Tag: Marketing Campaign

Singapore – Cannes Lions, the globally-recognised festival celebrating the best creative communications, advertising, and marketing campaigns around the world; has recently concluded following a four-day run from June 18 to 21. It is worth noting that during this year’s event, Ogilvy Singapore has been named the Agency of the Year for the “Good” category, with Revolver from Australia receiving a Palme d’Or special award. Globally, Cannes Lions named WPP, Omnicom, and Interpublic Group as creative companies of the year. Meanwhile, Ogilvy, Publicis Worldwide, and DDB Worldwide are named Network of The Year. Lastly, Coca-Cola, Heineken, and Apple are named as Creative Brands of the Year.

Without furtherado, these are the winning campaigns from brands and agencies within Asia-Pacific:

CLASSIC

Audio & Radio

  • “Dew Battle” (Mountain Dew, BBDO Guerrero): Bronze > Sound Design
  • “No Smiles” (McDonald’s, TBWA\HAKUHODO): Bronze > Social Behaviour & Cultural Insight
  • “Touch” (Mastercard, Howatson+Company): Bronze > Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility

Film

  • “Play It Safe” (Sydney Opera House, The Monkeys | Accenture Song): Grand Prix > Local Brand
  • “What The Fast” (Krungsri First Choice, Leo Burnett): Gold > Microfilm
  • “Sammakorn Not Sanpakorn” (Sammakorn, Choojai & Friends): Gold > Use of Humour
  • “Summer” (Grab Philippines, GIGIL): Silver > Viral Film
  • “As Close You Can Get – Concert” (PRISM+, MullenLowe Singapore): Bronze > Consumer Goods
  • “The Boxer (Colgate, Soho Square Bangkok): Bronze > Consumer Goods
  • “Play It Safe” (Sydney Opera House, The Monkeys | Accenture Song): Bronze > Travel, Leisure, Retail, Restaurants & Fast Food Chains
  • “Shot on iPhone: Little Garlic” (Apple, TBWA\Media Arts Lab Shanghai): Bronze > Viral Film
  • “Go For Launch” (CP Chicken, Wolf BKK): Bronze > Challenger Brand
  • “Under My Skin” (Thai Life Insurance, Ogilvy): Bronze > Social Behaviour & Cultural Insight
  • “Not Very Sweet” (Delight, Ogilvy): Bronze > Use of Humour
  • “Sabina Braless” (Sabina, Sour Bangkok): Bronze > Use of Humour

Outdoor

  • “Adoptable. By Pedigree” (Pedigree, Colenso BBDO): Grand Prix > Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility
  • “Taj Mahal Megh Santoor” (Unilever, Ogilvy): Silver > Special Build
  • “Heineken Heidden in Plain Sight” (Heineken Malaysia, Leo Burnett): Bronze > Transit
  • “Lost in Time” (Jian Ai Elderly Charity Center, Dentsu Creative): Bronze > Transit
  • “Ad-Ons” (McDonald’s, DDB New Zealand): Bronze > Standard Sites
  • “Laundromatch” (Heineken, LePub): Bronze > Ambient Outdoor
  • “Penguin Soap Opera” (Orix Aquarium, Dentsu Inc.): Bronze > Local Brand
  • “Different.” (Samsung, DDB New Zealand): Bronze > Challenger Brand

Print & Publishing

  • “10 VS 10” (Dove, Ogilvy Sydney): Bronze > Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility

CRAFT

Design

  • “Paper Organs” (Taiwan Organ Sharing Registry and Patient Autonomy Promotion Center, Leo Burnett): Silver > Promotional Item Design
  • “The Cardboard Cake” (Wholegreen Bakery, The Hallway): Bronze > Special Editions & Bespoke Items
  • “Edible Literature” (Kameya Yoshinaga, VML Ogilvy Japan): Bronze > Special Editions & Promotional Packaging
  • “Video Vinyl” (Coca-Cola, Ogilvy): Bronze > Special Editions & Promotional Packaging

Digital Craft

  • “Kiki, Virtual Human Interpreter” (NHK Enterprises & NHK Global Media Services, Media.Monks): Silver > Real-Time Contextual Content
  • “Days of Hirayama Perfect Days – Website” (Perfecy Days, Dentsu Inc.): Bronze > UX & Journey Design

