Gemma Collins stars in parody beauty ad for year three of the Pension Attention campaign

The industry-led engagement campaign is coordinated by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) and funded by a large proportion of the pensions industry.

The campaign sees Gemma Collins star in a parody beauty advert tackling getting older and the effects of ageing, which is one of the top concerns of UK adults over the age of 35.

The film urges British savers to forget fears of fine lines, or worries about wrinkles, and instead prioritise pension provision when thinking about later life.

New research found that six in 10 (57%) Britons bought anti-ageing products in the last 12 months, such as moisturiser or anti-wrinkle cream, while just one in five (23%) organised their finances for later life.

The national pension engagement campaign is urging the nation to act now and think about their retirement plans. The campaign directs the public to pensionattention.co.uk, which includes three short films featuring Gemma Collins and money expert Iona Bain, explaining the small steps you can take today to help your future self:

1. Find out if you have any lost pension pot savings
2. Log in to your pension accounts and check what you’ll get when you retire
3. Picture your future self and how much you’ll need in retirement

Chris Blackwood, spokesperson for the Pension Attention campaign said: “By getting Gemma Collins on board, we’re hoping to engage more people than ever with their current pension pots. This year, we’re urging the nation to ‘Face Forward’ by parodying some of the stereotypical ads for anti-ageing cosmetics.

“Our research shows that many people aged 35-55 have started to think about physical ageing and taking steps to prevent it but many have not yet started planning financially for later life. As such, we hope that by aligning beauty, aging and finance we can reach those who haven’t yet engaged with their pensions.

“As an industry, we have an important role to help UK adults engage in and understand their pensions and prepare for later life. By coming together – under a single umbrella – with a simple, bold and memorable campaign, we can build on the successes of the last two years and continue to increase saver engagement in pensions.”

TV star and pensions newbie, Gemma Collins said: “To be honest, I hadn’t previously given much thought to my retirement and the money I might need for it. It has always felt such a long way off.

“But working on the Pension Attention campaign and chatting to Iona Bain, has opened my eyes to the importance of thinking about my plans now and facing forward. I don’t want to be hustling forever and working 24/7 on the trot. If you can do one thing today – then just have a look at your pension and give it some attention. It’s going to be top of my list now.”

Also backing the campaign, money expert and financial journalist Iona Bain, commented: “Your pension is a powerful key to living your best life in retirement, but it's not just something older people have to think about. The earlier you start looking at and paying into your pension, the better.

“The good news is that most people are entitled to a workplace pension – the problem is that many people lose track of them and don’t check them regularly. One relatively easy win is to track down all your old pensions, which you may have paid into in previous jobs. To help take you through it step by step, visit the Pension Attention website today.”

Minister for Pensions, Emma Reynolds, said: “Everyone should feel confident about their retirement. That’s why I’m excited to support this Pension Attention campaign, as the sooner you act on your pension, the more positive the outcome in retirement.

“Thanks to Automatic Enrolment, over 22 million workers are saving into a workplace pension but it’s vital that people know how much they have saved to plan for a better future.”

This year’s campaign follows two award-winning campaigns, respectively headed up by rapper, grime artist and broadcast personality, Big Zuu and television presenter, Timmy Mallett. The campaign seeks to grab saver attention unlike any other from the pensions industry.

Pension Attention commissioned OnePoll to survey a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults aged 18+ in July 2024.

Mark Smith, Head of Media Relations
020 7601 1726 | [email protected]

Cali Sullivan, PR Manager
020 7601 1761 | [email protected]