Tag: Marketing Campaign

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Julie’s returns with its mental wellness campaign #Take25 by featuring literal goats as its unexpected guests, alluding to the acronym G.O.A.T. meaning “greatest of all time”.

Conceptualised alongside GOVT, the campaign leverages a series of three entertaining videos featuring a day in the life of some unexpected stars – goats aka G.O.A.T.s, sharing their wisdom on mental health.

Using the power of humour, the videos which stars goats, playfully uses the acronym G.O.A.T.s which stands for “The Greatest of All Time”, to convey that: even the greatest individuals have days where they don’t feel so great or positive all the time. 

According to GOVT, the campaign aims to challenge the misconception of what a perfect life or person should be. It emphasises that perfection is a myth and embracing vulnerabilities is okay. 

Tzy Horng Sai, director at Julie’s Biscuits, said, “The surge in idealised portrayals in society, in particular on social media, mainly highlights curated content that features life’s successes and joyful moments, has contributed to a societal perception that the curated content equates to an ideal life. Yet such portrayals are impossible standards and this paradox of impossible standards, promulgated in our everyday social media musings, is precisely why our #Take25 campaign is needed.”

Meanwhile, Aaron Koh, creative partner at GOVT, commented, “We live in a very success-driven world where it is very crucial to acknowledge that even the most accomplished individuals such as the G.O.A.T.s of our generation have their low moments too, and that’s perfectly normal.”

He added, “For this campaign and in line with the typical Julie’s brand humour, we have decided to feature real goats instead (as the actual G.O.A.T.s would be too costly) to spread the message that mental wellbeing is a complex journey, and each person faces their own unique challenges. Feeling less than great doesn’t always signify a mental health issue; it just means you’re human.

Sydney, Australia – The iconic Sydney Opera House has launched a new film as part of its 50th birthday celebration, and also marking 50 years of bravery, creativity and wonder at the world’s most celebrated cultural landmark. 

Conceptualised alongside The Monkeys, the film is directed by award-winning filmmaker Kim Gehrig and produced by Revolver, and features a collection of Australian artists and arts companies who share an enduring connection with the Opera House.

The film also features the song ‘Play it Safe’, written and composed by Australian singer Tim Minchin as an ironic salute to the bold, visionary experiment that became the Opera House. The song is a musical homage to a building that tested the limits of engineering and design, forever changing the face of Sydney. Minchin has crafted a wry, potent message about the importance of defying conventions and taking risks. 

Minchin’s playful lyrics are richly illustrated in sequences featuring Sydney Symphony Orchestra, The Australian Ballet, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Ziggy Ramo, Zahra Newman representing Sydney Theatre Company, John Bell representing Bell Shakespeare, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Elma Kris representing Bangarra Dance Theatre, Kira Puru, Cathy-Di Zhang representing Opera Australia, William Barton, Courtney Act, Jimmy Barnes, Sydney Dance Company Pre Professional Year Students and Associate Artists, Lucy Guerin dancers and Minchin himself.

Louise Herron AM, CEO at Sydney Opera House, said, “Imagine if the creators of this magnificent building had played it safe, imagine what we would not have. Their bravery forever changed our nation. We set out to create a tribute to the Opera House 50 years on – to inspire the community and to remind us all of the incredible moments that have taken place here over the past five decades. With the help of the brilliant Tim Minchin, Kim Gehrig and a wonderful cast of Australian artists, this song celebrates what’s possible when you think big.”

Meanwhile, Mark Green, group CEO at The Monkeys and president at Accenture Song ANZ, commented, “We’ve had a long history with the Sydney Opera House since creating the Ship Song in 2010, and we are proud to play our part in championing creativity and the arts in celebration of an icon. It’s been a pleasure working with such a talented group of people.”

Lastly, Phillipa Harrison, managing director at Tourism Australia, said, “We are thrilled to support the 50th anniversary of one of Australia’s most globally recognisable icons, the Sydney Opera House. Taking prominence on the shores of Sydney Harbour, it is a building that has inspired millions of visitors from all over the world to travel here to admire this stunning architectural masterpiece up close, highlighting its central role in international tourism to Australia.”

