Adwatch: Hong Kong - Seasonal sniffles send Coltalin TVC to top with TV viewers

An in-house TVC for a cold and flu remedy hit the spot with Hong Kong TV viewers in December. A television commercial for Fortune Pharmacal's best-selling cold and flu tablet, Coltalin, took the number one spot in the December Adwatch chart, while newcomer Cathay Pacific's TVC's only made it to 18th place in terms of viewer recall, despite its significant advertising push with the 'People and Service' campaign. The Fortune Pharmacal campaign, which ran from October to December last year, was an independently-produced TVC initiative that aired on local terrestrial channels TVB Jade and Pearl and ATV Home. The TVCs, 'Love Story' and 'Mutual Care', were created in-house and featured Joey Yung, a local Hong Kong pop star. The last quarter push saw Fortune's spending on Coltalin rise to HK$11 million (US$1.4 million) last year."The Fortune Pharmacal brand has been long established in Hong Kong and Coltalin has been a great success in particular," said a spokesperson.

It was also noted was that Yung's endorsement was a key factor in driving recall. "People like Joey Yung and the storyline of the TVC. What's important is that viewers get the message that Coltalin can really help."

Meanwhile, CLP Power entered the chart at fifth place with its recent 'Take an extra step to make a meaningful difference' branding campaign.

This was designed to create an emotional connection between consumers and CLP. The three TV commercials in the series feature staff recounting anecdotes of how they have gone out of their way to serve customers.

Hair and beauty brands retained a strong presence in the chart. October's leading brand, Clairol, remained in the chart but dropped to fourth place, while Vidal Sassoon, Head & Shoulders and Rejoice took 13th, 16th and 17th place respectively.