BANKING ON POSITIVE POWER: Creative work is focusing on giving a lighter touch to campaigns in a move to counteract consumer weariness with news filled with doom and gloom, writes David Johnson

If that wasn't enough, business news has weighed in with downbeat economic forecasts and stories of corporate ineptitude. And, if anyone was trying to avoid all the negative news, there was virtually no place to hide.

The global media networks saw to that, especially as the terrorist attack of September 11 and the origin of much of the economic gloom came from the US, home to most of the world's media powerhouses.

So it should come as no surprise that Asia's consumers might be news weary.

Responses to interviews in numerous countries have produced interesting results in that they are about as far from homogenous as you could get.

Asia is no European Union or United States. The only consistent factor found was among the multinational agencies with global accounts that had to pull ads deemed insensitive. While the US sought a global alliance against terror, Asian nations largely paid lip service to a cause that was not all that close to the hearts of its numerous multi-cultural populations.

Still, there was a common thread, a factor that had deep significance for many nations here - the economy.

A number of countries in Asia had managed to pull themselves up from the economic crisis that started in 1997, including Hong Kong and Singapore, only to fly into another tailwind. While others, notably Indonesia, had still to recover from the late '90s financial tsunami.

"Regionally, the overwhelming effect has been the continual grind of recession rather than 9/11,

says Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) chief executive officer, Chris Harris. "There was a time when aspirations were a bit serious, but now people are looking for communications to lighten up, partly because their aspirations are not quite as high now. People are more realistic, requiring a greater lightness of touch."

The trend actually started before 9/11. BBH's Levi's campaign goes some way to demonstrate the change.

"The Levi's work engages the consumer and doesn't talk down to them.

It works well in this environment,

says Harris. "We have in the past done heavier, darker advertising for Levi's but, at the moment, we wouldn't do something like that."

Another agency that has looked deep into cultural psyches is Leo Burnett, which has been pioneering a style for a number of years perhaps best described as possessing the 'human touch'.

"We believe strongly that advertising should be talking to people in a real way,

says Burnett regional head of creative Linda Locke. "There is more truth, less saccharin. Something that you can believe in,

she says of a cohesive group style.

"Leo Burnett has always believed in human truths well told. It doesn't have to be fun, but it has to be inspiring, uplifting, insightful and thoughtful. If it connects with you and it has a residue, you can take something from it."

A tough sell in difficult economic times when companies are pushing for bottom-line results to keep shareholders happy and red ink away from books.

"Most work at the moment is price point. But I think people are missing an opportunity to talk to people's hearts at a time they want to be. It has been never more timely as now to act in this way,

says Locke.

She points to Burnett's Petronas campaign for the national oil conglomerate in Malaysia. "There's nothing but humanity in it. Some of it is light, some poignant. But it lifts you up and makes you think. It gives you a quiet moment and makes you feel reassured."

Burnett has handled the Petronas account for the past eight years and through addressing racial and family issues as well as those of confidence and unity, has help make the oil giant a symbol of national pride. Kuala Lumpur-based executive creative director Yasmin Ahmad, who has been asked to speak at Cannes 2002 about the account, originated the concept for Petronas. "They had an image problem. They wanted to expand overseas but not be seen as a giant cold conglomerate,

says Ahmed. "Now they are seen as national heroes."

She says the Benetton ethos - that human beings should be treated as human beings rather than consumers, and as a result companies had to behave well for consumers to respect them - had had a great influence on her.

"The New York tragedy is a drop in the ocean. It happened in a country that controls the media. I wept when I saw what had happened, but I've been weeping for a long time,

says Ahmed. "Some positive things can come out of this such as companies behaving more responsibly. You can't be bastards any more and I like that."

Ahmed also spends a lot of time in other countries, usually on advertising judging panels. Indonesia, a country that has experienced extreme political and economic upheaval over the past four years, is one. "Advertising there is becoming more human too, well before 9/11."