She added, “Synonymous with Australia and Sydney’s stunning harbour and modern skyline, it has featured prominently in our international tourism marketing campaigns over five decades, including our latest campaign ‘Come and Say G’day’, helping to inspire international travellers to visit our country.”

Manila, Philippines – In a world where businesses always think of going ‘digital’ is the best way to move forward, how do customers even know if the person they are talking to has the human touch? This was the overarching question GoTyme Bank aims to answer in its latest campaign film titled ‘The Lonely Bot’, conceptualised alongside Iris Singapore.

The campaign film, produced by Directors Think Tank and directed by Rajay Singh, features an emotional story that underscores the value of human connection, especially in a world of relentless technological advancement. 

For GoTyme Bank, the campaign shines a spotlight on its own brand of customer service, which unlike competitors, does not use automated responses and chatbots. When users ask for help, they can expect to speak to a real person, who will cater to their needs with human intuition and empathy.

Raymund Villanueva, chief marketing officer at GoTyme Bank, said, “The integrated brand campaign launched GoTyme Bank’s proposition as a human digital bank which will allows to deliver the best customer service in the country. Through the insight of Iris Singapore, we were able to communicate to Filipinos that GoTyme is a bank that brings warmth, empathy, and understanding of human interaction into the digital realm.”

He added, “That in a world of automation and digitalization, our customers can call, chat with, or email human personal bankers who are available to assist them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

Meanwhile, Cristina ‘Tin’ Sanchez, executive creative director at Iris Singapore, commented, “One of the ways that humans connect with each other is through a love for stories. Stories have the power to link minds and tribes. So, we created a series of stories rich in humanity, truth and emotion, to highlight not only the offers, but the main promise of GoTyme Bank: its human-centredness. Something that is even more precious in the midst of constant AI evolution.”

‘The Lonely Bot’ is flanked by four individual 20-second short films: Gimme Five, Cupcake, Promotion, and Bot World, which will be released over the next few weeks. Each focus on a value proposition or product of GoTyme Bank. 

Singapore – Global luxury car maker BMW has launched a new campaign for its upcoming iX2 model, which features virtual influencer Lil Miquela and exposes her digital senses and experiences the joy of driving.

Conceptualised alongside Media.Monks which is part of The Marcom Engine, the campaign’s film is directed by Stefanie Soho from BWGTBLD. In it, one could see Lil Miquela breaking into the real world with the new BMW iX2 and step by step falling in love with human existence. 

Said film ties the campaign back to the brand vision of ‘Freude Forever’, and will be available globally and launched in BMW’s core markets across EMEA, APAC and the United States.

Stefan Ponikva, vice president of brand communication and experience at BMW, said, “People have been creating emotions and personal memories in BMWs for over 100 years. The world and the industry are changing rapidly; Digitalization and electrification are finding their way, not only in the product but also in marketing.”

He added, “These advances are important and in the future vehicles will continue to move real people through real worlds and in addition through virtual worlds. We have made this bridge-building the core of our BMW iX2 campaign and the result touches hearts.”

Meanwhile, Patrick Klebba, executive creative director at Media.Monks, commented, “Amidst all the Web 3.0, Metaverse, artificial intelligence push of the past two years, this crafty piece of storytelling is all about real life. Now Lil Miquela reminds us of what we have, and how beautiful it is, and how lucky we are to have it – this is what we want people to feel.”

Manila, Philippines – Christmas is seen as the most wonderful time of the year with its fun gatherings, anticipated reunions, and festive spirits, but between the hustle and bustle of the season and the mundane moments, Philippine fast-food chain Jollibee shows in its latest campaign that capturing the holiday spirit is simpler than most people think.

Jollibee’s campaign shows how it can transform everyday situations into Christmas, as unsuspecting individuals step into what appears to be a standard Christmas-themed photo booth, only to discover a surprise filled with joy.

The video showcases Jollibee’s answer to delivering the joy of Christmas, as individuals who visited the photo booth were pleasantly surprised to see a meal from Jollibee, spreading the gift of giving in this holiday season.

