Singapore – Global media and entertainment company Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) announced its partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) to launch ‘Celebrating Every Story’, an island-wide campaign for the company’s 100th year anniversary in Singapore.  

With Singapore being chosen as the key destination for Warner Bros. Studio’s global centennial campaign, the partnership will bring in new initiatives to spotlight the country’s destinations and the global media entertainment company’s beloved characters and stories. 

One of the highlighted activities is ‘WB100 Celebrating Every Story’, a large-scale event in Southeast Asia and in partnership with Sentosa that will feature 100 years of Warner Bros. franchises. The event will feature a host of free and interactive experiences catering to fans of all ages.

Warner Bros. Studios promises a fun and exciting experience as visitors can look forward to entertaining experiences that celebrate beloved franchises from DC’s Batman and Aquaman to Wizarding World and Looney Tunes.

Other characters included in the event are the Singapore-inspired Tom and Jerry, who will star in a brand new series launching later this year on Cartoon Network. The seven-part production represents the franchise’s first ever localised series, with each episode inspired by unique sights, places of interest, and destination highlights of Singapore. Merli, a character inspired by Singapore’s iconic Merlion, will also make a special appearance.

A sneak-peek episode called “What’s that Smell” featuring the iconic durian already aired on August 7 on Cartoon Network in Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Meanwhile, the rest of the series will premiere on Cartoon Network in Asia Pacific and regional streaming service HBO GO in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, before being rolled out globally. 

The global launch of the series will also be complemented by a dedicated line of Tom and Jerry-branded consumer products.

The Singapore-inspired Tom & Jerry series is part of a multi-year partnership that WBD and STB inked in 2022 to collaborate on entertainment and lifestyle content, as well as marketing activities, to spotlight and inspire travel to destination Singapore.

Clement Schwebig, WBD’s president and MD for India, Southeast Asia, and Korea, said,  “We’re building on our partnership with STB with two fantastic new projects which truly demonstrate how we are ‘Celebrating Every Story’ and Warner Bros.’ historic 100-year legacy. Tom and Jerry have been delighting audiences of all ages around the world for generations, and we’re very proud that its first ever localised adaptation will come with a Singapore twist. The WB100 celebration at Sentosa will showcase some of the highlights from a century of Warner Bros. content – and we look forward to welcoming both families from Singapore and those visiting.”

Speaking on the partnership, Melissa Ow, chief executive at Singapore Tourism Board, said, “We are delighted to partner Warner Bros. Discovery on this milestone celebration. The all-new Tom and Jerry series and the WB100 family festival will showcase Singapore in a fun and creative way, setting Singapore apart as a vibrant and exciting city for both visitors and locals. We invite families to spend some quality time together at the festival while enjoying the antics of Tom and Jerry.”

Hong Kong – TCL Electronics, major player in the global television and consumer electronics, is kickstarting a new phase of its global campaign, #TCLForHer, which is a self-sustaining ecosystem where women inspire women to redefine ‘greatness’. 

In order to elevate the #TCLForHer campaign and dedicated ‘TCLForHer’ website to a wider audience, the electronics brand will be amplifying its collaboration with rising basketball star and current brand ambassador Shyla Heal. 

“TCL believes that unleashing every girl and woman’s true potential will play a vital role in solving many of the global issues we face today and that technology can empower women and drive change,” said the brand.

Stories on the TCLForHer platform will reveal the wisdom of women navigating their own path and how they challenge rules. TCL will also be imparting stories of women’s courage and resilience in the face of adversity and how they stay true to their goals and values. 

TCL has had a longstanding commitment to promoting the empowerment and personal development of girls and women worldwide. In 2020, the brand had been a Global Promotional Partner of FIBA’s “Her World, Her Rules” programme to promote women’s and girls’ basketball. 

In line with the same advocacy, TCL has also supported Huameng Foundation which funds a number of female-focused programs and educational initiatives. 

The campaign’s TCLForHer website is now live.