Film Craft

  • “Play It Safe” (Sydney Opera House, The Monkeys | Accenture Song): Silver > Use of Original Music
  • “Jindal Steel – The Steel of India (Jindal Steel and Power, Early Man Film Pvt Ltd): Silver > Editing
  • “The Boxer (Colgate, Soho Square Bangkok): Silver > Editing
  • “Jindal Steel – The Steel of India (Jindal Steel and Power, Early Man Film Pvt Ltd): Bronze > Direction

Industry Craft

  • “Reach for the Summit – A” (Kanazawa High School Sumo Tournament, Dentsu Inc.): Silver > Art Direction: Print & Publishing
  • “Reach for the Summit – B” (Kanazawa High School Sumo Tournament, Dentsu Inc.): Silver > Art Direction: Print & Publishing
  • “Reach for the Summit – C” (Kanazawa High School Sumo Tournament, Dentsu Inc.): Silver > Art Direction: Print & Publishing
  • “Departures to Countless Futures” (The Hoshi Awards, Dentsu Inc.): Bronze > Illustration: Brand & Communications Design
  • “It Works.” (Ad Museum Tokyo, Dentsu Inc.): Bronze > Illustration: Brand & Communications Design
  • “Magnificent” (Yotkan Ancient City in Xinjiang, China; The Nine): Bronze > Photography: Brand & Communications Design

ENGAGEMENT

Creative Data

  • “Turf Finder” (Gatorade, Leo Burnett): Gold > Data-Enhanced Creativity

Direct

  • “Adoptable. By Pedigree” (Pedigree, Colenso BBDO): Gold > Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility
  • “The Greenprint” (Volkswagen NZ, DDB New Zealand): Silver > Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility
  • “Hear My Last Watch” (Taiwan Organ Sharing Registry and Patient Autonomy Promotion Center, Leo Burnett): Bronze > Not-for-Profit / Charity / Government
  • “Climate Doctor’s Certificate” (School Strike 4 Climate, CHEP Network): Bronze > Small-Scale Media
  • “Adoptable. By Pedigree” (Pedigree, Colenso BBDO): Bronze > Use of Print/Outdoor
  • “Meowzer” (Whiskas, Colenso BBDO): Bronze > Use of Digital Platforms

Media

  • “This Is An IKEA Store” (IKEA, Ogilvy Philippines): Silver > Single-Market Campaign
  • “Ad-Ons” (McDonald’s, DDB New Zealand): Bronze > Use of Outdoor
  • “Shot on iPhone: Little Garlic” (Apple, OMD): Bronze > Media Execution

PR

  • “Lulumelon Eoss” (HDFC Bank, FCB Kinnect): Silver > Use of Events & Stunts
  • “Transition Body Lotion” (Unilever, Ogilvy): Bronze > Social Behaviour & Cultural Insight

Social & Influencer

  • “No Smiles” (McDonald’s, TBWA\HAKUHODO): Gold > Single-Market Campaign

ENTERTAINMENT

Entertainment

  • “Shot on iPhone: Little Garlic” (Apple, TBWA\Media Arts Lab Shanghai): Silver > Fiction Film: 5-30 minutes
  • “Play It Safe” (Sydney Opera House, The Monkeys | Accenture Song): Silver > Social Behaviour & Cultural Insight
  • “Erase Valentine’s Day” (Mondelez International, Ogilvy): Bronze > 360 Integrated Brand Experience
  • “Shot on iPhone: Midnight” (Apple, TBWA\Media Arts Lab Tokyo): Bronze > Social Behaviour & Cultural Insight

Entertainment Lions for Gaming

  • “Play Has No Limits ft. KING GNU” (Playstation, Six Inc.): Bronze > Audio-Visual Content

Entertainment Lions for Music

  • “Video Vinyl” (Coca-Cola, Ogilvy): Bronze > Brand Partnerships, Sponsorships & Collaborations
  • “No Smiles” (McDonald’s, TBWA\HAKUHODO): Bronze > Partnerships with Music Talent

Entertainment Lions for Sports

  • “‘Til It’s Done” (Football Australia, Ogilvy Australia): Bronze > Brand Storytelling
  • “Turf Finder” (Gatorade, Leo Burnett): Bronze > Sports Live Experience

