Sanctuary Spa, a skincare brand in the U.K., conducted a survey that found a disturbing 40 percent of women feel ready to burn out at any moment.
Maybe it's because 70 percent feel pressure to be perfect. Or because they accomplish an average of 26 tasks a day. Whatever the reason, someone has to tell us to quit running ourselves into the ground. Who better than women who've been there before?
In "Find Your Sanctuary," a stunning group of older women give their younger counterparts permission to relax and #letgo. You might even shed tears when they express regret at not lingering over moments that truly mattered, like kissing their children or taking better care of themselves. Not one moment is productivity related or overtly brand related (like getting another chance to choose the right moisturizer).
The women also make it clear that this call to relax is not about stopping the fight for equality. "Mine was a generation who burnt their bras, but we were never in danger of burning out," one says. Whether or not you believe that's true, in our times it's a seductive sentiment, wrapped in a beautiful package.
Viewers can sit back and enjoy the careful art direction. The sound design allows time to pause and sigh, and brings us into the mood of the piece. It's hard not to feel like you've taken a deep breath of quiet—whether it's because the imagery has soothed you, or because you've just been divested of the pressure of making yet another to-do list.
All in all, Sanctuary Spa does an excellent job of taking a stand without leaving a greasy aftertaste of product placement behind—not bad for its first brand-focused marketing campaign, created with help from agency Southpaw.
