Tag: advertisement

Mumbai, India – Data insights Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) and consulting firm Kantar has released a new white paper explaining how mainstreaming positive gender portrayals has a positive impact on business.

In India, advertising is mainstream, all-pervasive, and plays a role in forming people’s collective psyche. With GenderNext, a study undertaken by the ASCI and Futurebrands it proves how progressive portrayals of gender in advertising benefit not only society but as well as on brands. 

GenderNext, a study undertaken by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) and Futurebrands, looked at 600 ads across different categories and spoke to consumers across 10 cities. The study revealed that real women considered themselves more progressive than depictions in mainstream advertising. 

Menawhile, Kantar found that progressive portrayals of women result in advertising that is more effective. Data by Kantar showed that Indian advertisements that depicted progressive gender roles had a positive impact of as much as 32% in short-term product sales and improved a brand’s equity by a whopping 51%. These results and insights prove that progressive depictions of women can drive engagement with brands in a major way.

Kantar’s study, conducted in collaboration with the Unstereotype Alliance and based on the Unstereotype Metric (UM), assesses how consumers react to gender portrayals in brand advertising. According to the research, using progressive depictions can help firms achieve higher marketing ROI. Furthermore, positive gender roles are found to have an even greater impact on India than they do in other rising markets.

Meanwhile, the GenderNext survey found that the bulk of mainstream advertising continues to portray women in negative and non-aspirational ways. For marketing and advertising professionals to comprehend the intricacies of gender portrayal, the study suggests the ‘SEA’ framework and the 3S screener, as well as an inventory checklist for the examination of screenplays or films. This not only aids in the identification of implicit and regressive stereotypes but also provides a model for helping brands create more compelling and powerful advertising. The adoption of such frameworks is intended to give advertisers with a technique to boost their marketing ROIs.

Preeti Reddy, chairwoman for South Asia Insights Division at Kantar, said that mainstreaming positive gender portrayals is an exciting opportunity for creating engaging and impactful advertising. 

“While taking a firm stand against inequality is commendable, there is space to tell vibrant brand stories between the extreme ends of objectifying and deifying women. Without being preachy, subtle subversions on slice-of-life moments, gender roles and responses have the potential to make the viewing experience rewarding for consumers as well as to plant the seed of a fresh mental gender map,” Reddy said.

Reddy added, “Positive gender portrayal is not just about occasional tributes but also about a more conscious integration of progressive portrayal of genders in advertising. Such advertising holds the potential to deliver higher marketing RoI and to help create a more inclusive world.”

Manisha Kapoor, CEO & secretary general of ASCI, commented, “Advertisers can no longer afford to ignore the issue of progressive depictions of women. Women, particularly the younger generation, reject the implicit and explicit stereotyping that creeps into advertising. Women see progressive advertising as their ally in their journeys to more fulfilling lives. It is amply clear that it makes good business sense for brands to portray positive gender roles, adding real value to business and society.”

Mumbai, India – In a stereotypical set, men often make the first move in asking someone out for a date. But this latest ad from ice cream brand Cornetto makes viewers think otherwise: what if a woman asks a man out instead?

In this 20-second film conceptualised by DDB Mudra, explores the thought of asking someone out on a date, which normally makes everyone nervous, as well as the pressure of making it special contribute to the dilemma. The film itself puts an end to the ‘dilemma’ by encouraging consumers – girl or guy – to express their feelings with a gesture as simple as sharing a Cornetto.

Cornetto itself has long been a partner in the dating journeys of millennials and now the much younger generations. The brand has been known to lead the conversation around love and has taken a fresh, modern approach with its new campaign.

Speaking about the campaign execution, Maya Ganpathy, general manager at Kwality Wall said that as the brand has always been the wingman for youngsters to express love and make the first move, their latest campaign shows that Cornetto goes a step ahead to change the language of love by asking one out ‘with a Cornetto’ and ‘to be their Cornetto’.

