Tag: Campaign

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Fast food chain McDonald’s in Malaysia has launched a new campaign at the shopping and entertainment district of Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Bintang. In it, the fast food chain unveiled its first ever iconic McDonald’s Fries crosswalk, as it leads visitors straight into Malaysia’s first McDonald’s restaurant.

Conceptualised alongside creative agency Leo Burnett, the official approval and rollout of the ‘fries’ crosswalk took seven months to complete and also coincides with McDonald’s Malaysia’s 40th anniversary which aims to reinvigorate Bukit Bintang’s intersection and spark feel-good moments to all pedestrians. 

In addition, this iconic crosswalk is the start of a larger campaign with consumer activations to help further generate buzz and encourage social fan truths.

Melati Abdul Hai, vice president and chief marketing officer at McDonald’s Malaysia, said, “At McDonalds, we are always looking for creative ways to create feel-good moments for Malaysians. So, when our partner creative agency, Leo Burnett, shared the idea to marry the iconic Bukit Bintang crossing with our global McDonald visual icon, our French Fries, we were excited to bring it to life. Our hope is that this Fries Crosswalk will add to the beauty of Kuala Lumpur and put smiles on pedestrians’ faces by making simple routines such as crossing the road a ‘feel-good’ moment.”

Meanwhile, Neil Hudspeth, CEO of Publicis Groupe Malaysia and McDonald’s global client lead for Asia-Pacific, commented, “I love the idea. It’s simple, powerful, disruptive and iconic. There are very few brands in the world today that have this heady combination of creative authority and customer love, and the crosswalk is a powerful example of the love Malaysians have for McDonald’s, as well as a genuine reflection of how well embedded the brand is into our culture. Bringing back fun to Bukit Bintang, one fry at a time is just incredible. We talk about little moments of love made easy for everyone, and what better way to bring this to life.”

Mumbai, India – India-based higher edtech company, upGrad, has launched a new ad film, which features the legendary Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan in his ‘Angry Young Man’ persona, aimed at introducing its new vertical that redefines studying abroad – upGrad Abroad.

The film, which was conceptualised by creative agency The Womb and was directed by Amit Sharma of Chrome Picture, spotlights Bachchan wreaking havoc at the upGrad Headquarters. It aims to reassure parents and young aspirants that learning opportunities from globally recognised institutions need not be limited by societal or financial constraints. 

Through upGrad Abroad, aspirants who seek to attain academic qualifications from global institutes or universities can now pursue their dream. This vertical has a diversified portfolio of over 20 programs that comes with the flexibility to complete the first 12 months online, followed by the on-campus learning in the subsequent months, in a 1+2 and 2+2 learning model.

Arjun Mohan, upGrad’s CEO for India, said that while their recently launched upGrad Abroad vertical is a breakthrough, they realised that the bigger challenge is to first reach out to the relevant target audience and create maximum visibility for them to be able to make an informed decision. 

“In this regard, it was extremely critical for us to understand the market sentiment and then make a strong marketing move. And that’s when the decision of joining hands with Amit Ji to further our upGrad Abroad mission, came to life; whose on-screen persona and charm will undoubtedly make heads turn and will leave a lasting impact on the audience, thus hitting the bull’s eye,” added Mohan.

Meanwhile, Suyash Khabya, The Womb’s creative head, shared that over the decades, the world has seen Bachchan on 70mm, KBC on TV, and in numerous ads, which led them to think of other ways on how do they show him differently now. 

“And that’s where the idea of bringing back ‘Angry Bachchan’ struck us. At the shoot, he was as fit as a fiddle even at 80, kicking, punching, and breaking stuff. We’re confident that just like he breaks upGrad’s office in the commercial, the ad will break the clutter,” said Khabya.

The film is now available across upGrad’s digital platforms.

