Philippines — Caltex, a subsidiary of Chevron Corp., has partnered with VMLY&R, a global brand and customer experience agency, to launch #Caltexunstoppablestar, a campaign on TikTok centred around engaging musicians and fans across Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. The said campaign was also done in collaboration with Def Jam Southeast Asia, Universal Music Group’s flagship hip-hop label.
Musicians and fans across the said countries are encouraged to enter the rap challenge on TikTok, which aims to underscore the joy of driving and the freedom of journey.
The mechanics, as conceptualised and executed by VMLY&R, features a unique 60-second rap song co-written and co-produced for Caltex by SonaOne and performed by artists across three countries: Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia. The rap is divided into four 15-second sections, each increasing in speed and difficulty. Leveraging the different AR features of Tiktok, participants can create unique rap videos of their celebration of the joys of driving and adventures.
Dean Gilbert, general manager for marketing and sales support of Chevron Corporation, said that VMLY&R and Def Jam Southeast Asia helped Chevron encapsulate Caltex’s #unstoppable ethos through a fun and unique campaign. Gilbert added that with Caltex’s unbeatable mileage, users can keep on going, and fuel stops become one less thing holding them back from what they want to achieve, be it performing as a rap artist or running daily errands.
Valerie Madon, chief creative officer of VMLY&R Asia, said, “Singing in our cars is a universal joy, and Caltex is focused on enabling drivers to enjoy their journeys. Sharing energy and new music through this project encompasses the human spirit we are championing and keep empowering as the VMLY&R brand.”
The song, written and produced for Caltex by Def Jam Southeast Asia, features a catchy, tongue-twisting, free-flowing rap. Participants are encouraged to use Caltex’s special TikTok AR filters to glam up their rap to get a chance to win numerous prizes up for grabs in the contest.
Meanwhile, Calvin Wong, CEO of Universal Music Group Southeast Asia, commented, “Hip-Hop is highly influential across the region. With some of Southeast Asia’s biggest rappers including Malaysia’s Joe Flizzow, Thailand’s Daboyway and the Philippines’ Matthaios performing on the track, we’re excited to see how fans and users take the song to the next level through this partnership.”
According to the agency, within just 10 days of launch, the campaign has already garnered over 650 million views on the hashtag page with several unique submissions from participants. The campaign is running in Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand from February 18, 2022, to April 24, 2022.
