A growing number of Canadians are becoming skeptical about the constant cycle of new smartphone releases – or simply being priced out of the new phone market – and Mobile Klinik is courting them with a new campaign.

The Telus-owned smartphone repair and aftermarket retailer partnered with Camp Jefferson on the effort, which is driven by a survey it conducted that showed four in five consumers have purchased or are open to purchasing used electronics, while 72% of consumers have considered buying a pre-owned mobile device.

The trend is driven not only by the skyrocketing cost of next-generation devices, but also by concerns about the environmental impact of discarding old phones. However, prospective pre-owned consumers have concerns around security and quality – and it is those concerns that the new campaign addresses.

“The unspoken truth about the mobile device aftermarket is that it can be a very questionable space that comes with few guarantees, whether you’re talking about private marketplace transactions between individuals, or some of the unfamiliar vendors you come across in plazas,” Dan Quick, president of Mobile Klinik, tells strategy.

Among the concerns consumers have are worries that their data won’t be removed from their old devices (and thus could be compromised) and that the pre-owned device they buy might not be reliable.

“With this campaign, we wanted to tackle that unspoken truth head-on in a fun and memorable way, to let people know there is a safer, legitimate option for buying, selling and repairing devices,” adds Joseph Elkouby, senior strategy director at Camp Jefferson.

“There’s no one else at this scale that can make that claim,” he elaborates, referencing the brand’s network of more than 150 locations across Canada. “Mobile Klinik has the industry certifications, the factory-quality parts, the network of stores, trained technicians, and processes to verify the removal of your data. It’s what the aftermarket experience should be, and is why so many Mobile Klinik customers become pre-owned converts after just one visit.”

The campaign is running across OOH, social and digital (including performance ads) and Spotify. It will be in market through to the end of the year.