Mumbai, India — Automobile brand ŠKODA AUTO in India has unveiled its newest integrated campaign to promote the launch of its latest sedan, ŠKODA SLAVIA. The campaign was done in collaboration with advertising company Publicis Groupe.

Entitled ‘It’s All That Really Matters’, the campaign is built on the central thought – the car that’s in your heart is the car that really matters. The TVC traces the journey of the protagonist who has been creating his dream car since he was a toddler until he discovers the SLAVIA. Created with an impeccable balance of contemporary stylish design, stunning interiors, great performance and innovative technology, the SLAVIA breathes new air into the sedan market. The campaign is a part of ŠKODA AUTO’s 2.0 ethos of ‘Made of what really matters.’

Tarun Jha, head of marketing of ŠKODA AUTO India, said that they wanted to revive the decrease in the sedan segment and bring back the love for sedans.

“ŠKODA SLAVIA, with its stunning design and class-leading features, is the perfect product that will create the desirability of owning the sedan. We tapped into a universal human insight that as a child the first car we imagine is a sedan and not any other body type. This love and fascination continue all our lives,” Jha said.

Simultaneously, Vikash Chemjong, national creative director of Publicis Worldwide India, spoke about the campaign, sharing, “With all that the SLAVIA had on offer – be it the space, the style, the power and the presence, it felt so right to say that it was the car that we always had in mind since we were kids. Without quite knowing it was the car we always wanted.”

The campaign will tap all essential channels for its nationwide launch, including a strong presence across national and regional television, print, outdoor, radio, digital and social media.

Singapore – Grey Singapore has collaborated with Spark Connections to launch ‘Serendipity Awaits’ campaign, a new brand identity for the platform, which provides people with interesting and exciting activities to help them improve their social lives.

Spark Connections is a platform that offers specially curated lifestyle events, services and workshops for individuals to enhance their lifestyles. With its new brand strategy, Spark Connection promises to never stop looking for new ways to inspire consumers to take risks and explore new opportunities. The new look and tagline are supported by an integrated campaign that includes influencer marketing.

The ‘Serendipity Awaits’ campaign is a tribute to the people of Singapore who are open to new experiences and intriguing prospects in life. The campaign’s formal launch is being kicked off by guerrilla installations in public parks and urban areas, as well as by partner venues across the island. 

Aaron Phua, executive creative director for Grey Singapore, said that the rebranding stems from the endless allure of life in other places and meeting new people that its target audience is constantly exposed to, either from photos they see on Instagram or their constant hearing of the amazing things friends have done or are going to do. 

Phua emphasised, “We leverage on the persisting FOMO mindset and urge them to be on the lookout – to be in the right place at the right time, in real life; in this beautiful tropical country of ours. All the design and communication touch points are a reflection of that.”

The new brand aesthetic is revealed at ‘Hey, Serendipity!’, a month-long festival with over 30 free events. The campaign will be further amplified by influencers, including Eswari Gunasagar, Aiken Chia, Xenia Tan and Zhin Sadali. 

A short promotional video titled ‘Spark New Experiences’ was released to encourage signups for $100 credits that may be used for freshly curated activities on the festival’s website following the festival.

Manila, Philippines – AirAsia in the Philippines has partnered with independent voter information campaign organisation, Vote Pilipinas in a bid to further promote voter education and responsible voting in the country. This is in line with the upcoming national elections happening on 9 May this year.

The airline will also actively participate serving as Vote Pilipinas’ communications partner, broadcasting the series of voter education webinars and Presidential and Vice-Presidential debates to more than 12 million followers of the airasia Super App Facebook page.

In addition, AirAsia Philippines is making the remaining series of Vote Pilipinas Presidential Debates and webinars – Kalusugan (Health), Kamalayan (Awareness) and Kahandaan (Readiness), which covers topics on COVID-19, mental and public health, media literacy, press freedom, misinformation and disinformation, resilience, preparedness and mitigation available every Friday afternoon at the Super App Facebook page.

