Oreo puts itself at center of father, daughter ‘bonding moment’

Published by Melina Chan - Singapore on May 20, 2013 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

For many working parents, it is a daily challenge to make time for their children. It’s no different in Asia, especially in a city like Hong Kong, where the modern stresses of parenting weigh on families with young children. (According to a survey conducted in Hong Kong, only 38 percent of parents spend between 1.5 to 3 hours per day with their children.) Oreo’s “Bonding moments start with Oreo” campaign—which has been adapted around Asia—encourages parents to reignite and strengthen the connection with their children through the “Twist Lick Dunk” ritual.

In a TV commercial, a little girl has tea with her big teddy bear, inviting the bear to eat an Oreo with her and showing it the ritual of eating the cookie by starting with the twist. Her father has been on the phone observing her. He hides behind the bear, who gains a pair of hands that follow her “twist and lick”; she then demonstrates the dunking of the cookie. Her father finally pushes the bear aside and completes the dunk ritual with his happy daughter. The spot ends with the girl’s voiceover telling us that the “twist” of a happy moment happens only with Oreo.

As the U.K.’s cost of living keeps rising, Asda peppers a low-price message with humor

Published by Romila Sanassy - London on May 17, 2013 in Europe. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

As the cost of living in the U.K. rises and Brits become increasingly anxious about covering the cost of their weekly shop, supermarkets must work harder to keep customers loyal. According to recent research, the cost of living in the U.K. is 11 percent higher than the international average and an incredible 18 percent higher than it is in the United States. In addition, since the horsemeat scandal broke, U.K. advertisers can no longer rely solely on a “cheapest price” message. The public still wants their food to be as inexpensive as possible, but the scandal made it clear that there’s often a price to be paid when offerings appear too cheap to be true.

Low-cost supermarket Asda has previously focused on price against their competitors. In a marked departure from its usual method of communicating, the retailer is now engaging the consumer with the reality of juggling a busy household and bills in an amusing, charming and also honest way, before the lowest-price message comes along in all its glory. Asda’s new price lock initiative, which freezes the costs of essentials for a 12-week period, seems a clever tactic to prevent regular and potentially new consumers from shopping around week on week.

Brahma beer fights back Brazilian cynicism about the World Cup

Published by José Lucas - São Paulo on May 15, 2013 in Latin America. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Next year, Brazil will host the FIFA World Cup. And that should be a reason for pride and excitement. After all, the global soccer powerhouse will finally host its beloved sport’s most important event. Right? Maybe not. The truth is that a vocal contingent of Brazilians is skeptical about the country’s capabilities to organize such an important event. Why? They have to cope every day with the lack of infrastructure and poor public services: traffic, crowded airports, lack of security, inadequate public transportation, power outages, water shortages in the winter, floods in the summer, and the list goes on.

Brazil’s investment in infrastructure has actually increased in absolute numbers over the past few years, but it hasn’t kept up with the pace of the economy. So Brazilians have taken to deriding public institutions with the phrase “Imagina na Copa” when they face daily problems—in other words, things will only get worse when the crowds come: “Traffic jam? Wait until the World Cup!”

A local beer brand saw an opportunity amid the skepticism. Brahma crafted an optimistic campaign, turning around “Wait until the World Cup” and creating “Wait until the party.” The message to pessimists: that a country that handles global parties like Carnaval and New Year’s Eve has all the conditions to put on an amazing World Cup. For instance, “Let’s imagine how crowded airports will be—yes, they will be! With excited fans and incredible athletes”; “Streets will have traffic jams of people celebrating.” And so on. After all, is there a Brazilian who doesn’t like to party? For a beer brand, no.

Petco’s Whole Pets website provides ‘pet parents’ with information hub

Published by Stephanie Shkolnik - San Diego on May 13, 2013 in North America. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

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Communicating and understanding our pets is difficult. Are they enjoying their food? Feeling upset? Happy? How do they feel about sleeping in the bed versus on the floor? How can we really know? The unknown creates anxiety, particularly for pet parents who want to give their pet the world. So Petco and JWT agency Digitaria developed WholePets, a digital content hub for all things pets—giving pet parents a hub to find sound recommendations on how to address pets’ physical, mental, social and emotional needs.

