Asia PacificPage 2 of 20

With ‘Soldier for Women,’ Gillette urges Indian men to stand up for women

Published by Shri Pendakur - Bangalore on March 14, 2013 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

When a 23-year-old woman on a bus in Delhi was gang-raped and beaten to death last December, the horrendous crime spotlighted the fact that, in India, rape has long been depressingly common. (The U.N.’s human rights chief calls rape in India a “national problem.”) To address these atrocities against women, and more generally the sheer lack of public safety they feel in India, Gillette has embarked on a unique journey with a new campaign, “Soldier for Women.”

The objective is to inspire young Indian men to awaken their “inner valor” by embracing what a case study describes as the five values an ideal man should incorporate into his daily life: courage, camaraderie, discipline, integrity and grooming. A television spot showcases men and women from different social strata coming together, and we see men stand by women, as soldiers. The supers tell the story: “Soldiers wanted. Not to guard the borders. But to support the most important battle of the nation. To stand up for women.” Some commenters on YouTube criticize that women can stand up for themselves, but the point is more the final line, about respect: “Because when you respect women, you respect your nation.”

Since the high-profile rape, thousands of Indians have been stirred to rise up and express their anger and anguish through nationwide protests. The issue has created a huge furor across the country, with people questioning India’s very system of basic rights and equalities. Gillette taps into this strong vein of feeling in its social media component: A Facebook page asks consumers to share stories about people who have stood up for women (in exchange for free razors), and on Twitter the hashtag is #SoldierforWomen. The conversations and response among the public have been great so far.

Mentos tells Singaporeans to get fresh

Published by Geri Kan - Singapore on August 15, 2012 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , .

For some time now, Singapore’s fertility rate has been in the red thanks to factors including delayed marriage and childbirth, as well as a growing number of lifelong singletons across the nation. According to the government’s Population in Brief 2011, Singapore’s resident total fertility rate reached a low of 1.15 in 2010 after being in decline and remaining below the replacement level of 2.1 for more than three decades. The government has been combating this issue with efforts such as a national matchmakting agency (now 30 years old) and a “baby bonus” to parents of $8,000 for the first and second child and around $14,500 for the fifth.

Earlier this month, mint brand Mentos stepped in to help address Singapore’s population anxiety with a campaign guaranteed to fuel conversation around a topic that many shy away from discussing publicly. A tongue-in-cheek animated R&B video urged Singaporeans to do their civic duty on National Day, the nation’s birthday (Aug. 9), by making babies. “This National Night give birth to a nation” was the tagline. To “make Singapore’s birth-rate spike,” viewers are told to “make some fireworks ignite” with a “late-night dooty call” (a footnote on ad copy specifies that this applies only to “financially secure adults in stable, committed long-term relationships”). Mentos encouraged local bands to get into the fray with cover versions.

By being blunt about the issue of baby-making but keeping the tone light and the tune catchy, Mentos succeeded in putting this tricky topic in the spotlight and getting people talking about a very private concern.

Kit Kat crafts tongue-in-cheek reprieve from social media commitments

Published by Lydia Daly - Singapore on May 31, 2012 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

JWT Singapore and Kit Kat recently launched a desktop widget dedicated to helping young adults manage their rising social media obligations. The Social Break app was created in response to findings from a survey they conducted among 19-26-year-olds in China, Singapore and the U.S. that found that maintaining a perfect social media image and presence is making these Millennials increasingly anxious.

Demonstrating clear symptoms of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), half said they feel pressure to be in constant contact on social media, and this burden is intruding into every facet of their lives. More than a third of young Americans visit social media sites when they wake up in the middle of the night; 45 percent of young Singaporeans do so during lectures and class; and 14 percent of young Chinese say they tap away during meetings. In fact, more than half of those surveyed found it too time-consuming to keep up with their social media commitments and concede the time they spend on social networking sites has had a negative impact on their job or studies.

The Kit Kat Social Break widget is designed as a tongue-in-cheek reprieve from all this anxiety. Its settings enable users to automatically “like,” share and tweet activity on their Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter profiles, freeing them up to embrace the endless possibilities a break has to offer. For more on how brands can work to alleviate FOMO, see our March trend report.

The North Face urges stressed-out urbanites in China to ‘Go wild’ and escape to nature

Published by Delia Liu - Bejing on May 23, 2012 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

The fast pace of urban life and resulting disconnect from nature is a point of tension and anxiety for city dwellers across the globe. For Chinese white-collar workers in megacities such as Beijing and Shanghai, the drive to succeed has led to intense pressure, long working hours and the type of sedentary day jobs that can be spiritually suffocating. Kean to this insight, outdoor brand The North Face launched a campaign advocating that people escape—if only for a weekend—and return to the wild in order to release, rediscover and reconnect to the world through valuable experiences.