EXPERIENCE

Brand Experience & Activation

  • “The Greenprint” (Volkswagen NZ, DDB New Zealand): Silver > Automotive
  • “The Original Mouthful” (McDonald’s, DDB Sydney): Silver > Travel, Leisure, Retail, Restaurants & Fast Food Chains
  • “Paper Organs” (Taiwan Organ Sharing Registry and Patient Autonomy Promotion Center, Leo Burnett): Silver > Social Behaviour & Cultural Insight
  • “Correct The Internet” (Team Heroine, DDB New Zealand): Silver > Corporate Purpose & Social Responsibility
  • “Fitchix” (Honest Eggs Co., VML): Bronze > Customer Acquisition & Retention
  • “Climate Doctor’s Certificate” (School Strike 4 Climate, CHEP Network): Bronze > Guerrilla Marketing & Stunts

Creative Business Transformation

  • “Adoptable. By Pedigree” (Pedigree, Colenso BBDO): Silver > Brand Purpose & Impact

Creative Commerce

  • “Your 2nd Favorite Beer” (Matilda Bay, Howatson+Company): Bronze > Brand Strategy

Innovation

  • “Voice 2 Diabetes” (KVI Brand Fund Inc., Klick Health): Grand Prix > Early-Stage Technology

GOOD

Glass: The Lion for Change

  • “Transition Body Lotion” (Unilever, Ogilvy): Grand Prix
  • “Project Farm Equal” (Lay’s, Leo Burnett): Silver

Sustainable Development Goals

  • “Kiki, Virtual Human Interpreter” (NHK Enterprises & NHK Global Media Services, Media.Monks): Bronze > Good Health and Well-being
  • “Dabba Savings Account” (Esaf Small Finance Bank, McCann): Bronze > Gender Equality
  • “Drops of Joy” (Lay’s, Leo Burnett): Bronze > Responsible Consumption and Production

HEALTH

Health & Wellness

  • “Fit My Feet” (Buckaroo Footwear, McCann): Gold > OTC Products
  • “Paper Organs” (Taiwan Organ Sharing Registry and Patient Autonomy Promotion Center, Leo Burnett): Gold > Fundraising & Advocacy
  • “The Impossible Choice” (St. Jude India Childcare Centres, Ogilvy): Bronze > Fundraising & Advocacy
  • “Fitchix” (Honest Eggs Co., VML): Bronze > Animal Health
  • “Fit My Feet” (Buckaroo Footwear, McCann): Bronze > OTC Products

Pharma

  • “Voice 2 Diabetes” (KVI Brand Fund Inc., Klick Health): Gold > Innovative Use of Technology: Patient or Healthcare Professional

STRATEGY

Creative Effectiveness

  • “Oreo #BringBack2011” (Oreo, Leo Burnett): Silver > Single Market
  • “The Last Performance” (Partners Life, Special New Zealand): Bronze > Collaboration
  • “Fitchix” (Honest Eggs Co., VML): Bronze > Challenger Brand

Creative Strategy

  • “Let Her Grow” (Dove, Edelman): Silver > Consumer Goods
  • “Fitchix” (Honest Eggs Co., VML): Silver > Challenger Brand Strategy
  • “Fitchix” (Honest Eggs Co., VML): Bronze > Market Disruption
  • “Vi Human Network Testing Network” (Vodafone India, Ogilvy): Bronze > Market Disruption

Cannes Lions has also announced the 2024 Young Lions winners, where young professionals have the opportunity to showcase their talent and achievements. The APAC winners are as follows:

  • “Who is the successful man?” (Gold, Media)
    • Jiayu Cao, Business Development Manager, Havas Creative China, Mainland China
    • Linghui Dai, Senior Copywriter, Havas Creative China, Mainland China
  • #SpreadSpoiledGuys (Silver, Media)
    • Seri Morikawa, Copywriter, Hakuhodo Inc, Japan
    • Hinako Kawai, Designer, Hakuhodo Inc, Japan
  • #Sidekick: New Face of Success (Bronze, Media)
    • Sujin Lim, Art Director, Cheil Worldwide, South Korea
    • Tae-yul Ko, Art Director, Cheil Worldwide, South Korea
  • I Do Give A F*** (Gold, Marketers)
    • Praptee Sharma, Manager – Product Marketing, Jio Platforms Limited, India
    • Roshni Govind Iyengar, Manager – Strategic Initiatives, Jio Platforms Limited, India
  • Lunch (Tax) Break (Gold, PR)
    • Ginola Tan, Copywriter, GOVT Singapore, Singapore
    • Tan Yuan Ling, Art Director, GOVT Singapore, Singapore

Australia – HCF, an Australian not-for-profit health fund, has launched an initiative called ‘Value Ads’ which is inviting members to take over 60% of the brand’s advertising airtime and out-of-home advertising such as advertising on bus stops or in shopping centers, for their own personal use.