“It also breaks stereotypes by entrusting the girl to make the first move, an idea that is sure to spark a conversation and perhaps a new trend. We couldn’t have asked for a better team than Alia, Rohit, and Gauri (Shinde), who have done a spectacular job of bringing this idea to life,” Ganpathy said.

Meanwhile, Pallavi Chakravarti, creative head – West at DDB Mudra, commented, “It’s not easy telling that special someone you like them. So, the next time words or even emoticons fail you, don’t worry. A Cornetto will suffice when you want to make your move. The campaign is light, sweet and ends on a high note – much like the Cornetto itself.”

The 360-degree campaign pans across television, social and digital platforms, which is headlined by the film.

Melbourne, Australia – Once known to be an iconic radio voice, Mr. Wynstan himself–the voice behind door and shutters brand Wynstan–goes live in the brand’s latest ad spot, created in partnership with creative agency Paper Moose.

The new campaign explores the benefits of their range, made to protect our privacy and security, and provide a little shade where needed. The spot features Mr Wynstan himself, very much at home in his Sydney factory, where he demonstrates how much of the brand’s product line-up provides security for the common Aussie household.

Amelia Taylor, head of product and marketing at Wynstan, said, “Making a shift to a live-action brand mascot is a big step for any brand, we love how these spots seamlessly blend entertainment and product in a truly memorable way.”

Meanwhile, Pete Saladino, creative at Paper Moose, commented, “Bringing an iconic voice like Wynstan to life on TV was both a responsibility and a privilege. We knew we had to go all in. While these spots show off Wynstan’s large product range, preserving the famously playful and quirky tone of the brand was our priority.” 

Wynstan has steadily evolved over the past five decades to become a quirky and memorable brand, largely thanks to its radio presence.

Singapore – Global luxury car brand Porsche has just released its latest film that both celebrates the brand’s 20 years of existence in the Asia-Pacific market, and a tribute to those that keep on chasing their dreams towards reality.

Directed by Singaporean filmmaker Roslee Yusof, the story follows the journey of two childhood friends pursuing their passions that are at odds with typical notions of ‘success’. Along the way, the protagonists face pressure from convention, fear of failure and personal challenges – but in the end, rise above and achieve fulfilment on their own terms. 

Said film echoes the words from founder Perry Porscho, who states that ‘In the beginning, I looked around and could not find quite the car I dreamed of, so I decided to build it myself’, hence the brand goes by the tagline of ‘Driven by Dreams’. Furthermore, the company translates this ‘chasing dreams’ theme in a regional context. 

Speaking about the campaign, Yannick Ott, marketing director at Porsche Asia Pacific, said that the film celebrates the dreams that drive all of us, the spirit of staying true to oneself, while venturing forward in a world where expectations of gender, culture and success can pull one in many different directions.

“We have seen exceptional growth in this part of the world; inspired by the creative force of a youthful population and their personal aspirations, we expect that this region will enjoy one of the most exciting prospects for the years ahead. Against this backdrop, want to reinforce the message that the future is in the hands of those who follow their dreams,” Ott stated.

In relation to the ad release, Porsche also announced last week a long-term partnership with non-profit organization United Women Singapore (UWS), supporting their Girls2Pioneers program. Said program reaches out to girls from underserved communities, aged 10-16, to encourage them to pursue their passions in higher education and careers, thus paving the way for a more gender-equal society.

Manila, Philippines – It’s that time of year again: the Christmas holidays. And with the upcoming Yuletide season, there is also a rich variety of holiday-themed ads. From straight-up ads that communicate the brand with a Christmas twist to ads that execute brand storytelling, here are the most emotionally engaging holiday ads this year, according to global video and connected TV programmatic advertising platform Unruly.

  1. Disney: The Stepdad

The latest global Christmas campaign by the global entertainment company, the ad is a heartwarming story focused on a stepdad and his family, and their everyday life towards celebrating Christmas. The ad, laced with references to Disney characters coming to life, scored 46.6% positive emotional engagement. 

  1. Goldilocks: Celebrate Christmas with Goldilocks

This simple 30-second spot by Philippine-based bakery chain Goldilocks invites viewers to order their upcoming Christmas dinner platter from the chain, where they serve not only pastries but also full-on meals. Said ad garnered 37.0% positive emotional engagement.

