Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

Last year, IBM decided to make a concerted effort to contribute towards tackling the aging problem in Japan. In making "Second Life," IBM has been able to make a difference in helping thousands of aged Japanese find new meaning in their lives through finding a career path, or one that could be more of a hobby, via IBM technology. To engage with seniors and introduce them to the "Second Life" algorithm, we created a series of brand experiences and activations in various locations in Japan.

Background

Japan now has the world oldest population with more than 1 in 4 citizens over 65. And with life expectancy at 85, retirees are looking at 20+ years of feeling lonely and unproductive. IBM wanted to put their technological prowess to work, in order to begin to find answers to how seniors could live more productive, happier lives in their later years. The objective was to meaningfully demonstrate IBM's AI abilities; in a tangible way that would bring the foreign company closer to the Japanese people.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

To help seniors find their calling after retirement, we wanted to use IBM's tech prowess and AI expertise. The idea was to create an algorithm that could learn to understand the unique personality traits of individuals. Then, by cross-referencing that data with professional occupation-based data, we could see what kinds of positions might be right and satisfying to those seniors. The unique aspect of the algorithm was how it identified personality traits with specificity, leading to possibilities in their future that participants might not have thought of themselves.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

We worked with senior organizations, retirement centers and recruited online as well to find seniors interested in seeking a more stimulating future. Fortunately, we found hundreds of seniors who had no fame or fortune. These typical aged Japanese participants more often than not discovered they had interests outside of their occupation, which led to more fruitful occupational suggestions. The youngest group we had as participants were verging on retirement, in their mid-60s, but the oldest were in their mid-90s.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

After thousands of seniors were recruited, they answered simple questions via their voice, as Watson's AI analyzed and drew connections between a databank of occupations and characteristics, and those participants' personalities. The IBM algorithm cross-referenced occupational data with participants' traits via Watson's deep personality cognitive analytics. The platform has so far helped over 43,000 seniors find a fulfilling path they otherwise wouldn't have identified.

List the results (30% of vote)

The campaign gained over US$3MM in media attention and 46 million impressions—quite a large number for a B2B effort—while helping over 43,000 seniors find passions they never may have been able to identify. In addition, the campaign received a 2020 D&AD Wood Pencil and has been accepted into the 2021 Communication Arts Interactive Annual.