You can filter tips by pet type and topic to find details on Cat Nutrition 101, for instance, or house training a new dog. Having an online destination with go-to tips from a trusted source not only helps to relieve anxiety about how to enhance pets’ lives but ultimately to be better, happier parents.

Photo Credit: wholepets.petco.com

Tata Tea, Nokia line up to support equal rights, safety for India’s women

Published by Carl Daji - Mumbai on May 10, 2013 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

With recent crimes against women in India echoing loudly around the nation and the globe, the everyday anxieties of Indian women are surfacing like never before. Brands across categories are taking up the cause in different ways. We’ve posted about Gillette, which is calling for men to act as “Soldiers for Women,” Vodafone’s all-women stores and a Times of India initiative. Add two more to the list: Tata Tea and Nokia.

Tata Tea takes the stance of not just putting women on par with men but ahead. In a spot for the brand, popular Bollywood icon Shahrukh Khan walks the walk by pledging to feature female co-stars ahead of his name in the title credits. Khan is seen conducting an interview with a young journalist, who asks for his opinion on women’s equality. Khan says women shouldn’t be equal to men—rather, they should be ahead in every field, mentioning education, medicine, politics, engineering and media. The journalist challenges his response, noting that male film stars are always billed before female counterparts. Khan calls for a retake of the shot and announces that from now on, he’ll get second billing to his female stars. A voiceover says, “For a big change, everyone must make a small start,” and Khan concludes, “We have more to do. Ahead.”

Meanwhile, Nokia Asha is smartly bringing to life its Nokia Nearby app, showing young women leading a harassing goon to the nearest police station with the help of the app. In a TV commercial, two young women are walking down the street when a man in a car begins catcalling and following them as they walk toward a Chinese restaurant. The clever women change course and instead head to the nearest police station. Preoccupied with trying to get their attention, the man drives into the trap, and a policeman interrogates him.

While brands like these are beginning to tap in to the Indian woman’s concerns about equality and safety, time will tell how far and deep they’re willing to travel. Brands will need to go beyond just taking a stance or voicing an opinion to actually finding relevant ways of tackling these societal issues if they are to truly capture trust and admiration.

Two years after 3/11, a Japanese ad campaign points to recovery and repair

Published by Takashi Aoki - Shanghai on May 8, 2013 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

It’s been more than two years since the date 3/11 took on a special significance in Japan. This disaster followed 20 years of recession that caused the Japanese to shrink emotionally: With the country’s competitiveness declining, the whole society became accustomed to getting overtaken by many emerging countries. Then came that disaster, and many Japanese felt they might never recover. But anxiety seems to improving, thanks in part to the new prime minister, who emphasizes the will to be No. 1 in the world in certain areas and is urging industries to institute pay increases; the stock market is rising for now.

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Responding to the inferiority complex that Japanese often have when it comes to comparisons with Western nations, especially Americans, the satellite broadcasting company Wowow recently ran a campaign called “Japan is doing well.” Eight TV commercials, which promoted the company’s monthly featured programs, showed a typical Japanese boy cleverly outwitting a competitive Western boy to attract a girl’s attention in a comical way. The idea points to Japan’s recovery and captures a feeling of optimism that some people are starting to feel.

We’ve seen a lot of brand messages in the past two years that can be categorized as “cheering-up,” “social contribution” and “love and bonding.” It looks like we’re now getting to the stage of motivating beyond optimism.

Image Credit: blog.livedoor.jp

 

McDonald’s Austria positions breakfast as a break from manic mornings

Published by Alexandra Stieber - Atlanta on May 6, 2013 in North America. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

From the buzz of the alarm clock to the frantic rush to get ready, early morning can often be the most anxiety-producing time of day. Recently we wrote about Tropicana’s “Worst Morning Ever” campaign, which empathized with harried commuters. Now a spot from McDonald’s in Austria uses whimsical humor to show a McDonald’s breakfast as a respite from a typically stressful morning.