Talking about the campaign, Mari Aldecoa, assistant vice president at Jollibee, expressed, “At Jollibee, we believe that Christmas is about the joy that we share with our loved ones.“

“This season, we hope that Jollibee can once again help in making every gathering more enjoyable and memorable. Together, let’s make this Christmas a wonderful one with Jollibee Joy”, he added. 

Auckland, New Zealand – New Zealand based utility company Genesis has launched their latest campaign, showcasing the Genesis School-gen programme, which has been providing free STEM teaching resources and learning tools to primary schools around the country for 16 years.

This campaign by Genesis and Bastion Shine features New Zealander George and her family, showcasing Genesis products and services, and is the fifth entry in a series of features which started in 2022.

In the new film spot, George takes us to her school where we see her and her classmates learning about science, technology, engineering and maths as part of the Genesis School-gen programme. 

Through the campaign, Genesis showcases its understanding on the importance of investing in the future of Aotearoa by engaging rangatahi in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects, as any of New Zealand’s jobs of the future will require STEM skills.

Speaking on the campaign, Stephanie Fahey, head of brand at Genesis, said, “George and her family have been incredibly well received by Kiwis, helping to build an emotional connection and an engaging narrative that is generating strong results for Genesis. Care is at the heart of the Genesis brand and we’re proud to have a long record of supporting New Zealand schools through the School-gen programme.”

Meanwhile, Andy McLeish, partner and chief strategy officer at Bastion Shine, commented, “George and her family are working out to be a really effective vehicle to deliver proof points for Genesis and build brand affinity. We’re really excited to be adding School-gen to the suite of George stories and share the great work Genesis does in New Zealand schools with the whole country.”

The integrated campaign includes television, radio, OOH, digital and social and launches on October 15.

Tokyo, Japan – Global footwear brand Nike in Japan has launched a new campaign which is aimed at inviting Gen Z in Japan to escape the pressures of perfection and express the power of sport.

Conceptualised alongside creative agency W+K Tokyo, the local campaign is part of Nike’s global Reimagine Victory campaign.

As a part of its global campaign that reimagines the future of sport, Nike has singled out the pressure to be perfect as a key barrier Gen Z faces in Japan. Rather than depict elite-level athletes dominating flawlessly, Nike has built a story around a relatable Gen Z protagonist. 

The anthem film follows a protagonist, Aika, who is facing self-imposed pressures to get good grades, find a solid job and compare herself to her peers on social media. Unexpectedly, Aika witnesses the pressures of perfection on Japanese women from different time periods in the past. With each visit, she realizes she is not alone in feeling these pressures and gains confidence through sport to push through and unlock her authentic self. 

As the film gains momentum, Nike athletes and catalysts such as skaters Yurin Fujii & Ginwoo Onodera and breaker Ami Yuasa appear as today’s expression of sport, adding even more inspiration along her journey. 

The film culminates with the protagonist receiving the support of generations of Japanese women before her and taking these learnings and confidence into living her life the way she wants to, unapologetically.

“To establish this world, we turned to director Georgia Hudson to bring a unique and poetic story to life. The film alternates between metaphorical sequences depicting the pressures of perfection in the past, contrasted with modern-day, relatable Gen Z pressures. Sport is positioned as the shortcut to reimagining those pressures, releasing the tension, and confidently finding the most authentic version of yourself,” the agency said in a press statement.

Singapore – Hyatt’s hotel concept chain Andaz in Singapore has launched a digital treasure hunt map called ‘The Authentically Local Story Hunt’ which invites guests to embrace the role of story hunters and gain fresh perspectives while exploring the vibrant neighbourhoods in and around the hotel.

Conceptualised alongside local creative and production studio UNCANNY, the campaign motivates participants to transition from being mere tourists to embracing the identity of a local, inviting them to extend their stay and immerse themselves in the vibrant tapestry of Singapore.

Participants in this captivating adventure can engage in the hunt by accessing the story hunt digital map on their mobile devices and venturing to curated venues scattered across the city. These venues are marked by distinctive red dots featuring QR codes. 

