HBO zooms in on taboo ahead of hit series' debut

With death being a taboo subject across Asia, HBO felt it needed to drive attention to its two-episode premiere of a series about a dysfunctional family that runs a funeral home. HBO said its other key challenge was to let people know that while death is the basis of the series, the show is much more than that. "It dwells on an extremely sensitive topic - human relationships, said Caroline Wong, HBO Asia's director of marketing communications.

The ads zoom in on one key visual - a gloved hand applying pink lipstick to a white, embalmed face. "For some, they see the face of a dead person, while others think of a geisha putting on her finishing touches."