- Pinterest has launched a new brand campaign that calls on consumers to get off of social media.
- The effort is centered on a :60 film called “How did they do it?” featuring old home movies and photos submitted by Pinterest employees from their family archives.
- Produced in-house by Pinterest’s House of Creative, the effort will run across TV, cinema, digital and out of home beginning May 1.
At a time when social media companies are being held accountable in court for designing predatory algorithms and nearly half of U.S. teens admit to spending too much time on social media, Pinterest is positioning itself as the social platform that encourages digital detox.
“We’re in the midst of a cultural reckoning over social media and tech addiction,” said Sara Pollack, vice president, global head of consumer marketing at Pinterest.
According to YouGov, nearly half of all Americans say they spend too much time on social media and 66 percent of 18–29-year-olds. “While many blame their own lack of self-control, the reality is that social media platforms were designed to addict us,” Pollack explains. “Pinterest is different. Our algorithm isn’t built to get you to scroll hours of your life away, it’s built to inspire you to create a more meaningful real life, one you genuinely want to go out and live.”
“That’s a fundamentally different value proposition, and this film, which kicks off our brand campaign, is our boldest statement of that yet. We’re not just launching creative, we’re making a case for what the internet should actually be,” she continued.
The campaign is launching around Coachella, where the brand hopes to reach Gen Z – the site’s fastest-growing demographic who account for more than 50% of the global Pinterest audience.
Gen Z uses Pinterest to figure out what they want to wear, make, try and do and Coachella is no exception: searches for “Coachella outfit ideas” are up 465% year-over-year and searches for nostalgic ‘Coachella 2016 outfits’ are up 740% year-over-year.
“Activating at Coachella lets us connect with this audience at one of the largest IRL moments of the year, creating the perfect backdrop to showcase how Pinterest helps you find inspiration and ideas to feed your real life,” said Pollack.
This campaign builds on Pinterest’s larger commitment to promoting healthier digital habits. Most recently, CEO Bill Ready publicly urged governments to ban social media for kids under 16. At Coachella this year, Pinterest also debuted the first-ever phone-free activation, a real-world space where visitors can disconnect from their screens and reconnect with authentic experiences.
“Pinterest’s key ethos of being the positive corner of the internet, a place that feeds your life instead of draining it,” said Pollack. “It shows Pinterest is built not for passive consumption, but for action. Always helping people turn inspiration into something real, whether that’s a look, a meal, a room, a trip or a shared moment with someone they care about.”