  1. Lady’s Choice: Have a Safe and Meaningful Reunion with a Lady’s Choice Creamy Sweet Macaroni Salad!

Mayonnaise brand Lady’s Choice shows in this 15-second spot on enjoying Christmas with one of their recipes: a sweet macaroni salad: staple across Christmas dinners. This ad got 35.9% positive emotional engagement.

  1. Foodpanda: We Gotchu This Christmas!

A true modern Christmas tale: what happens when Santa Claus himself can’t get the deliveries done? In this 45-second spot, foodpanda decided to take a modern twist of the famous ‘Rudolf, The Red-Nosed Reindeer’ into their delivery riders. The ad garnered 35.1% positive emotional engagement.

  1. Lazada: Grand Christmas Sale na this Dec 12-14!

This latest ad from the Philippine arm of e-commerce platform Lazada goes by the tune of the known Christmas carol ‘Deck The Halls’: only with a modern twist and Lazada references. This ad, which focuses on the platform’s upcoming Christmas sale and features local ambassadors, has garnered a 31.1% positive emotional engagement.

  1. Kinder: Share the Christmas Joy with Kinder

A 15-second spot filled with Christmas joy, this ad by chocolate brand by Kinder on sharing the Christmas joy to kids has garnered 26.0% positive emotional engagement.

  1. Cadbury: Cadbury Dairy Milk Christmas

Another chocolate ad on the list, this one with Cadbury, invites viewers to consider gifting their loved ones with a custom Cadbury gift. The ad has recorded 23.1% positive emotional engagement.

  1. Dunkin’ Donuts: Merry Munchkin

Last but not the least: this campaign featuring Philippine P-pop group SB19 greets viewers a happy holiday, and considering the donut chain to be a part of their Yuletide festivities. Said ad has garnered 18.8% positive emotional engagement.

Speaking about how these ads made an impact this holiday season, Greg Fournier, senior vice president for global strategy at Unruly said that it is important more than ever for brands and advertisers to better understand how their ads will resonate with audiences, and how effective they are at driving key business metrics like brand recall, purchase intent and brand favorability.

“In times of continued uncertainty and evolving consumer habits, brands have been able to develop creative and imaginative advertisements – many have also chosen to depart from overt COVID-19 themes and instead depict new-normal ways of life. Notably, brands have also chosen to reflect diversity in their ads this year – not just ethnically but also generationally – with characters and families from all walks of life and ages.”

He added, “On the flip side, ads that lack narrative, without any stories to tell, performed poorly. Ads that lack narration were also less well-received, with consumers finding it harder to understand the messages and relate on an emotional level.”

Sydney, Australia – Australian ad executives believe that the future of advertising is in out-of-home (OOH)’s inclusion in programmatic multi-channel campaigns and increased investment in digital out-of-home (DOOH) expertise, as 82% of local industry executives plan to integrate programmatic OOH more closely into multi-channel campaigns. This is according to the latest data from DOOH marketplace VIOOH.

The data also notes that 85% of Australian executives plan to invest in programmatic OOH expertise.

In regards to planning and buying DOOH media, 37% of Australian agency executives have planned programmatic digital out-of-home (prDOOH) alongside other digital programmatic campaigns, and 56% have planned it alongside other OOH activity, reflecting a variety of approaches. When it comes to buying, this responsibility in media agencies shifts towards dedicated prDOOH teams (66% of respondents), although there are still overlaps with digital programmatic teams (48% of respondents) and the OOH teams (44% of respondents).

“VIOOH’s new ‘State of the Nation’ report gives further proof that programmatic is the accelerator for DOOH growth, allowing it to be truly integrated into multi-channel campaigns for the first time. Increasing numbers of advertising executives are drawn to the versatility and value that programmatic DOOH offers, and state that they won’t go back to more traditional ways of buying OOH,” said Jean-Christophe Conti, chief executive officer at VIOOH. 

