Asia ad land veteran and now start-up boss Dave McCaughan laments the lack of spark and insight in the recent spate of campaigns celebrating arguably Singapore's biggest holiday We live by and for special events. Life is mostly humdrum. Gathering together makes us happy. Family moments are special moments. Chinese New Year is a time for family (replace and fill in with Christmas, Ramadan, Diwali, or your own preferred annual cultural celebration). You have all seen the brief. You have all seen ‘insights’ that in all honesty are not. They just repeat what we know. Hallmark figured out the right schmaltz that would sell cards around ‘special days’ because they are ‘special days’. Coke managed to capture the essence of Christmas by using an easy to understand symbolic image. Big holidays linked to tradition really mean family, and maybe friends, coming together. That one time of the year when we can have some certainty, comfort and care with those closest to us.
So what is a brand to do? You want to be a part of the celebration. You want to ‘connect’ with the people. You want to be seen as nice guys. Respectful of the cultural importance of a special occasion but also a part of it. And brands have been doing it for a long time. Now there are so many well-made campaigns that say: ‘We understand and share in your moment and maybe we can make it a little better’. The trope might have been started in early 20th century Christmas celebrations, but in my 20-plus years in Asia, it has now come to be applied to all major holidays. CNY is no different. And it works. Sort of Read More at: https://www.mumbrella.asia/2018/02/the-verdict-on-singapores-cny-ads-nice-gentle-and-completely-forgettable
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As an ex-librarian Dave loves to leave references for further reading. Here are a selection of articles and posts you might find of interest.
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