However, executives at Guangdong Tianyi Advertising — which created the campaign — remained unapologetic about the drive, noting that they were attempting to be “sensational”.
The campaign saw China Unicom launch a fictional blog on website Maopo.com.cn, based on an autistic girl, who attempts to commit suicide after losing contact with her boyfriend. “We have invested more than Rmb 100,000 (US$13,000) in this campaign. We cannot afford to think in terms of empathy or traditional ethical standards. Companies nowadays are under strong pressure to compete for eyeballs for their new products and boost sales,” said Guangdong Tianyi creative director Tommy Zhu.
Industry observers, meanwhile, noted that Unicom’s callous approach may have a negative effect on the brand.
“The campaign may generate awareness, but if the ending of the story was that the girl killed herself, it can’t generate a positive relationship with the product or the brand,” said Publicis Guang-zhou group creative director Low Swee Chen.
“If people found out they were cheated with a fake story, will they trust the brand anymore? The campaign itself is a clever idea of using blogs and forums to tap into the young consumer market.”
Low said if Unicom altered the storyline — for example, showing the girl’s boy-friend using the PDA to save her — instead of a sad ending, it could generate a more positive impression for the brand as well its products.
The online component was just one part of an integrated marketing strategy which included a range of public relations initiatives.