AirAsia Philippines will also release a series of social media infographics under its response program ‘alwaysREDy’ campaign which aims to provide tips to the voting public, as well as the do’s and don’ts during election day.

AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla said, “AirAsia will always be apolitical but we want to take part in proactively encouraging Filipinos to exercise their right to suffrage. It is through this partnership with Vote Pilipinas that we responsibly play our part in nation building, especially shaping the next six years of our country which is crucial to exiting the pandemic. At AirAsia, we are ‘alwaysREDy’ to educate and equip our guests with the right information they need to make the right best choice as they cast their votes in May.”

Meanwhile, Ces Rondario, founder at Vote Pilipinas, commented, “This campaign started with the goal to support the Commission on Elections on getting the word out about voter registration. We began with encouraging members of the Vote Pilipinas team to register, then Filipinos nationwide – and now we have successfully gotten around 7.9 million Filipinos to register to vote. But it doesn’t just end there. Our goal now is to make sure that people will actually go out and vote come May 9, and that they are armed with sufficient and factual information to make informed decisions when voting.” 

She added, “With the help of our partners such as AirAsia Philippines, we’re able to widen our audience and deliver the right information to millions of Filipinos across the country. With this, more people can truly get to know this year’s candidates, their platforms, and why it’s important to exercise their right to vote, so they can confidently cast their ballots during election day.”

To entice more people to actively participate in the May polls, AirAsia Philippines is launching its Fly Home to vote promo. From 4 to 10 April, guests can avail of fares as low as P268 (one-way base fare) and get their return ticket for FREE for travels until 30 September.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – In line with the celebration of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting for Muslims, hospitality brand Hilton has reiterated its global campaign, ‘To New Memories’, with the launch of its Malaysian-based follow-up campaign, aimed at facilitating the reconnection of people through packages that fully embrace Ramadan traditions.

In 2021, Hilton debuted ‘To New Memories’, which was built on research insights that show consumers are craving reconnections with family and friends and are inspired by travel memories. For this year, the campaign will be encouraging families to make new memories as they spend some quality time with loved ones by offering special room and dining packages along with special arrangements to support their practices this holy month. These include changing breakfast hours to accommodate morning prayers, and providing prayer mats, the Quran, as well as prayer timetables within the guest rooms.

Eugene Oelofse, Hilton’s marketing and communications director for Malaysia, Philippines, and Sri Lanka, said, “Cherished family memories are at the heart of Hilton. We want guests to know that Hilton and our Team Members are ready to fully facilitate connection with loved ones during the month of Ramadan.”

All 11 Hilton outlets nationwide will partake in the Ramadan traditions of Iftar and Sahur, or the evening and early morning meal, with a specialised dinner buffet highlighting Malaysia’s Culinary Heritage and other central Asian specialities. This campaign will run until 3 May 2022.

Mumbai, India— Computer and technology company Dell Technologies has unveiled its latest campaign that centres around the reimagining of the PC as a gateway to transformative education with a TVC entitled ‘Yeh Hai Padhai 2.0’. The promotion was done in collaboration with brand and customer experience agency VMLY&R.

Dell Technologies further advocated the importance of PC in education as a gateway to learning and transforming education in a fast-changing digital world. In a country where PC adoption stands at 11 per cent, this campaign is an engaging effort to underline the importance of PC as an enabler for the future of learning, especially with schools and colleges adopting hybrid learning at scale.

The campaign is an entry into the larger umbrella of Dell’s annual #BackToSchool and #BackToCollege campaigns. The campaign is set against the backdrop of a modern classroom, which showcases new ways of learning for students and teachers delivering impactful teaching in a fun manner. It emphasizes how students are making the most of their laptops to immerse themselves in the world of experiential learning as well as honing their talent for extracurricular activities. The TVC also showcases how Dell’s Inspiron 2-in-1 PCs play an integral role in actioning an idea that inspires students to innovate, collaborate and achieve their dreams.