The initiative, launched alongside Clemenger BBDO, has the ambition with the new initiative is to give a selection of members who want to appear in an ad the chance to do so. To help with this, over 6,972 unique ad placements have been secured across TV, radio, social, digital, out-of-home and in-branch.

The HCF Value Ads initiative is the second iteration of the “We Put Our Money Where Our Members Are” creative platform.

In one TV ad for HCF Life Protect life insurance, Kurt, an underwater metal detectorist, is using his airtime to try to reunite a wedding ring he found at the bottom of Empress Falls, NSW with its owner. In another ad about HCF’s Thank You program, Jemma uses her national TV time to thank her doctor for her liver transplant and show them the medals she won at the Transplant Games.

The real member stories keep on coming, with a pregnancy reveal, a wrestler showing off his biceps, a would-be film star’s audition tape, as well as kids showing off their scooter moves and yoyo tricks.

Tatiana Papavero, general manager of marketing at HCF, said, “At HCF we’re always looking for new and innovative ways to bring value to our members. We needed to hone in on the value members are seeking in a meaningful way. Consumers want enduring value, something this campaign shows HCF delivers in spades. We’re so excited to share some of our fantastic members’ stories in this positive and authentic way.”

Meanwhile, Tristan Graham, executive creative director at Clemenger BBDO, commented, “HCF is going from strength to strength in terms of brand salience and likeability—proof that when you have a clear point of view on the world, and a unique way to bring that view to life creatively, it’s easy to create effective, breakthrough work.”

Singapore – Online retail marketplace AliExpress has a launched a new campaign featuring its latest global brand ambassador David Beckham to help fans score more deals on the e-commerce platform ahead of the upcoming UEFA EURO 2024 sporting event.

It is also worth noting that the campaign follows the news in March this year that AliExpress became the first exclusive global e-commerce partner of said sporting event, which will happen from June 14 to July 14 in 10 host cities across Germany and will see 24 national teams compete.

Through the campaign, AliExpress users will have the chance to take part in a series of interactive games to win exclusive discounts and time-limited prizes, including match tickets. AliExpress is investing millions of Euros in discounts, deals and engagement during the games, as part of its increased investment into global consumer experience. 

In addition, new and eligible AliExpress users will be entered into exclusive lucky draws with prizes to welcome them to the platform.

During the games from June 14 to July 14, AliExpress will run an innovative ‘Shake and Win’ promotion, offering time-limited prizes following each goal of all games. All eligible users just need to log on to the AliExpress app and shake their smartphone once the ball hits the back of the net, for the chance to score great prizes.

Speaking on the campaign, Beckham said, “AliExpress is helping fans get even closer to UEFA EURO 2024 this summer, by offering them great prizes as the action takes place on the pitch.”

Meanwhile, Gary Topp, European commercial director at AliExpress, commented, “AliExpress is excited to welcome David Beckham as our global ambassador ahead of the Summer of Sports that is set to kick off in Europe. Whether you’re a football fan or not, I can think of no-one better to show how easy it is to win with AliExpress during UEFA EURO 2024.”

Singapore – SEEK, which operates Asia’s online employment marketplace Jobstreet and Jobsdb, has launched a new region-wide brand campaign focusing on the creative use of SEEK’s world-class AI to match employers and job seekers.

Titled ‘Better Matches’, the creative campaign uses animal imagery to convey the increasingly complex jungle of job seeking and hiring, highlighting SEEK’s expertise in using AI tools for job matching.

JobStreet by SEEK Campaign – Lion Version

For the Better Matches campaign, SEEK partnered with Talon Creative (Naga DDB Tribal) to create a series of animated animal videos, which depicts a giraffe, a lion and a sloth working in mismatched jobs that do not align with their inherent traits, leading to unforeseen consequences. When taken out of their natural environments, these animals are not set up for success – much like when candidates are not matched with the right enrollment that fits their level, strengths and pace. 