In a humorous manifesto spot, urbanites are encouraged to literally drop everything in their hectic lives and retreat to the great outdoors, taking back their sanity in the process. Set to racing drums, the spot opens with a man who’s given up on a chaotic traffic jam (he exits his car, placing the keys on the roof as the voiceover commands, “Damn you, traffic jams”). A man smashes an alarm clock that’s signaling the beginning of his morning routine, and an office worker shoves files into the arms of her perplexed colleague before strolling out. As the commercial cuts across various urban stressors, the drums and voiceover climb to a crescendo, then break to scenes of nature and the sound of a deep exhale. We see people trekking across the plains and frozen tundra. “Your life deserves another possibility,” the voiceover says. “To discover. To release. To gain. Go wild.”

Photo Credit: marketing.tudou.com/TheNorthFace

In Japan, Kit Kat decorates Tohoku train with messages of support

Published by Shinobu Baba - Tokyo on April 27, 2012 in Asia Pacific and Japan. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

In Japan, Kit Kat has launched World Variety, a new multi-pack with three Kit Kat flavors from around the world. With each purchase Kit Kat is donating 20 yen to the Sanriku Railway, a vital lifeline for many Tohoku coastal communities, which were heavily damaged by last year’s earthquake and tsunami. With the reopening of a key section of the railway line this month, the brand is also decorating the outside of trains with messages of hope and goodwill from Kit Kat fans around the world. Fans can submit messages of support in their language to the brand’s Facebook page.

We called this initiative Kit Zutto Project to let people in Tohoku know we will be there for them: Kitto means “surely” and zutto “for a long time.” Last July, we posted about Kit Kat selling a special Northern Japanese flavor nationwide, with Nestlé donating a portion of sales to the Japanese Red Cross.

Flipkart looks to change Indian perceptions of online shopping

Published by Ishita Mehar - Mumbai on April 26, 2012 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

The traditional Indian consumer is a touch it, smell it, feel it, wear it, think about it, discuss it and then finally buy it kind of person. Hence, online purchase calls for a huge behavioral change. In addition, these hesitations aren’t without merit, as the purchase experience can be a real nightmare. Online portals have tried to reassure consumers by offering everything from cash-on-delivery payments to liberal return policies (which end up more valuable in theory than practice as refunds are slow to arrive), but most are pretty unprofessional, damaging overall perception of the category.

An exception is Flipkart.com, which manages to do a decent job. The e-commerce portal is trying to speed up acceptance of online shopping with a series of commercials that aim to educate hesitant consumers about the ease of shopping on the site. The spots feature children acting like adults—the idea is that no one trusts you like children—and discussing how various things can be easily bought from Flipkart. The ads put a little twist on the classic format of consumer conversations.

In this spot, a grandfather and grandson are opening up a package. A curious father inquires about it, learning that it’s a new mobile for grandfather from Flipkart. When the father skeptically bursts out “Online shopping!” the son explains just how simple the process is. “But without seeing? … Just seeing one photo?” interjects the dad. His wife, who’s been silently toying around on her computer, notes, “Before marriage, all I saw was your photo only.” Everyone giggles at the father’s close-minded attitude. The ads end with the tagline, “Shopping ka naya address” (“New address for shopping”).

‘Schick Unplugged’ helps Japanese shavers cut power use

Published by Shinobu Baba - Tokyo on April 5, 2012 in Asia Pacific and Japan. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

After last year’s earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan, nuclear power was shut down, and Japanese citizens were forced to cut back on power use. In response, Schick and JWT came up with “Unplugged,” a small holder that reminds people not to use electricity (by blocking the electrical outlet) and provides a place to hang a razor at the same time.

The shaver and holder were sold together in promotional packs to make them more accessible to all consumers. Outlets in public bathrooms and those in restaurants and bars were hijacked to convey the message that “Schick saves electricity with you.” Leaflets with general energy saving tips were also part of the campaign.

The brand gave consumers a novel and easy way to adjust their behavior at a time of high anxiety and showed support for the common cause of saving electricity.