Mukund Olety, chief creative officer of VMLY&R India, said, “In this all-kids campaign, we have portrayed how learning is changing and how our kids are learning all-new things in all-new ways. With schools moving to hybrid models, new platforms of learning popping up, and with subjects themselves ever-evolving, our kids have had to adapt fast. And they have in ways we could have never imagined. Dell Technologies with its new range of PCs are made for this new way of learning.”

Meanwhile, Mayuri Saikia, director of consumer marketing of Dell Technologies India, commented that the education and learning sector has witnessed a major shift in the past two years, the PC especially has been indispensable in delivering it across all sections and ages.

“Right from music to extracurricular activities and developing new hobbies, the PC has been at the centre of schooling and training. The campaign focuses on the maturing and dynamic nature of learning. Immersive blended learning is the future and Dell Technologies is committed to leveraging its technology leadership for addressing the evolving needs of the education sector and the students,” Saikia said.

The campaign kicks off with a brand film followed by a 360-degree amplification, across television, radio, digital and social media with prime associations and high-impact creatives. The second phase of the campaign features prominent personalities namely Harsha Bhogle, Tisca Chopra, Mandira Bedi, and Amrita Raichand, who advocates how the PC is augmenting experiential learning, which helps students understand concepts better and retain information. The second and third phases will extend to social media, YouTube shorts, on-ground activations, retail and online promotions. The brand film will be broadcast across India in 5 languages including Hinglish, Tamil, Telegu, Marathi, and English, and showcased on OTT platforms like Sony Liv, Voot, MX Player, and Zee5.

As part of the campaign, Dell will be offering additional warranty, headsets, and discounts exclusively to students at their website, Dell exclusive stores, multi-brand outlets, and large format retail.

Singapore – Many in Singapore have been feeling overworked and exhausted, bringing forth a new epidemic called, ‘The Great Resignation’. With this in mind, the blended malt whisky brand Monkey Shoulder has launched the latest installation of its ‘Don’t Let the Grind Get You Down’ campaign.

Called the ‘Dead-End Job Simulator’, the immersive cocktail-infused game night is designed to bring cheer back to Singaporeans’ careers, helping the hardworking population escape the stresses of the daily grind.

The game, which was developed in partnership with creative agency The Teeth, places participants inside a mock corporate office filled with enriching and entertaining workplace scenarios they will have to overcome, armed only with delectable Monkey Shoulder libations and humungous business suits.

It includes four simulations. First is the ‘Job Interview Improv’, where participants have to use their quick-thinking skills that will have them identify key traits for the job, then comes the ‘Corporate Jargon Codebreaking’, where participants have to sharpen their listening and deciphering skills to crack the recipe for a delicious new cocktail.

Next is ‘The Overtime Escape’, which will have participants call on their inner ninja to make their escape from overtime hell, and lastly, ‘The Headshot Refresh’, where participants can finally have those headshots taken by a portrait photographer.

Samuel Ng, Monkey Shoulder’s regional brand ambassador, shared that joining the Great Resignation is not an option for everyone stuck in a rut, so they set out to build an experience that turns the dull and the dreary on its head. 

“The Dead-End Job Simulator promises some serious fun to unwind and refresh those tired, overworked minds,” said Ng.

Meanwhile, Ben Agnew, The Teeth’s co-founder and managing partner, said, “They say that success doesn’t happen overnight, but with the Dead-End Job Simulator, we’ve managed to boil it down to a little under two hours. It’s always a pleasure working with a brand as playful as Monkey Shoulder. We hope people enjoy the experience as much as we did producing it.”

The ‘Dead-End Job Simulator’ is open for a limited time only from 29 to 31 March 2022 at Crane Joo Chiat in Singapore.

Mumbai, India — Paint manufacturer JSW Paints has come out with a new entry to its paints landscape disruptor campaign – Any Colour One Price – a TVC campaign entitled ‘Alia Vs Sawalia’. The campaign was done in collaboration with TBWA\India.