The animal-themed campaign symbolises the journey through the ‘talent jungle’, which both employers and talent have expressed difficulties in navigating via multiple surveys and online publications. The aim of the campaign is to introduce Jobstreet’s new and improved platform as the latest digital solution to this growing problem, with the promise of delivering more access to opportunities, talent, and more relevance and personalisation through AI technology.

For employers, the new platform deploys AI models to assess talent suitability and provide highly personalised recommendations by processing data from various sources, including resumes, job ad descriptions, and the employer’s past behaviours. This allows employers to hire fast and right.

JobStreet by SEEK Campaign – Giraffe Version

This campaign follows the merger of Jobstreet, Jobsdb and SEEK’s platforms across APAC, whereby the three brands operate under a single platform powered by SEEK’s world-class AI technology, while retaining their individual brands. With global talent shortages at a 16-year high, the unified marketplace now enables local employers and talent to leverage the AI-powered platform for more opportunities.

Jane Walker, chief marketing officer for Asia at SEEK, said, “We are thrilled to unveil the launch of ‘Better Matches,’ an engaging and lighthearted campaign that underscores our commitment to enhancing and streamlining the hiring process. In Singapore’s dynamic job market, where talent acquisition is increasingly competitive, our new platform leverages AI technology to facilitate relevant job matches between employers and talent.”

She added, “Personifying traits and characteristics through the delightful animal characters, we aim to spotlight the evolving challenges faced by employers and talent alike, amidst the mismatch of expectations across our employment market. This campaign marks an exciting milestone as we introduce our revamped platform, and we eagerly await the response from the Singaporean audience as we continue to innovate and enhance the job-seeking experience.”

The integrated campaign will be broadcast across various platforms, including social media and Jobstreet’s owned channels. Particularly, it will also be broadcasted outdoors with a convoy of buses and taxis circulating key tertiary schooling districts to target the youths and at MRT stations to target the working crowd. Jobstreet will also be launching digital stickers and META filters on social media platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. 

As part of the many Lunar New Year celebration campaigns in the region, Coca-Cola had launched a multi-faceted campaign, which includes a fiery redesign of its iconic soft drinks packaging, AR filters on social media, as well as a music video with MediaCorp personality Hazelle Teo to showcase celebrating the festivities in style.

For Coca-Cola back then, they wanted that their campaign to resonate further with all ages in wishing each other well wishes, and bearing that spirit of welcoming the new year with optimism and bringing families closer together.

For our third Top Story of the year, we spoke exclusively to Teejae Sonza, Senior Marketing Director of Coca-Cola Trademark, Coca-Cola ASEAN & South Pacific to learn more about the multinational company’s direction to Lunar New Year campaigns, as well as stressing how its iconic drink has been the centrepiece of personal connections throughout the years.

How campaigns should always usher into a better year ahead

For Sonza, with Lunar New Year festivities always centred around ushering for a better year ahead with optimism, Coca-Cola considers that their campaigns should encompass their three core values: authenticity, optimism, and bridging divide. For the company, they want to encourage people to look at the New Year with optimism and hope, as well as reconnect with their families and friends.

“This year, Coca-Cola designed its Lunar New Year campaign centred on the idea that the magic of the Lunar New Year celebration happens when people bond together. It’s designed to inspire families to open up and deepen their connection with their families over a festive meal table, hopefully bringing them even closer during the Lunar New Year celebration,” he said.

Key visual for Coca-Cola’s Lunar New Year campaign

Sonza also added that one of the things that is also observed during these festivities is that there are generational differences within families, especially the younger generation who sometimes feel disconnected from their families. For Coca-Cola as a brand, they are always asking the question of how they can play a role in terms of bridging and enabling people to connect amidst the differences. 

“We see Coca-Cola and the dining table as our centrepieces for connection. As an enduring presence at mealtimes across generations, Coca-Cola steps in to facilitate shared experiences and meaningful conversations, bringing families closer together over a table filled with delicious meals and of course, an ice-cold Coca-Cola,” he added.

How its revamped packaging is a key part of Coca-Cola’s integrated campaign

A key component of Coca-Cola’s Lunar New Year campaign is its revamped packaging, which Sonza notes also has variations for its Singapore and Malaysian markets, as well as in Vietnam for its Tết (Lunar New Year) festivities.

