Big Bad Barry Hall wants you to soften up.
Hard man of days gone by Barry Hall is urging Australian men to “soften up” in a new campaign for Kleenex from J. Walter Thompson.
The campaign aims to evolve the brand from something used when people get the sniffles, to a more meaningful association with moments of great emotion that have people reaching for the Kleenex.
The campaign is being spearheaded by three TV commercials featuring the ex-Sydney Swans and Western Bulldogs hard man, but will also feature PR, radio partnerships, brand activations, and social support on owned channels.
“Barry Hall was the perfect Australian tough guy to communicate the new brand point-of-view and make Kleenex Tissues synonymous with emotional softness, not just functional softness. He’s a real life ‘hard nut’ turned soft advocate, giving others permission to give in to their emotions and experience the benefits. ” J. Walter Thompson’s ECD, Simon Langley, said.
Kimberly Clark marketing sector lead for family care, Dominique Chandler, said the creative approach was driven by research commissioned by Kleenex which showed that 71% of Australians still hide our emotions.
“While there’s often a taboo around displaying too much emotion, we know from our research that being open can help us lead happier lives,” Chandler said.
