Since 2021, energy costs have risen by 52%, leaving more than a third of households in fuel poverty. The Pension Age Winter Heating Payment was introduced to help people aged over 67 keep their homes warm during the coldest months. With near-universal eligibility and payments automatic, the campaign focused on reassuring people that no action was required, easing pressure on staff to deal with more urgent benefit applications.
Discover
Age Scotland told us that many older people were feeling anxious, unsure who to trust as scams – through text and email – became more common around this payment. Social Security Scotland needed a campaign that offered reassurance above all else: a clear message that the payment would arrive automatically and that nothing needed to be done. Clear, calm reassurance had to be at the heart of the message, giving people the confidence to simply wait for their letter to arrive.
Develop
Because there was no application process, the role of the campaign was to encourage recipients to relax, pop the kettle on, and get ready for a warmer winter. We centred the creative on a steaming mug, using it as a stage for our story. An illustrated home begins cold and subdued. After the postman delivers the letter, the scene warms and brightens, transforming into a cosy, inviting space – echoing the comfort the payment helps provide. It was also essential that the creative clearly distinguished itself from typical energy or utilities marketing.
Deliver
We collaborated with an illustrator to craft a warm, natural postcard-style scene. The home’s design was carefully balanced, not too aspirational, not too modest, ensuring it felt authentic and representative of the full range of recipients. For the TV ad, we partnered with Brick & Mortar to bring the illustration to life through animation. The campaign rolled out across TV, on-demand, press, print, and radio.