Visual for Coca-Cola’s revamped Lunar New Year packaging design

“Our Coca-Cola packaging for the Lunar New Year featured the striking dragon design, a symbol of wealth and good fortune, and embodies the spirit of the Lunar New Year – a time for luck, well-wishing, and anticipation of a prosperous year ahead. We have also artfully integrated this majestic creature, not only in our packaging but also in a heartwarming TVC — bridging tradition and modernity, and encapsulating the essence of the upcoming year,” he said.

Sonza added, “Our product (and packaging) is the most tangible and best form of media that people/consumers interact with. Using our labels to show a country’s culture or tradition is part of the integrated experience we wish to deliver to people as we celebrate the Lunar New Year together with them.”

On the drive of influencers to amplify campaign across various touch points

As part of its Lunar New Year campaign in Singapore, Coca-Cola tapped MediaCorp artist Hazelle Teo to create a music video focusing on the fun side of the Lunar New Year festivities. According to Sonza, Yeo is one of the many influencers Coca-Cola is working with across the ASEAN and South Pacific regions for its campaigns.

“The song of Hazel Teo was released in Singapore only and relates to the campaign idea that “the magic of the Lunar New Year celebration happens when people bond”. It’s a reflection of the previous year’s hard work, how their family’s encouragement helped them power through, and how they look forward to the good fortune that the new year brings. It also talks about looking forward with positive enthusiasm and an even stronger determination as they have now received the best gift of them all – the “blessings of home”,” Sonza explained.

Music video with Hazelle Teo for Coca-Cola’s Lunar New Year campaign

He also added that by recognising how their consumers consume and interact with different forms of media, as well as connect with their friends, they are then able to fully provide an experience that is specifically catered and centred on them.

“Today’s generation (Gen Z), as we know it, is very social and digital savvy. Influencers play a key role in driving home our message and encouraging people, specifically the generation now, to use the tools we create or experience the activities we prepare on social and on the ground for them. Hence, we engage and connect with our consumers by tapping influencers to whom they relate to,” he concluded.

Singapore – Interactive visual marketing platform Wootag has teamed up with Lemma, an omnichannel SSP for emerging formats, to offer brands the unique opportunity to leverage the growing audience engagement within digital-out-of-home (DOOH) and connected TV (CTV) media and elevate their visual interactive marketing campaigns. 

Wootag’s partnership with Lemma is set to transform creative enhancement and media effectiveness for marketers. 

Through this partnership, marketers will now have seamless access to Wootag’s interactive visual marketing capabilities within Lemma’s robust media ecosystem. By integrating Wootag’s technology, marketers can create captivating and immersive experiences that drive deeper audience engagement. 

Furthermore, the collaboration unlocks the potential for personalised and impactful campaigns at scale, combining Lemma’s unprecedented reach and targeting capabilities with Wootag’s interactive features. 

As audiences spend more time on CTV and engage with outdoor environments, brands recognise the importance of targeting intent viewing and other funnel metrics. Wootag and Lemma enable marketers to enhance the viewing experience by delivering contextual and personalised content that yields a significant 2-3X performance increase over standard videos on CTV and DOOH platforms.

Through this collaboration, Lemma clients and agency partners can effectively incorporate Wootag’s interactive visual marketing capabilities as part of their media offerings. This bundled solution is available globally, providing agency partners with a convenient way to combine cutting-edge technology with media to drive campaign effectiveness at scale. 

By leveraging Wootag’s interactive features within Lemma’s omnichannel ecosystem, marketers can create highly engaging and personalised experiences for their audience across multiple channels. 

This strategic partnership also empowers marketers with valuable insights and analytics, enabling data-driven decision-making. Marketers can gain a deeper understanding of audience behaviour, preferences, and engagement patterns, allowing them to refine their strategies and optimise performance in real time. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and data-driven insights, marketers can make informed optimisations and drive better campaign results. 

Raj Sunder, CEO and founder of Wootag, said, “At Wootag, we offer marketers a comprehensive solution that integrates interactive visual marketing with a powerful media ecosystem. With our partnership with Lemma, marketers can deliver highly interactive and contextualised experiences that captivate audiences and achieve exceptional results in their advertising efforts. We are thrilled to embark on this journey with Lemma and empower brands to fuel remarkable business growth.” 

Meanwhile, Gulab Patil, founder and CEO of Lemma, shared, “At Lemma, we are committed to staying at the forefront of innovation, ensuring that our brands remain ahead in the competitive landscape. Partnering with Wootag reflects our ongoing pursuit of excellence in serving our brands and clients by unleashing the power of interactive visual marketing and data-driven insights and sets a new standard in the digital advertising landscape.”