China is another. "Companies should look at the human side of China. When I showed the Petronas commercial there, people wept and said it was so uplifting."

However, the tidal wave of optimism China is surfing on puts it in stark contrast to much of the region's woes. Its economic growth is the envy of the world; it has been granted entry into the World Trade Organisation and has won the bid to host the Olympic Games in 2008. Career prospects have never been so good in boom towns such as Shanghai as locals savour the trappings of the good life. In many ways, Shanghai is like Hong Kong from a decade ago. Naturally, consumer confidence is also soaring.

"Hong Kong isn't that hot anymore, and that's adding to (Shanghai's) confidence,

says one top advertising executive. "This makes advertising great as people are so receptive. The attitude in Hong Kong is 'why is this company spending so much on an ad campaign to encourage me to buy the product?'. "In China it is the opposite, with companies such as China Telecom and Legend Computers spending their way to becoming big brand names,

says an industry source.

Hong Kong is toughing it out like many others in the region, but its approach to marketing communications has been much more reactive. Over the past six months there has been a rallying call from some of Hong Kong's leading financial institutions to bolster sagging confidence levels.

Notably, China Light and Power came out with a slogan oozing motivation and self-belief - 'Don't underestimate your power'. Other stalwarts, Cathay Pacific and the Bank of China, offered upbeat messages to offset the economic uncertainty and job insecurity. But the number of companies that have reacted directly to these events have, in fact, been few.

A more telling trend is a move to offer consumers a lighter-hearted message.

Ikea in Hong Kong is one such company, with its price-driven campaign showing a male shopper trying on a desk as if it were a shirt and the tagline noting that the cost is actually cheaper than a shirt. Still, the advertising is more about price than image, which is to be expected as Hong Kong has been nursing a bad case of price deflation for the past three years.

"Ikea is trying to be humorous and entertaining. People want to laugh a little,

says an advertising executive.

But when it comes to humour, nobody does it better than the Thais, who have made it their signature in the regional advertising industry. The humorous bent is evident although the "Land of Smiles

would appear to have little to smile about in the past four years. Despite its pariah status as the tinder box that ignited the 1997 financial crisis, Thailand continues to look into itself for inspiration and draws a wry, playful and infectious chuckle. It's this chuckle which is the foundation for its highly-successful 'Amazing Thailand' campaign. Tourists are still flocking to the country long after the campaign has had its run.

This is nothing new. The easy-going Thai nature has been reflected in advertising for years, says Jureeporn Thaidumrong, president of the Bangkok Art Directors Association and executive creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi Thailand.

"Most Thai consumers didn't understand the terrorist events. They knew something had happened, but advertising didn't change. People like to watch funny, entertaining commercials.

"Maybe the change was more powerful to people in the advertising industry than consumers because most Bangkok agencies are part of multinational networks and had to take responsibility to help the New York offices."

Which meant that Thailand had little need to suddenly introduce reactive, uplifting and motivational advertising. "Thailand is not like Singapore or Hong Kong. We are more easy going. The ads here are more emotional, whether funny or sad. It is not because of September 11," adds Jureeporn.

One recent example is the TVC produced by J. Walter Thomson for TA Orange, which conveys a message that "we should talk more and listen more to understand more", says Jureeporn.

Another is a national energy-saving campaign for the Government, produced by Jureeporn, which was a fun way of communicating a serious message.

In that TVC, women sewing at a garment factory feel they need to sew faster to manufacture more and help save the Thai economy. But they end up with seriously-overdeveloped calf muscles. "Thais don't want to be serious - even in 1997 at the worst time. Thais are Buddhist, so are neutral and we have enough rice and food to share. But, above all, we have our King,

she adds.

Agencies are responding differently to the varied needs of consumers in Asia. There is a move towards a more uplifting approach, whether it is through fun, poignancy, or a mixture of both. But, there seems to be one clear message emerging and that is that the human touch will overcome cultural and economic barriers, and reach the hearts and minds of the consuming public.