The Challenge

Sanlam Corporate wanted to establish itself as a leading provider of holistic employee benefit solutions while creating a meaningful conversation around financial preparedness and retirement outcomes in South Africa.

The challenge was to differentiate Sanlam Corporate from the broader Sanlam brand, build awareness amongst employers and decision-makers, and position the business as a thought leader in the employee benefits category.

At the centre of the campaign was a compelling insight: while the official retirement age in South Africa is 65, many South Africans may only realistically be able to retire closer to age 80.

The Idea

The campaign was built around the platform Age of Confidence, designed to spark conversation around retirement readiness and encourage organisations to play a more active role in improving employee outcomes.

By asking the provocative question, “What if you could only retire at 80?”, Sanlam Corporate transformed a complex financial issue into a conversation that was relevant to employers, employees and the broader public.

The Execution

The campaign launched with a PR-led stunt: The 79-Year-Old Intern.

A fictional job advertisement invited a 79-year-old candidate to apply for an internship, challenging perceptions around retirement and highlighting the reality that many South Africans may need to work far longer than expected.

The stunt generated conversation and media interest, which was then amplified through PR, social media, digital advertising, thought leadership and video content.

The campaign evolved through four phases:

• Awareness: Introduce the Age of Confidence and start the conversation.

• Launch: Reveal South Africa’s effective retirement age and its implications.

• Participation: Encourage discussion and provide thought leadership.

• Solutions: Demonstrate how Sanlam Corporate’s integrated employee benefit solutions can help employers create better outcomes for their people.

Integrated Approach

The campaign combined:

• PR and earned media

• Social media

• Video content

• Digital advertising

• Thought leadership

• Executive commentary

• Website content and landing pages

• Sales enablement and business collateral

The Age of Confidence message became the strategic thread running across all campaign touchpoints.

Results

The campaign delivered strong awareness and engagement results:

• Reached more than 1.68 million users

• Generated 4,293 clicks

• Delivered over 2.16 million video views

• Achieved more than 1.78 million completed video views

The PR campaign generated:

• 42.7 million impressions

• 39 media clippings

• R2.4 million in advertising value equivalent

The initiative also secured a strong share of voice within the category and generated widespread discussion around retirement readiness, financial security and the future of South Africa’s workforce.

Impact

While the campaign addressed a challenging reality, audiences responded positively to Sanlam Corporate’s transparency and willingness to lead an important national conversation.

By shifting the focus from products to a broader societal issue, Sanlam Corporate successfully positioned itself as a thought leader in the employee benefits space while creating a platform capable of evolving from awareness into meaningful business and behavioural action.

Conclusion

Age of Confidence transformed a retirement conversation into a national conversation.

Through an insight-led creative idea, an integrated communications strategy and a bold PR-first approach, Sanlam Corporate elevated its profile, sparked public debate and reinforced its purpose of accelerating a better-working South Africa.

The result was a campaign that not only delivered reach and engagement, but also created a long-term platform for building confidence in financial futures and helping organisations support their employees more effectively.