the findings of the third edition of the study, titled ‘Impact of Smartphones on Human Relationships 2021’. It showcases the impact of smartphones on users and its effect on relationships. The study highlights that while the time that is spent with kids and family, in general, has gone up, the quality of time spent has deteriorated.

vivo has also launched a platform to analyse excessive smartphone usage and provide necessary solution to the consumers.

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