Campaign uncovers realities of retirement for young professionals

Glacier by Sanlam recently launched its #FutureFWD retirement campaign which aims to help answer this question for young South Africans and create awareness of the need to save adequately for retirement. The campaign will roll out on Facebook and Twitter over the next five weeks.

To uncover what retirement is really like, Glacier by Sanlam has paired three young South Africans with three inspiring retirees. To create awareness among young South African professionals, the company has opted to use social media to drive this campaign. Three influential young South Africans with a significant following on their own social media platforms were selected, and paired with retirees with similar lifestyles and interests.

"With #FutureFWD, we hope to encourage young South African professionals to plan and prepare sufficiently for a healthy retirement. We believe the reason why so many South Africans aren't doing this is because they aren't able to relate to the person they will be at retirement age or their likely needs during retirement," says Zaida Essop, head of marketing at Glacier by Sanlam.

"By pairing young people with retirees with similar interests, we hope to help them visualise what retirement could be like for them while at the same time learn valuable lessons about preparing for their golden years."

Bailey Schneider (32), a radio personality and lifestyle blogger, has been paired with Sarah Ravenhill (56), a retired tourism entrepreneur. Thoban Jappie (42), a social media entrepreneur, has been paired with Tommy Blake (65), a retired physician. Candice Bresler (29), a public relations executive and food blogger, has been paired with Michael Olivier (69), a former restaurateur and wine aficionado.

Top to Bottom: Bailey Schneider and Sarah Ravenhill; Thoban Jappie and Tommy Blake; and Candice Bresler and Michael Olivier

click to enlarge

The campaign will run for several weeks, during which the couples will spend time together sharing the realities of everyday life in retirement - from their hobbies, daily routines and future plans, to the ups and downs of financial and physical wellbeing.

"We wanted to get away from the usual clichéd image of retirement, so we decided to give young people a glimpse of what retirement is really like through the eyes of real retirees," says Essop