Cola brands bank on HK star appeal

SHANGHAI: Coca-Cola and Pepsi continue to rely on star power in China, although a media survey shows that just 20 per cent of mainland youth are convinced by celebrity endorsements. Optimum Media Direction's Roar survey found that Chinese youth had one of the lower acceptance scores across eight regional markets towards celebrity campaigns. But the cola brands remain star-struck. For the second year running, Hong Kong teen idol Nicholas Tse is fronting Coca-Cola's nationwide China campaign to push the idea that the brand is part of every great moment in people's lives. Rival Pepsi has meanwhile roped in another Cantopop star Edison Chan for its summer promotion, which breaks this month on CCTV. A second promotion for summer will feature Kelly Chen, another Cantopop singer. In the "Backstage" TVC, Tse goes backstage to refresh himself with a Coke after a concert. But his fans keep chanting his name as they scream for an encore. The aim of the campaign is to show that life tastes good and it can get better as Tse goes back on stage to party with his fans until dawn. McCann-Erickson Guangming Shanghai created the campaign, which is running on CCTV and is supported by outdoor. The agency's managing director, Melvin Chua, said the objective is to show that "Coke is part of every great moment in life. Not just the big moments but those that make people realise the optimism in life". For China, this message plays on the strong levels of optimism among the younger generation, who are said to be particularly bullish about their future, according to recent surveys. Chua said Tse's appeal matches that of the brand as he reflects youthful dynamism and spontaneousness. "Coca-Cola's headquarters voted this ad as the best of all launch ads around the world as the strategy fully matched what is expected of Coke," said Chua. Fiona Chen, the agency's creative director, said feedback has been strong in Shanghai, where consumers have asked for posters of Tse.

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