Photo Credit: JWT

「シック・アンプラグド」日本のヒゲソリ層の節電に貢献

昨年の震災後、原発が停止。深刻な電力不足から、日本国民は節電を強いられることとなった。そこでシックとJWTは、「アンプラグド・ホルダー」を発明 – カミソリを立掛けると同時に、コンセントをふさぐ機能を併せ持つ。

誰もが手軽に使えるよう、カミソリとセットでお得な価格で販売。同形状のOOHで飲食店などの公共のコンセントをジャックし、“シックは、あなたといっしょに節電します”というメッセージを伝えた。さらに街頭では、節電ライフ啓蒙リーフレットを配布してキャンペーンをサポートした。

消費者の不安が高まる中、シックはユニークな形にて節電に貢献することに成功した。

Thai cosmetics brand Oriental Princess helps women confront social labels and pressures

Published by Drakon Sirakovit - Bangkok on March 22, 2012 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

“If you don’t look beautiful, you won’t get anywhere in life.” Often women underestimate themselves and live by others’ judgment, and many cosmetics brands reinforce this, creating anxiety. Oriental Princess, the largest cosmetics brand here in Thailand, aims to alleviate this by telling women that they’re not alone, that they have a voice and should not live their lives by the labels that others give them.

The brand created the Oriental Princess Society, reachable both online and offline, which now has 1 million-plus members throughout Thailand. Its message to these women: Take pride in yourself rather than worry about how others see you. A recent commercial illustrates this, asking empowering questions like, “Why be like everyone else? Why not accept the way you are?” and “Why not listen to yourself?”

Online, the society acts like a social and discussion network. Women set up an account with filters that let them choose issues of interest. Content is generated by members or invited guests. When relevant issues are posted, the women who have expressed interest are tagged and involved in the discussion. These discussions then become themes that come to life offline at the Oriental Princess stores, where members can be more actively involved with the society. Through the society, Oriental Princess illustrates that it’s not just another cosmetics brand selling a promise.

Pakistan’s Djuice mobile offering tackles social ills

Published by Khurram Hussain - Lahore on December 12, 2011 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Djuice, a pre-paid offering in Pakistan, has been positioned as a straight talker and to-the-point communicator, transparent and upfront. Its commercials for the service address social issues that drive anxiety—things that tend not to be talked openly about here. The tagline: “With Djuice, boycott society’s silence on this issue.”

One TV spot tackles disrespect toward women, showing a young woman unable to walk in a marketplace without getting hassled left and right. She starts screaming, and another woman asks, “When will there be change so that we start respecting women outside our families and in public?” She urges, “Speak up today or repent tomorrow—your words are your weapon against this moral illness, and with Djuice, just go ahead and voice your reservations and opinions to effect a change today.”

Another spot tackles the fact that many jobs are landed through back-channel connections, an especially difficult fact of life in recessionary times. A young man interviewing for a job is required to provide references. One friend tells him, “You know, my dad is a big shot and he can help.” The interviewer gets various calls from the applicant’s references, but eventually the candidate says, “I think my credentials are my most important reference in life.” As he walks out, the interviewer says, “Young man, you’re basically right! When do you want to join?” A third spot addresses the issue of teachers turning a blind eye to cheating on exams. The ads push a friends and family package, encouraging people to discuss these issues with their close contacts.

Faced with so many issues that seem beyond their control, Pakistani consumers feel hopeless in the face of government inaction. Djuice empowers consumers to believe they can tackle some social issues that are within their grasp, rather than sit idly by and wait for change.

Australia’s Tooheys New cleverly extends ‘beer economy’ theme to community work

Published by Thomas McGillick - Sydney on September 13, 2011 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

The ongoing “Beer Economy” campaign from Tooheys New beer is based around the idea that beer is Australia’s second, unofficial currency: If someone does you a favor, you thank them with a few beers, and the official currency here is Toohey’s New (or so it goes). “Tooheys New Crew,” the CSR component, connects a team of tradesmen and volunteers to communities, where they work on “building projects that will make a difference.” Every contribution is measured in its beer equivalent, and the goal is to reach a million beers’ worth of favors. The brand’s YouTube channel showcases their efforts, such as a recent project for a local Rugby League Club.

The idea of doing good in the community fits well within the campaign but is also a refreshing example of a CSR endeavor whose tangible results consumers can see for themselves. The timing is right, given that Australians currently have a difficult relationship with big business. Retail chains have not passed along the falling cost of imports brought about by the strong Australian dollar; mining companies are compulsorily acquiring farmers’ land to establish damaging coal seam gas wells; and a recent study shows resolute condemnation of big business’s response to this year’s Queensland floods. Plus, the widespread expectation among today’s consumers is that “Companies need to do more good, not just less bad,” as a recent JWT study found (for more on the study, see our new “Social Good” report).