London, United Kingdom – Dove, the personal care brand under Unilever, has announced a commitment to never use AI-generated images to portray distorted perceptions of women’s beauty, and instead putting focus on real women portrayals in its ads as part of the brand’s commitment to portray authenticity–and with the brand recently celebrating its 20th year anniversary.

Dove notes that one of the biggest threats to the representation of real beauty is Artificial Intelligence. Today, almost 9 in 10 women and girls say they have been exposed to harmful beauty content online.

In addition, With 90% of the content online predicted to be AI-generated by 2025, the rise of AI is a threat to women’s wellbeing: nearly half feel pressure to alter their appearance because of what they see online, even when they know it’s fake or AI-generated.

With this in mind, Dove will accelerate its efforts to champion transparency and diversity and take action to shatter beauty stereotypes in new and emerging media. Dove is renewing its vows to protect real beauty – committing to never using AI to represent real women in its ads. 

Moreover, to help set new digital standards of representation, Dove will create the Real Beauty Prompt Guidelines, easy to use guidance for everyone on how to create images that are representative of Real Beauty on the most popular generative AI programs.

Alessandro Manfredi, chief marketing officer at Dove, said, “At Dove, we seek a future in which women get to decide and declare what real beauty looks like – not algorithms. As we navigate the opportunities and challenges that come with new and emerging technology, we remain committed to protect, celebrate, and champion Real Beauty. Pledging to never use AI in our communications is just one step. We will not stop until beauty is a source of happiness, not anxiety, for every woman and girl.”

Dove’s new campaign, the Code, reflects the impact of AI on beauty and demonstrates the impact real beauty has made to change beauty for the better, 20 years and counting. It also stems from its initial research in 2004, where they found that 2% of women considered themselves beautiful. 

Since then, the ‘Campaign for Real Beauty’ has challenged society, media and the beauty industry itself to change its representation of women, be transparent about digital distortion and face-up to the harmful impact unrealistic beauty standards have on women and girls.

Moreover, in its ‘2024 The Real State of Beauty: a global report,’ Dove finds 2-in-5 would give up a year of their life to achieve an ideal look or body. The study shows that while beauty ideals have diversified over the years, the checklist is growing and impossible to meet – from looking healthy (79%) to also being slim (71%), having a small waist (66%) while also being curvy (55%). 2 in 3 women believe that women today are expected to be more physically attractive than their mother’s generation was.

Manila, Philippines – GrabFood in the Philippines has recently launched its latest feature ‘GrabFood Group Order’, allowing a group of people to order on their own through a group invite feature and then paying each order on their own without the hassle of calculating their order altogether.

As part of this feature rollout, Grab has tapped creative agency GIGIL to launch a new ad, centred around the dilemma of office mates struggling to do a group order together–with colleagues only relying on one person to take the bulk order–all while making their own requests.

The ad features a quirky meme reference to Kara Mia, a 2019 TV series that featured two-faced twin sisters. For this ad, said meme reference was used to denote that many people who do group order together often have conflicting orders, and more often than not, have way too many specific requests.

MARKETECH APAC recently caught up with GIGIL and Grab Philippines, who have long worked together on both local and international campaigns since 2022.

Cutting through the noise with trust

GIGIL has long been known to always go the quirky route when it comes to doing creative work with their clients. In an exclusive statement, Herbert Hernandez, founding partner at GIGIL stated that while humour still plays a huge role in their campaign, what matters for them is trust being built with clients.

“When GIGIL works on projects, it is always our goal to make clients and their message cut through. And what we have learned is that humor can effectively deliver a message across to an audience. And cut through is only possible if there is great trust and collaboration between the client and the agency,” he told MARKETECH APAC.

In the case of this campaign work, Hernandez notes that the theme is centered around the office being a ‘battleground’ for most Filipino workers, and that they also wanted to represent different personalities with the faces to make the situation more grounded as order-taking experiences in the office.

“Order-taking can become a hassle as it requires the person tasked with doing so to, quite literally, listen to everyone’s voices and take note of their each and every request. This can lead to mismatched orders and mistaken food and drink customizations. We wanted to visualise that problem, humorously but in a way that’s easy to understand. And how better to visualise that than to have a character with multiple faces popping out from different areas of his head?,” he explained.

