Covid-19: Airtel launches campaign to encourage customers avoid unsafe activities

Airtel Uganda, has launched a campaign encouraging its smartphone users to use the ‘My Airtel App’ to avoid potentially unsafe activities during the COVID-19 crisis.

The ‘COVIDUPS’ campaign introduces a quirky, humorous twist to COVID-19 social responsibility messaging.

The creative features a series of animated characters – the ‘COVIDUPS’ - who each represent a different aspect of people’s behaviour in response to the safety measures, including Mr. No Personal Space Guy, Mr Cash is King Guy and Mr. Party Don’t Stop Guy.

The campaign shows how these familiar – and potentially unsafe – characters can all be avoided by using the ‘My Airtel App', which offers a one-stop digital solution to pay bills, buy good and services, and transfer money to family and friends through Airtel Money. With no need to queue, customers can, therefore, keep away from ‘COVIDUPS.’

In addition to this, the My Airtel App further enables customers to top-up data, download videos, stream live music and video chat from home.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 and countries went into lockdown, Airtel Africa raised its game to ensure consumers are connected to their friends and families.

Airtel Africa has seen a 10 fold climb in registrations with 36% of the registered users using the My Airtel App actively, demonstrating its value in enabling customers to continue to manage their finances and stay safely entertained while adhering to the socially distancing measures put in place as a result of the pandemic.

The integrated campaign is running across social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, YouTube and Tinder, Airtel’s internal and owned channels, and digital channels, for the next eight weeks.

V.G Somasekhar, the Airtel Uganda Managing Director, said; “This new campaign is about injecting some light-hearted relief into our #BeSmartBeSafe messaging. We want to demonstrate the full functionality of the My Airtel App and how it can fulfill a wide range of needs during the current crisis, from making digital payments to staying entertained and hosting virtual gatherings during the pandemic.”

Airtel Uganda has also rolled out a Community Champion initiative, designed to keep customers connected and ensure they can financially support themselves, their friends and their family during these unprecedented times.

Customers can top up any amount for friends and family using Airtel Money and earn 5% extra airtime, or make a purchase using a debit/credit card via the My Airtel App and similarly earn 5% extra airtime.

This extra airtime can also be sent to friends and family using the Me2U feature on the My Airtel App, empowering customers to support those in urgent need.

Across all markets, the Community Champions program has seen over 50,000 community champions transact close to a million dollars since the outbreak of COVID-19, three months ago.