Around 81% of Australian executives say that a key thing to their job is the ability to measure campaign performance across multiple digital channels including programmatic OOH. Furthermore, 76% of Australian executives stated that the ability to use dynamic creative is an important factor in determining their investment in prDOOH.

Meanwhile, 77% of Australian executives have identified that trigger-based buying, such as reacting to events, news, promotions, moments in time, locations, audiences as they move, weather and environmental conditions, are an important driver for investment in programmatic OOH.

Around 86% of agency respondents and 81% of advertiser respondents in Australia see programmatic OOH as a great way to reach a broadcast audience, while 82% of agency execs and 82% of advertisers agree that programmatic OOH provides innovative ways to target consumers.

On the brand side, most Australian creative executives from both agency and advertising (68%) believe that prDOOH is a great way to build brand awareness. On the performance side, meanwhile, the said executives also see it as a great way to drive response with about 69% of them.

“The report also shows that buying responsibilities are being spread across digital programmatic and OOH teams, supporting this shift towards programmatic DOOH. Agencies and advertisers therefore need to establish clear strategies for prDOOH, build expertise to address any knowledge gaps and help create best practices to integrate prDOOH into more multi-channel campaigns,” added Conti.

Sydney, Australia – Sometimes, when asked by someone of ‘what you want for Christmas’, chances are you are put into a spot, feeling overwhelmed and unsure. Hence, instead of saying what you want really, you resort to describing vague terms regarding your gift wish.

Such a quirky ‘dilemma’ is the spotlight of the latest ad from Australian department store chain Myer, centered around the concept of ‘unriddling Christmas’ to Aussies.

Titled ‘The Vague Carol’, the ad portrays a slew of people describing what they want for Christmas, yet still giving vague answers such as “I’m not really sure, surprise me” or “no pressure, whatever, I’m easy…”. In addition, the ad’s song is also a reinterpretation of the famous Christmas song, ‘Joy to the World’.

Geoff Ikin, chief customer officer at Myer, noted that the campaign is all about capturing the joy and fun of Christmas for all Australians by playfully turning those vague wishes into wonderful gifts, adding this provides a great way to showcase the many reasons they continue to be the ‘home of Christmas gifting’.

“Christmas is a busy time of year, that’s made ever so slightly more complicated by our attempts at trying to guess the perfect gifts for loved ones. With the vast Christmas range on offer in-store and online at Myer, we’re here to help Australians Unriddle Christmas, with our expert Giftician service and wide range of gifts that everyone will love,” Ikin said.

The ad, made by agency Clemenger BBDO Melbourne, was first previewed to the MyerOne loyalty program, with over 5 million members. The campaign then comes to life across all of Myer’s platforms including TV, BVOD, OOH, digital, social, online and in-store.

One of the many OOH campaigns for Myer’s ‘Unriddle Christmas’ campaign.

“We can all relate to giving and getting those annoyingly vague responses at Christmas. But one thing’s for sure, it’s been a joy to reimagine this classic tune with Fiona and the team. We hope this spot inspires some loud and proud Christmas carol singing. And of course, helps Australia Unriddle Christmas and turn those unhelpful hints into wonderful gifts,” said Ellie Dunn and Huei Yin Wong, senior creatives at Clemenger BBDO Melbourne.

Myers also added that the campaign’s media approach, led by AKQA, is steeped in making their ‘Unriddle Christmas’ campaign one you cannot miss. 

“Unmissable media with in-depth partnerships ensures Myer creates and owns this relatable conversation, and showcases that no matter who you’re purchasing for, the perfect gift is waiting for them at Myer,” the company stated.

Singapore – In August this year, top e-commerce platform Shopee unveiled its newest endorser, probably its biggest ambassador to date – global superstar Jackie Chan. 

Following the announcement, Chan’s first visibility was for the platform’s 9.9 sale, and now the renowned action celebrity is back to grace Shopee’s campaign for 11.11. 

Both advertisements with Chan were nothing short of the e-commerce’s creatives DNA – a cheerful and upbeat mood, animated movements, and of course, Shopee’s staple soundtrack. 