Hyperlocalisation is at the heart of the campaign

In an exclusive conversation as well with J-anne Aruta, the country marketing head at Grab Philippines, she highlights that for every campaign they do, their primary focus is always on the message and its potential to inspire action among our consumers.

And in the Filipino context, they believe GIGIL is consistent in being an excellent thought and idea partner in the effective delivery of their messages, from relatable, attention-grabbing storytelling to strategic channel identification.

“Having worked with GIGIL for a few years now, we’ve witnessed how they’ve developed a deep understanding of our ecosystem and of our Filipino audiences. This in-depth understanding has allowed us to effectively collaborate on hyperlocal campaigns that are founded on unique, albeit sometimes odd, insights that resonate with our diverse base of consumers,” Aruta stated.

She also added that while Grab is a regional company, they also understand that hyperlocalisation is important to address specific touch points for each local market in the region.

“One of the many factors behind its strong presence across Southeast Asia is hyperlocalisation – a strategy that has empowered us to create solutions that address the various yet specific on-ground challenges our communities face. And hyperlocalisation does not just manifest in the tailor-fitting of products and services we launch across hundreds of cities in SEA. It is also present in the way we communicate with our audiences,” she explained.

When asked about the ad’s humorous direction, Aruta said that humour is but the wrapper, adding that it’s the ‘why’ that is the actual chocolate – the message a brand actually wants to be delivered.

“However, it’s easy to get lost in the plethora of witty punchlines, leading some to go astray from the primary intent. This is why we are always grounded on what we wish to convey. The punchline, the twist, and the mind-boggling ending always come second,” she concluded.

Singapore – Continuing on its ‘Passion Made Possible’ destination brand campaign, the Singapore Tourism Board has launched a global campaign bringing the island-nation to life with larger-than-life 3D billboards in the cities of New York, London, Shanghai, Mumbai and Jakarta.

The campaign, executed alongside BBH Singapore and The Shophouse @ Publicis, features the 3D out-of-home billboard that shine the spotlight on some of the country’s unique and multifaceted offerings and provides a whimsical take on three iconic Singapore experiences.

Choo Huei Miin, director of brand at Singapore Tourism Board, said, “Leveraging these immersive 3D out-of-home billboards, our aim was to capture the imagination of our travellers through transforming everyday moments into unique experiences Singapore has to offer to inspire travel. We hope this visual treat showcases the best of destination Singapore to the world and captivates audiences in key target markets with our vibrant culture, food, nature, and show-stopping futuristic landscapes.”

Meanwhile, Khairul Mondzi, executive creative director at BBH Singapore, commented, “This ‘global tour’ unveils to the world the essence of Singapore through a collection of experiences – iconic and lesser-known alike – in an unexpected, surprising way. Forget what you know about gardens, window shopping and performance art: STB’s new 3D billboards might surprise you in ways beyond the ordinary.”

Shenzhen, China – Global technology company TCL has launched a new campaign in commemoration of International Women’s Day, encouraging women to go after their dreams, transform them into a reality, and inspire others along the way.

The campaign, titled #EchoesOfGreatness, pays homage to renowned silent film actress Dorothy Cumming, who travelled from Australia to the United States in mid-1916 to follow her ambition of establishing a career in Hollywood.

Moreover, the campaign is also based on real-life interviews with Cumming’s family, news clippings and film studies, the legendary actress’ inspiring story was brought to life in #EchoesOfGreatness to honor her legacy and encourage women to keep the momentum going as the director of their own dreams. 

As part of the campaign, they are invited to share their stories and journey of turning dreams into reality – whether it was starting a business, pursuing a passion, or overcoming obstacles – on social media. Selected stories will be made into a movie by TCL to inspire others.

Yuki Wei, vice president of TCL Technology and chairman of the TCL Charity Foundation, said, “When those before us dream big, it inspires us to do the same and make our dreams come true. Over the years, TCL has been spotlighting women that are making a difference every day through #TCLforHer. We look forward to continuing this celebration of the strength and limitless potential of every girl and woman to dream big and live even bigger.”

To underscore the role of technology in facilitating women’s empowerment, TCL is also set to kick off #TechForHer, an accompanying social media campaign that highlights the functions and potential of the company’s innovative technology in impacting lives, including girls’ and women’s. The campaign will also see online users interacting with TCL through various interactive polls.