The agency will rebrand, reposition and relaunch SOTA as the travel source for smart travellers. It has created the 'Smart Online Travel Assistant' or SOTA Man, with a friendly and slightly tongue-in-cheek personality.
As part of the campaign’s initial phase to raise SOTA’s profile in the country before extending it to international audiences, the SOTA Man appears in various online and radio advertisements, offering ‘Smart Travel Tips’ as a teaser to the website.
Henry Yap, executive creative director at M&C Saatchi, noted that the campaign wanted to create a personal connection with consumers when it reintroduces SOTA as a consumer-centric brand.
“So we gave the brand a friendly face anyone can relate to. The Smart Travel Tips are an indication of how well-travelled the SOTA Man is, and because of his witty character, he always shares them in a funny and smart way. For example, he’ll tell you that the best place to buy souvenirs from England, USA and France, is China,” he added.
SOTA is a technology-based global travel hub that connects consumers with tourism and travel operators around the world.
Rohizam Md Yusoff, chief executive of SOTA, said: “In this new venture, we have entrusted M&C Saatchi to execute a line of communication strategies across various media channels. By targeting both end consumers as well as travel agents in our communications, we can grow and reinforce our current position as the preferred travel solutions provider.”