By scanning these codes, they unlock captivating tales revealing the hidden gems of the locale, intricately woven into Singapore’s rich cultural tapestry. Additionally, they have the opportunity to indulge in exclusive offers provided by the venues through the digital map

To kick off this exciting campaign, the hotel has extended invitations to three pairs of Story Hunters hailing from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. They will embark on their adventure across five carefully chosen local neighbourhoods: Joo Chiat, Kampong Glam, Marina Bay, Chinatown, and Little India. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnE3P4yd560

Moreover, the adventure will be chronicled in a five-part video series, featuring the Story Hunters along with the commentary of host and local personality, Rosalyn Lee. The video series will be shared on the Story Hunt website and YouTube channel throughout the campaign period, inspiring interested viewers to follow their escapades and witness the charm of the local cultures through their eyes.

Federica Brugnara, executive assistant manager for sales and marketing at Andaz Singapore, said, “Launching the campaign has been a meaningful endeavor for the hotel associates as it represents our commitment to shaping a transformative guest experience and contributing to the vibrant tapestry of Singapore’s tourism.”

She added, “By inviting both locals and global visitors to participate on the story hunt, we encourage deeper connection with the city’s rich cultural heritage and neighborhoods. The campaign extends beyond hotel marketing. It also celebrates the authentic stories that make the city unique. It’s an invitation to explore beyond the familiar, to challenge preconceptions, and to embrace the soul of the little red dot.”

Meanwhile, Qi Hao Shum, co-founder and creative Lead of UNCANNY said, “Together with the wonderful team at Andaz Singapore we conceptualised and produced the #AuthenticallyLocal Story Hunt, an integrated campaign that highlights Andaz Singapore’s position as the perfect place to base yourself to explore the hidden stories that make Singapore an amazing tourist destination. 

He added, “The campaign culminates in a digital experience that invites tourists and the public to participate in the Story Hunt themselves and explore the nooks and crannies of Singapore that make the island a one-of-a-kind destination.”

Lastly, Yu Chin Han, co-founder of UNCANNY, added, “This work has been a labour of love for our entire team, creating it has been a wonderful reminder of all the unique & diverse experiences that has made me proud to call Singapore home.”

Hong Kong – In a bid to promote its recently-launched Octopus Mastercard offering to teens in Hong Kong, smart card company Octopus has tapped local virtual YouTubers or VTubers to promote it in a 4-week long campaign through engaging video content by these VTubers, who amass an accumulated subscriber base of almost 100,000 people. 

The campaign has enlisted four popular VTubers, Mya, Rumi Ikisaragi, Tsukishima Cross and Hasuki Aoi, all creators of engaging video content for the teen target audience.

Conceptualised alongside DDB Group Hong Kong, the campaign promotes the ability to use the card for any and all online purchases, connecting with target consumers in the digital world they are so accustomed to, yet can have a hard time spending in.

The agency notes that while using VTubers as a marketing channel is not entirely new, never before has a campaign so comprehensively included curated VTuber livestream content, tailormade merchandise and ecommerce offers. 

Each VTuber will introduce and promote the Octopus Mastercard via their weekly live streams, directing them to online shopping platform Flying Milktea, where exclusive products will be available for Octopus Mastercard users, as well as 10% discount on all other purchases.

Rita Li, sales and marketing director at Octopus Hong Kong, said, “Hong Kong teens have grown up with Octopus and Octopus Mastercard will enable another online payment option for them.  We are excited to be offering this prepaid Mastercard for Gen-Z users as they gain increasing financial independence through their teens.” 

Meanwhile, Felix Fong, head of digital at DDB Group Hong Kong, commented, “It is always exciting to take brands to new digital environments, and we knew that for both this audience and this product we needed to be online. It was important to find a way to show them the benefits of this virtual card, without encroaching too much on their time, space or enjoyment. I think partnering with the VTubers and Flying Milktea felt a really new and interesting proposition and yet, a natural fit for all.” 

Brands integrating VTubers into their campaign are not new, with global brands such as Kelloggs, Crunchyroll, and Netfix all having their own VTubers. In Asia, airasia has launched its own VTuber project called Project Kavvaii.

