Agencies await telcos' merger outcome in HK

Announced last week by Telstra Australia -- which holds a majority stake in CSL -- the merger is expected to create Hong Kong's largest operator by subscriber numbers. Telstra will eventually hold 76.4 per cent of the new entity, to be called CSL New World Mobility, and the deal will net the operator HK$244 million (US$31.4 million). But agency chiefs declined to comment, saying it could be months before a decision was reached on the respective creative and media assignments. The news comes as CSL unveiled its latest campaign for its youth brand, One2-Free, aimed at highlighting the power of its 3G mobile entertainment services. Offering the chance to win free trips to Japan or South Korea for customers who sign up to One2Free channel package 'Talk'N Fun' or its 3G service plan, CSL is keen to reinforce its position as a leader in providing trendy mobile entertainment. "This campaign is a natural extension of mobile music and our previous campaigns to a bigger arena of entertainment," said Michelle Au, general manager, marketing communications and public relations, CSL. "This all comes from the consumer insight that young people in Hong Kong hate to be bored." The Leo Burnett campaign is spearheaded by a series of TVCs, featuring three young trendsetters: music fan Nick, pop groupie Roy and Japanese/Korean pop culture fanatic Kim. All three spend every second accessing the latest mobile entertainment. Taking an innovative approach to shooting, the spots show how youngsters can spend their time downloading music, entertainment and information on trends from Japan and South Korea. "We dramatised it and used slow-motion to depict that you can do so much in that one second if you have One2Free service," said Kelvin Cheng, managing director of Leo Burnett Hong Kong. "We gave the characters a bit of a profile, so the young people could recognise and resonate with the people in the commercials." Breaking last week, the commercials are airing on terrestrial stations, outdoor TV, cinema, and public transport channels, as well as print, regular outdoor and online. The campaign will run until Christmas.