Screencap from Shopee’s latest 11.11 ad

However, on the back of the recent release for 11.11, some marketing and creative professionals on social media gave their verdict on the ad – which leaned towards disappointment and frustration over its creative execution. 

On Monday, October 25, Richard Bleasdale, a specialist advisor at media investment analysis firm, Ebiquity, shared an article about the ad on a LinkedIn post with the comment, “Is it just me? Or is this without doubt the worst ad ever made? I challenge anyone to nominate better (worse).”

The post attracted other creative experts and advertising leaders to share opinions of their own, which had a resounding rejection of the ad’s conceptualization and overall direction. 

“The bar is very low…”, one ad leader wrote, while one marketing leader pointed out how the ad made him “lost for words.” 

Another agreed to Bleasdale, commenting, “I know what [you] mean. Very disappointing. Was hoping for more [Jackie] action.” 

MARKETECH APAC‘s Inner State reached out to some of the marketing executives that jumped on the post for their official insights on the ad.

A common sentiment among the marketing executives was how the brand failed to leverage Chan’s superstar imprint of action coupled with comedy. 

Shopee’s 11.11 platform-wide sale is running from October 25 to November 11, and the campaign was launched on October 18 on the platform’s YouTube channels across its covered markets.

The ad showed Jackie Chan on the street, being slowly approached by dangerously looking men. With an impending fight scene, Jackie is seen mustering his strength to prepare to defend.

Throughout the 30-second ad, Jackie is able to fight off the men with Shopee’s ‘Big Sale’. Using only his phone, Jackie magically defeats the men by powering through Shopee’s ‘big discounts’, where for every press of a button, discount bubbles pop up, such as “$60 CASHBACK ALL DAY” and “$6 OFF EVERY $50” off the phone and beat the men down. 

Anand Vathiyar, managing director of Cheil Singapore, describes the ad as an ‘orange mess’, a reference to the platform’s orange branding 

“Jackie Chan’s brand equity is action-comedy…Shopee could have done something [on what] we’ve come to love Jackie for instead of the orange mess they’ve rolled out,” said Vathiyar.

Echoing this, Rob Sherlock, advisory board chairman at martech solutions DAIVID, said, “I do think they could have taken Jackie Chan’s trademark antics and dialed them up into something even crazier, more ‘action’ exaggerated – and still have Shoppee fully integrated into the story.” 

He adds that instead of handing Jackie a mere phone in an attempt to inspire action to the ad, Shopee should have had “some whacky martial-arts impossibility performed by Jackie.” 

“And make the Batman & Robin pow-wow cartoon bubbles more integrated into everything we love about the man,” continued Sherlock. 

Meanwhile, Bleasdale, the one who published the LinkedIn post, shared to MARKETECH APAC that he thinks the ad has been “devoid of any idea.” 

When asked what Shopee could have done better, Bleasdale said, “Start with a real brief – with a clear objective and a compelling consumer insight. Anything that responded to that would be better and more effective than this.”

On one hand, executives were also quick to poke on the past Shopee ad with professional footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, saying that the e-commerce brand had been underperforming with its campaigns even before when it signed the Portuguese sports personality in 2019. 

Shopee’s 9.9 ad in 2019 with Cristiano Ronaldo

The two-year-old ad puts Ronaldo on a football field where shortly after scoring a goal, audiences in the stadium start changing into an orange-wearing army with the trademark Shopee pop-ups coming out of each one. At the middle to the end of the ad, Ronaldo performs the Shopee dance together with his team. 

According to a survey done by consumer research Milieu, 24% of audiences in Singapore ‘dislike’ the 9.9 ad with Ronaldo in 2019, with 56% ‘liking’ it. Of those that disliked the ad, stated reasons were they found it “silly” (60%), made them cringe (60%), and was “annoying” (47%), and lacked product information (37%).

For Sherlock, Ronaldo was the worst use he’s ever seen of a mega-celebrity and thinks if Shopee had done a low-quality ad the first time, it would be difficult to redeem itself.