Manila, Philippines – Milk tea brand CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice has a new campaign up its sleeve–but instead of a typical light and jolly ad, it features a much rather candid and hilarious ad dedicated to those who want to alleviate their stress in the most literal way possible. The solution? Literally stab a huge cup to vent out all of those pent-up emotions.

Conceptualised alongside local creative agency GIGIL, the new tongue-in-cheek commercial features veteran journalist Ces Drilon, also known for the meme ‘Stress Drilon’, facing a multitude of everyday woes. Whether it was hilariously sipping a salty coffee drink or getting splashed by a muddy car on a rainy commute, all of these situations led up to her using said cup activation to vent out her emotions–in a rather profanity-laden and hilarious way.

MARKETECH APAC spoke to both CoCo and GIGIL to learn about the concept process of said campaign, and how did they even managed to tap one of the biggest names in Filipino journalism to be the star of said campaign.

Right off the bat, the question was: why Ces Drilon?

“Stress Drilon” has been part of the vernacular. It only felt right to use Ms. Ces Drilon herself! It was refreshing to see her in a different light. In a way, our material was so entertaining, it became a stress reliever for Pinoys, too,” Nanais Hernandez, senior strategic planner at GIGIL quipped.

When asked what was the underlying theme for said campaign, Dana De Leon, associate creative director at GIGIL, notes that milk tea, as a drink, has always been considered as a treat or reward, rather than just a thirst-quencher.

“After a long, tiring day you’d find yourself heading to your favourite milk tea joint and getting that sweet relief in a cup. But before you take a sip, you strike that lid with your straw. And that cathartic little moment, we (the team) felt was a specially unique experience with milk tea. So why not make that experience ten–or a hundred times bigger?,” she said.

She also stressed the importance of injecting humour to this campaign, saying “CoCo – both its drinks and its branding – stems from fun and making people smile. This campaign simply amplified the brand’s existing traits–turning those smiles into belly laughs.”

Hernandez also added, “It all stems back to CoCo’s core–we’re refreshingly fun. Through whatever touchpoint, CoCo should be able to lift people’s spirits, especially during stressful times. .”

As the agency has long been known to create multiple outdoor activations for some of its clients such as Netflix Philippines, GIGIL has noted that activations like this tie up nicely with the overall messaging theme for the campaign.

Beverly Lubid, group account director at GIGIL, said, “We feel that it kind of ties the whole campaign together. Stemming from such an emotional insight (pertaining to stress,) it was just right that we let the audience not just watch, but also experience the relief. It’s one thing to watch someone jab a giant CoCo cup aggressively–but to experience it, we felt, provides a whole new level of catharsis.”

Meanwhile, Charmaine Tan, business development manager at CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice also added insights on the campaign’s direction, also stressing the importance of why Ces Drilon appearance in the ad make the ad very more locally relatable.

“First of all, it has to be the insight of stress being very relatable regardless of demographics. The feeling of stress isn’t supposed to be funny or comedic, but how the campaign painted stress relief in such a humorous way made it click with the audiences, who really resonated with how the character released their own stress in the film,” she said.

Tan added, “Additionally, the “Stress Drilon” insight is very Filipino. Making up a pun from a distinguished broadcaster’s name and using it as a general descriptor of your mood is such a Filipino way of making jokes, and we’re glad that CoCo got to use it in such a unique way while maintaining the main goal and message of the brand — CoCo’s drinks are stress relieving and fun.”

Larry Evans Tan, general manager CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice, commented that they also aimed to create a campaign that was rooted in milk tea being an exciting and rewarding experience whenever you drink it.

“We wanted our audiences to associate CoCo as a source of stress relief and excitement, so the angle was to really find a fun and entertaining way to integrate that insight into a film. The main campaign was just then built up when the team presented the idea of striking a giant cup, then connected it with the Stress Drilon reference for the film,” he said.

He also added, “It ties up very well as CoCo really wanted to present itself as a place where people can relax and reward themselves with a refreshing and relieving drink. We feel the film did a great job in highlighting that if you’re feeling stressed, you can de-stress and reward yourself with a drink in CoCo.”