Sydney, Australia — Airtasker, an outsourcing company based in Australia, has launched a new brand campaign that shows the ease with which people can get things done using its new platform. The promotion was done in collaboration with marketing and advertising agencies Thinkerbell and UM.

Taking inspiration from Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’, the new brand campaign ‘The Joy of Done’ invites consumers to ‘Get more Dooone Done Done’ with Airtasker.

The idea is born from the insight that people feel a little moment of joy when they complete a set of tasks that they know they need to do. Airtasker’s skilled ‘Taskers’ can help you get more done no matter the occasion or responsibility you have, from hosting a birthday party, moving into a new home, or gardening.

The new omnichannel marketing campaign launches across Australia this week and the United Kingdom later this year and will be rolled out across both markets utilising mass media channels.

Noelle Kim, chief marketing officer of Airtasker, commented, “We are fortunate to work with some of the best agencies across the industry when bringing this new brand platform to life starting from the insight. Our occasion led communication strategy truly reflects the unique value that Airtasker brings and the creative strikes the right balance between the functional message of the breadth of tasks with the emotional benefit you feel when you get things ticked off your to-do list. We fell in love with the audio mnemonic from the moment we heard it and believe it will be a core part of our brand DNA for years to come.”

Paul Swann, executive creative tinker of Thinkerbell, said, “By reinterpreting Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, we’ve leveraged a universally-known and memorable piece of music to create a new sonic brand device. This distinctive device will appear within all of the brand’s communications and also throughout the platform’s integrated product experience. This work is uplifting and distinctive, which we feel captures the experience of using Airtasker.”

Matt Furlong, Sydney strategy director of UM, shared his thoughts, saying that campaign was important to drive the growth and trust for Airtasker. He further added that the company found the creative side fun and UM’s media helped it shine in the right moments, context and mindsets across screens, audio, OOH and some strong integrated partnerships with Nova and Mamamia.

Singapore – The global beer brand from Asia, Tiger, has just unveiled its newest campaign for one of its brands, ‘Tiger Crystal’, following the recent revamp it applied to its packaging before the start of the year. 

The campaign, which is developed for a global release, is a true testament to the brand’s personality and creative trademark – taking on the energetic and fierce attitude. 

Titled, ‘Brewed for your Fire’, the brand film captures four passionate individuals experiencing each of their exhilarating ‘on fire’ moments. These moments of passion and life are then best capped off with the equally “crisp, smooth” refreshment the Tiger Crystal drink gives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTTAKIib8_A

Tiger describes the campaign as one that celebrates the spark of confidence that enables one to pursue his or her passions fearlessly. 

“At the peak of our confidence, we are in the zone, on a roll, ‘on fire’, doing something we truly love,” said the brand. 

Furthermore, the Tiger brand says that it knows what confidence and defying the odds mean the most, having been born at a time when few believed that an ice-cold beer could be brewed in the tropical heat of Asia, which was in the 1930s, and in a place where no barley or hops would grow. 

Sean O’Donnell, global brand director for Tiger, commented, “Tiger believes everyone should live true to their passions. It’s not always easy for people, especially in a world where there’s so much pressure to compromise, conform and fit in. But Tiger believes; be bold and go for it! Embrace your passions and ignite your inner fire.”

Tiger is currently present in 50 markets around the world. Aside from the brand film, the brand will also be rolling out a global through-the-line campaign starting this July 2021.

Sydney, Australia – Popular chip brand Doritos has worked with RYOT Studio, the branded content division of media company Verizon Media, in bringing the ‘Doritos Quest’ game, based on augmented reality (AR), to the Australian market.

The ‘Doritos Quest’ is an AR game where players must hunt around their local area to collect all four virtual ‘PlayStation Shapes’ in order to win the highly coveted PlayStation®5 Console prize. There is also a pool of instant-win rewards up for grabs including free packs of Doritos. 

The digital experience is developed by RYOT Studios, which combines virtual objects known as ‘Vatoms’ with augmented reality and blockchain technology to bring the digital experience to life, providing access via a mobile-only website for players Australia-wide. 