With the line “Not everything is as easy as a McDonald’s breakfast,” the “Easy Morning” commercial puts a slightly surreal spin on a man’s morning, from alarm clocks buzzing around his head to a horde of impatient shoes awaiting him to a claustrophobic sidewalk crowd. Relief comes at McDonald’s, where the protagonist relaxes with a very appealing looking “Viennese breakfast” and cappuccino. Though most of us don’t actually have time for a leisurely breakfast stop, the commercial makes us aspire to do so.

JWT London’s Austerity Index: Britons using every trick in the book to make ends meet

Published by Marie Stafford - London on May 3, 2013 in Europe. 0 Comments Tags: , .

In the first wave of JWT London’s new quarterly Austerity Index, we found that 92 percent of Britons are deploying one or more of a range of coping mechanisms to save money: using money-off coupons (58 percent), using loyalty points (53 percent), checking price comparison tools (54 percent), or switching utilities suppliers (19 percent) and mobile tariffs (17 percent). Austerity Britain appears to be producing a nation of savvy budget tacticians who are relying upon a slew of strategies to make their money go further. They’re also finding more ways to restock the coffers. Selling unwanted items is a popular strategy: 51 percent are selling or planning to sell items at car boot sales or auction sites like eBay.

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JWT London’s findings suggest that being a thrifty consumer is now a way of life for many. This is not surprising given that low-income households fork out an average of £91 each week to pay for necessities like groceries, toiletries, petrol and travel. That’s excluding money for the mortgage or rent, or any bills. And once they’ve covered off those essentials, more than a third of those surveyed told us they have nothing left to spend on themselves or others as a treat at the end of the month. A further third have just over £12 a week, barely enough to cover a small round of drinks at the pub.

Amid the gloom, there’s a glint of steely resourcefulness. While 30 percent of people report feeling depressed, 27 percent say they feel in control. It seems that when push comes to shove, Britain will cope, using every trick and tactic at its disposal. No surprise then that 62 percent agree that austerity has taught us something: how to live with less.

Image Credit: Images_of_Money

WWF targets anti-fur message at French animal-lovers with Wonder World Fur line

Published by Deborah Tapia - Paris on May 1, 2013 in Europe. 0 Comments Tags: , .

While people are gradually realizing that their planet is in danger, that some species will completely disappear, they don’t necessarily accept that they may have to renounce some of their comfort if they want to do something about it. That helps explain why some continue to wear real fur. (Although the demand for faux fur is now so high that some real fur has been marketed as fake.) In France, the love of women for fur and their love of animals creates a form of tension. The wildlife protection organization WWF plays with this tension in a creative new campaign.

WWF France created a line of clothing and accessories made from the “fur” of imaginary animals, called Wonder World Fur, showcased in beautifully shot photographs by Mark Seliger. The collection is actually on sale. This campaign and service prove that doing something good need not feel like a sacrifice, that we can awaken consciences with poetry and that we can find new and inspiring ways to address anxiety regarding environmental issues.

Campari addresses local youth unemployment with bartending training

Published by Marco Papale - Milan on April 29, 2013 in Europe. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

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In Italy, about a third of young people are unemployed, making it the third worst country in Europe to be young and jobless, behind Greece and Spain. The historic Italian brand Campari recently launched a social project dedicated to young unemployed people in Sesto San Giovanni, the town near Milan where the company is based. The project, called Passion Works, is the brainchild of a group of employees entrusted with the task of proposing concrete solutions to the problem of local youth unemployment.

Famous for the many cocktails that use it, the brand is opening the doors of its bartender academy to 30 locals between age 18 and 25 who are unemployed, enabling them to turn a passion into a job. Users scroll down the website as if they’re reading a recipe; anyone who meets the requirements can apply at the end of the page. Those chosen by Campari will be admitted to the professional bartender course at the Campari Academy this month and get a bartender degree upon completion of the course in December.

Campari presents a concrete response to the difficulties faced by a workless generation. While it’s a small-scale effort, it shows the big brand’s attentiveness to the realities of its local community.

Image Credit: Campariacademy.it