The Chans were introduced in four separate one-minute episodes that aired at hourly intervals ahead of the launch of the TVCs -- a roll-out marred by Greenpeace revelations that vegetables sold by the retailer and rival Wellcome contained excessive levels of banned pesticides. There are no hard-sell messages in each sitcom chapter, with ParknShop using the opportunity to link its four core values to a family member and build on the overall campaign platform. Mr Chan represents the chain's extensive range, the stay-at-home Mrs Chan stands for great value-for- money, while the university-going son for top customer service and the high-school age daughter for outstanding freshness.
DDB, ParknShop's creative agency, saved the price and product messages for spots that will break at press-time. "We've done it in the style of Cantonese sitcoms produced by local stations as these are well-received, and in this way we have created a sense of involvement for the consumer," said Christine Pong, DDB's creative chief.
Jojo Poon, ParknShop's newly-promoted marketing director for Hong Kong and China, said the campaign allowed the retailer to demonstrate its wide range of strengths rather than focus on one or two key attributes as is usually the case with brand-ing campaigns.
The Chan family harks back to ParknShop's classic Mrs Wong creation, a cheongsam-wearing icon that helped the retailer stamp its quality credentials in the late '80s. As with Mrs Wong, Poon said 'We make your day' would also have a longer than usual outing, running for another 12 if not 18 months. ParknShop plans to air the episodes on the city's two railway networks and KMB bus fleet's Roadshow system, with support from outdoor, print, and instore POSM. The Chan family will also put in appearances at several stores.
Poon said staff at the 220 stores will also be given a pocket-sized handbook, showing how they can make their customers' day.
