#BehindtheCampaign: Naked’s On Hold Yoga digital campaign

Image supplied. Naked’s On Hold Yoga digital campaign takes a humorous look at the frustrations of waiting on hold for a call centre agent

The campaign features Karl Zenterr - his name is a play on the words call centre, is a daft but lovable yoga teacher who will help you “Namaste on hold for as long as you need to”.

Played by Anton Taylor, (from Tali’s Baby Diary and Jozi Shore it’s not all made up, Taylor actually teaches a yoga class at a studio in Cape Town.

But the ad is a faux infomercial for Karl’s On Hold Yoga series - a yoga course specifically designed for when you spend hours on hold with your insurance company call centre.

In the campaign, he reinterprets classic yoga poses into On Hold Yoga poses, from holding the phone between his feet, or balanced against his face, even doing a headstand with his phone leaning awkwardly up against his face.

And in the background, you can hear the “soothing sounds” of the call centre music.

@nakedcoversa Introducing #OnHoldYoga by #KarlZenterr! Use those crazy long insurance phone calls to unlock inner peace. ��‍♀️ ��‍♂️ �� �� �� �� �� ��️ ��‍♀️ �� #WellnessWednesday #ThriveThursday #FitnessFriday #SelfCareSaturday #SerenitySunday #YogaEveryDay #HealthyLiving #Mindfulness #SelfCare #FitLife #Balance #PositiveVibes #InnerPeace #Namaste #WellnessJourney #BodyMindSoul #Inspiration #SelfLove #HealthyChoices #YogaLife #MentalHealthMatters #HolisticHealth #StressRelief #gratitude ♬ original sound - Naked

New generation insurers

The On Hold Yoga campaign underscores the marked differences between the new generation of insurance Naked offers and traditional insurers

“Today’s consumer has become used to quick, accessible, on-demand experiences in every sphere of life. With the Naked app, you can manage your cover, buy new cover, pause your cover, change your policy and even claim — with just a few taps and no phone calls,” says Naked co-founder, Ernest North.

Insight to the campaign

The campaign is a follow-up to Naked’s successful #StopHoldMusic digital marketing campaign, which imagines a world where call centre hold music is a much-loved genre, with music festivals (“HoldFest”), radio stations (“HoldFM”) and compilation albums of call centre hold music hits (“Now That’s What I Call Hold Music”).

#BehindtheCampaign: Naked's tongue in cheek #StopHoldMusic campaign where hold music is the new rock 'n roll

Danette Breitenbach  30 May 2023

Like the #StopHoldMusic campaign, the On Hold Yoga campaign showcases how they are different to the traditional insurance company. The core insight behind their On Hold Yoga campaign is people’s general frustration with speaking to call centre agents and being placed on hold.

"In a playful yet pointed manner, our campaign sheds light on how strange it is to still be spending considerable time speaking to call centres and being on hold,” says North.

“Increasingly, consumers prefer the control and convenience of managing their lives and admin online. Despite this trend, many industries are struggling to transition away from phone-based interactions to self-service options through apps and online platforms,” expands North.

Daily inspirational content

The campaign kicked off with cryptic teasers, where Anton Taylor posted daily inspirational content to his personal Instagram account in character as Karl.

The daily posts were oddly phone call-themed, motivational messages, for example, “Maybe the reason your insurance company keeps you on hold, is because deep down they know that you… just want to be held”.

Anton’s fans were bemused by the content, which intentionally did not mention the Naked brand or the upcoming ad campaign launch.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Anton Taylor (@iamantontaylor)

Dedicated in-house advertising team

The campaign was created by Naked’s in-house advertising team and creative studio.

“The people marketing Naked are 100% part of our journey of being the next generation of insurance,” says North.

“With the necessary in-depth understanding of our customers’ needs and expectations, our creative team knows exactly how to articulate the Naked brand and how to reach our customers (and potential customers),” he adds.

Campaign credits

The Naked team:

• Executive creative director: Shane Durrant
  
• Co-founder: Ernest North
  
• Design and motion graphics: Marguerite Oosthuizen
  
• Marketing and social media: Liezel Swiegers

Production company:

• Dolph Graphic Video