Comfort ups pressure on dethroned Downy

Conceptualised and developed by Ogilvy & Mather Vietnam and MindShare, the campaign includes out-of-home, print, TV and sponsorhip, as the FMCG giant capitalises on the brand's recent ascension to category leadership, ahead of rival P&G offering, Downy. The campaign focuses on animated 'fragrance angels' who, according to Ogilvy general manager Katryna Mojica, "love the fibres so much that they won't let go -- it's their mission in life". The agency built this concept from the insight that Vietnamese people believe spirits live behind flowers -- dovetailing with Comfort's flower logo. "In this market, fragrance is the category driver, but it's very, very hard to communicate long-lasting fragrance because it's very technical," explained Mojica. "We tried to develop a device that differentiates within the category and also communicates the new news." At press time, a second TVC was scheduled for launch, illustrating that fragrance angels are not afraid of the sun, of ironing and of all-day wear -- what Mojica calls the "three torture tests that consumers use to check whether the fragrance is really long-lasting." The first TVC, meanwile, introduced the fragrance angels, and their love of clothing fibres. Outdoor executions have also proved particularly impactful, consisting of Britelite 'glowboxes', along with angels holding the Comfort logo below the Britelites. A few of these angels have already been stolen, creating in MindShare managing partner Saby Ghosh's words, "a talking point among people". "The campaign aims to enhance the message of 'long-lasting' fragrance in clothes by communicating a single-minded message that there are millions of fragrance angels inside the Comfort bottles who 'just won't let go' even under challenging conditions like ironing or 'under the sun'," said Ghosh. "The communication focus is unique as the campaign aims to build an emotional bond with housewives, quite unlike most communications laced with functional benefits only targeting housewives in Vietnam." The campaign also sees inserts in women's magazines along with small booklets that integrate into the magazine covers' editorial, telling the 'fragrance angel's story'. "This is the first time we actually came up with the booklet on the cover," said Ghosh. "You get to be on the cover and attract readers to the (advertorial) story inside." Added Ghosh: "There is a latent association between angels and the mothers relating with their child, there's a very strong child connect." The TV strategy also includes sponsorship of game shows and serial product placements.