“It probably worked, drove sales, and tattooed the brand in the consumers’ brains. But, like any sequel, it’s hard to improve on the original – or in this case, be intentionally ‘so bad it’s good’,” said Sherlock.

MARKETECH APAC has already reached out to Shopee for a comment. 

Shopee’s presence expands Southeast Asia and Taiwan. For the latest 11.11 ad, the Thailand market paid the ad a staggering 30 million views on YouTube as of writing. 

The e-commerce platform continues to be the top platform in Southeast Asia with the most visits by consumers in 2020, trailed by Lazada. 

Inner State is MARKETECH APAC’s dedicated platform for industry deep dive.

Sydney, Australia – As part of improving the advertising experience on their platform, social media platform Twitter is testing out ad rollouts across tweet conversations.

In a tweet from Bruce Flack, revenue product lead at Twitter, he stated that users in the ad experiment will see ads after the first, third or eighth reply under a tweet. Said ad rollout experiment will be for a select number of global users, both on iOS and Android.

“We see a big opportunity to build an ad offering that creates value and aligns incentives for creators and advertisers. As we experiment with this format over the coming months, we’ll focus on understanding how it performs and how it impacts the people and conversations around it,” Flack stated in his tweet thread.

He also mentioned that they will be testing different frequencies, layouts, contextually relevant ads, different insertion points, among others. Furthermore, they will be examining their learnings on this ad rollout endeavor and figure out if it’s something they want to make permanent.

“We’re excited about trying this out for our advertisers and we’re eager to explore how it could open the door for additional opportunities to reward tweet authors and creators,” Flack added.

Meanwhile, Angus Keene, acting managing director for Twitter Australia, commented that as the platform evolves and brings forward more ways for people to connect and talk, they will continue to evaluate how they extend this offering to their advertisers and partners.

“We are now testing a new ad placement in Tweet conversations for a small percentage of people globally. This group will see ads after the first, third or eighth reply under a Tweet. By introducing this new opportunity, we hope to create value and support users and creators who drive everyday conversation and connection on our platform, while also providing incremental scale for advertisers looking to reach untapped audiences during their most engaged moments in conversations,” Keen explained.

He added, “Over the coming months, we’ll be looking at how this experiment performs and impacts the people and conversations around it.”

This is one of the latest updates from Twitter, including more recently the creation of ‘Communities’ that serves as hubs for users on the platform to discuss similar topics, interests, or hobbies.

Manila, Philippines – In another case of ‘weird ads you enjoy’, local-based finance app DiskarTech recently launched a new spot alongside agency Katok, the new agency affiliated with well-known independent creative agency GIGIL, to promote its loan services–in the most tongue-in-cheek way possible.

Titled ‘Utang Ni Tatang’ or translates to ‘The Old Man’s Debt’, the comedy-themed ad features two farmers, where one of them asks the other if he can loan him some money. When he refuses, a sudden turn of events takes place as a DiskarTech agent emerges from—we kid you not—a carabao or a water buffalo. As both farmers stare in awe and confusion as to what they just witnessed, the agent begins his pitch of the various loans users can avail on their app.

The ad, which as of this writing, has now been viewed over 4 million on Facebook alone, speaks to the company’s aim to be more inclusive to Filipinos, including their intended launch of the app in the Cebuano language, and sooner other Filipino languages.

“We needed to create a product that is easy, simple and relatable to Filipinos. The Diskartech app is in Taglish in order to break the comprehension barrier, and allow banking newbies to navigate it with ease. It’s a financial inclusion super app that allows every Filipino to save, borrow, pay, and even purchase microinsurance and telemedicine services complete with livelihood opportunities,” said Lito Villanueva, executive vice president and chief innovation and inclusion officer at RCBC.

DiskarTech is one of the latest initiatives from Filipino banking institution RCBC, launched last year.

“With DiskarTech users spanning across all the 81 provinces, and over 70 percent of which are from rural areas, we are committed to continue to bring the unbanked or underserved Filipino into the banking fold,” Villanueva added.