“RYOT Studio is all about delivering new, innovative ways of storytelling to build brand love. ‘Doritos Quest’ follows the trail of strong demand we’re seeing for our next generation of AR formats as more brands look for exciting ways to tell their stories and connect with new audiences,” said Zoe Cocker, head of brand at RYOT Studio ANZ.

“This campaign not only allows users to interact with a brand in their own physical world but also drives tangible sales results here in Australia. It’s a great example of how RYOT Studio creates new ways of engaging with consumers and innovative experiences that connect with them on the path to purchase,” added Cocker. 

In an exclusive statement to MARKETECH APAC, Cocker shared that the rise of AR-related campaigns have profound impacts in the behavior of consumers and eagerness among marketers in creating campaigns of their respective brands.

Zoe Cocker, Head of Brand at RYOT Studio ANZ

“For consumers, we know that the need for this is already there. Attention has never been harder to grab and consumers are itching for new ways to interact with brands that offer a higher value exchange, better personalization and interactivity. For marketers, this partnership shows how mixed and virtual reality has evolved away from being expensive and difficult to execute, to a valuable and scalable format that helps brands achieve higher attention/recall,” Cocker shared.

Cocker also mentioned of the vitality of AR-related campaigns to the food and retail industry, especially in the quick service restaurant (QSR) industry, to which she stated that the next big format in campaigns of the future revolves the question “how does the overlay of a digital experience enhance the user’s real world?”

“It’s important to note that AR has many different uses, whether its gamification, utility or even education. Technology alone won’t make something successful and we don’t believe in just using it for the sake of it. At RYOT Studio, we offer incredible technology solutions that are matched with unparalleled storytelling and filled by our first-party data insights. Those insights fuel the idea which enables us to bring immersive formats to marketers in a way that is accessible and scalable and relevant,” Cocker explained.

This is not the first time RYOT Studio has involved itself in creating AR campaigns. They have worked with concept store Officeworks in creating an AR Christmas campaign centered around a virtual Santa Claus, as well as with the Australian arm of news site HuffPost in relation with the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week observance, where they created an art experience about the Migaloo whale migration.

Global campaign reel of the ‘Doritos AR Quest’ by RYOT Studio

‘Doritos Quest’ is part of a wider global campaign being featured in international markets including Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK. 

Sam O’Donnell, brand manager of Doritos at PepsiCo, stated, “We know Doritos fans are always looking for bold new ways to enjoy themselves and we wanted to encapsulate that in a tangible gaming experience. RYOT Studio has been imperative in enabling us to bring this vision to life and we look forward to seeing Aussies engage with Doritos like never before.”

Shanghai, China – Swiss-made timepiece brand, Movado has announced that it has partnered with award-winning A-list Chinese musician Ronghao Li to be its newest global ambassador. 

Li will be featured in Movado’s updated global advertising campaign with the tagline, “Mastering Time in Your Way”, paying homage to Movado’s brand positioning. 

The campaign, which will be launched in mid-August this year, is said to have been strategized to speak to the consumer who is confident and true to themselves, which are trademark characteristics of both Movado’s and Li’s DNA.

Having been chosen by the brand, Li has expressed fondness as he thinks the brand’s personality coincides with his as a musician. 

“I have always expressed the importance of ‘being authentic and true to yourself” which gives me inspiration for my music. Movado has a deep history with the arts and a similar artistic vision in the design of their watches as I do with my music,” said Li. 

Movado Global Chief Marketing Officer, Mary Leach said that in choosing Li, the decision transcended his talent as a musician.

“Mr. Ronghao Li is more than a talented musician; he has his own unique character and charisma,’ said Leach.

“We were immediately drawn to Li because he is has a passion for the creation of authentic artistry, self-expression, and being true to yourself; characteristics that make up our brand DNA,” added Leach. 

Presently, Movado has more than 70 offline stores in China’s main locations in first and second-tier cities and has also launched its own TMALL and JD flagship stores which went live in 2016.