The TVC turns the spotlight on the truth – that people don’t know about differential pricing because people don’t ask. It prompts people to ask the right questions before buying paint instead of blindly making decisions that will cost them dearly. It is easy to see Sawalia gaining pop-culture currency and nudging behaviour change. Something that shouldn’t be too difficult considering the fact that Indians are a questioning lot, just that being charged different prices for different colours seems to have become a blind spot. Alia in her Sawalia avatar stands out as a symbol of a discerning mind.

In a traditionally low involvement category, JSW Paints’ newest entry on the ACOP campaign brings to focus the fact that choosing paint is in fact a high stakes decision because it stays on and costs you more than it should if you don’t ask the right questions.

Commenting on the conceptualisation of this unique campaign, Parixit Bhattacharya, managing partner for Creative of TBWA\India, said Indians have a blackbelt in questioning things but when it comes to painting our homes, Indians like to outsource their discernment.

“It is uncharacteristic of us. We want to remind people to ask questions before they paint their home. Only then would the rest of the paint category be more transparent like JSW Paints and its disruptive Any Colour One Price. Dropping Sawalia into culture is our latest ploy to get people to ask key questions before painting their homes,” Bhattacharya said.

Adding to that, Govind Pandey, CEO of TBWA\India, said, “JSW Paints is an innovator that’s challenging the category norms. Over the past 2 years, they’ve set out to bring out an outdated convention of different colours costing differently by driving the proposition of ‘Any Colour One Price’ which is an industry first. With this campaign, we’re using Alia as an Agent Provocateur – who is questioning the unquestioned in the category.”

Australia – Australian state democratic administrative authority of New South Wales, NSW Government, has launched a new tourism campaign, Feel New, which is a series of emotionally charged films aimed at exploring individual feelings experienced by travellers to New South Wales.

The series of films, which was developed by tourism and major events agency Destination NSW with creative agency Leo Burnett, spotlights on seven feelings most sought after by consumers – ‘joy’, ‘connection’, ‘freedom’, ‘awe’, ‘rejuvenation’, ‘belonging’, and ‘adventure’ – reaffirming NSW’s position as the feel-good state. It also aligns with the overarching ‘Feel New’ brand. 

Moreover, extensions of scenes from the Feel New TV spot have been reimagined in the seven Feeling Films, with each aligning to a single hero feeling. NSW landscapes and cultural encounters feature in the campaign extension, with each film featuring a bespoke remix of the official Feel New soundtrack, ‘Feeling Good’, which was re-imagined by Azure Ryder to make the audience feel the emotional experience that the film represents.

Stuart Ayres, the minister for enterprise, investment and trade, minister for tourism and sport, and minister for Western Sydney, believes that the time was right to take a more emotive-led approach to market the NSW visitor economy.

“The Feel New film series captures all the things I love about our State. It invites everyone to get out and appreciate the beauty and wonder of NSW and promises a return to the excitement and adventure that we all need to feel again,” said Ayres.

Meanwhile, James Walker-Smith, Leo Burnett’s general manager, noted that the Feel New strategy sets NSW apart from other competitor states and gives NSW a distinct advantage when targeting travel intenders.

“Destination NSW has really shifted its approach when it comes to how they promote the state, moving from being a destination brand, which is where many travel brands continue to operate, into the culture brand space. By creating a brand which is feelings-led, they’ve created a brand for the future that at the same time, is the ultimate antidote for the world right now,” said Walker-Smith.

Steve Cox, Destination NSW’s CEO, shared that the Feel New film series continued the fresh new approach to the tourism and major event agency’s strategy for promoting NSW.

“The strategic thinking behind Feel New was to tap into this consumer desire to feel; to build an enduring creative platform to market and promote NSW through its many and varied cultural and natural experiences, which are powerfully captured in these films,” said Cox.