VW Golf - Hmm, a picture of a car. Hmmm, a picture of three cars. Hmmm, so what's the big deal? Hang on, I get it! A picture of a jet aeroplane! Aha! Which means it either carries 320 passengers or it's pretty fast. Just looked at it again. I like it a lot.
Ben Sherman - A shirt from a very small man? Or a piece of origami? No, a direct mail piece. An invitation to a night of British Mod-ness, in fact. Refreshing to see something about fashion in Hong Kong that isn't Italian and expensive with small letters written all over it. Although not sure how relevant Lambretta geeks from Brighton are to Hong Kong.
Frito-Lay - Not quite as single-minded as they might have been. These spots rely on the premise that cricket supporters will change their national allegiance for a chance to keep munching away on these crispy Frito-Lay delights. Very unlikely however. There's more chance of England actually winning a major sporting event some time this century!
Heineken - I don't drink, however, on a hot day these visuals might tempt me. As for the headlines? Trying to work out what they mean could drive me to drink. Can't really work out the strategy behind these ads other than 'Summer's coming'. Although they do remind us how refreshing a glass of Heineken might be right now with the weather getting warmer. I'll drink to that!
Canon - Single-minded and simple. The television commercials show what the products do in a mildly amusing way. Could they be used for promoting any other brands, however? The answer is, 'Yes'. But if Canon continues with this stylish single-mindedness, it could carve out its own niche.
MCDONALD'S
Project: McChicken 100 per cent scratch & win
Client: McDonald's
Brief: drive people into stores with the scratch & win promotion
Agency: Leo Burnett China
Creative directors: Ruth Lee/Khoo Wei Hung
Copywriter: Garbee Ge
Art director: Huang He
VOLKSWAGEN
Project: Golf R32
Client: Volkswagen
Brief: Launch the most powerful Golf ever built
Agency: DDB Hong Kong
Copywriter: Paul Chan
Creative director: C.C. Tang
Art director: Steve Wong
BEN SHERMAN
Project: Ben Sherman
Client: Ben Sherman
Brief: build a Ben Sherman following in Hong Kong
Agency: China Stylus
Copywriter/creative director: Justin Foss Cole/Simon Pang Washford
FRITO-LAY
Project: Frito-Lay India
Client: Frito-Lay India
Brief: reinforce the point that Frito-Lay makes the tastiest potato
chips
Agency: J. Walter Thompson India
Creative director/Art director: Bhavna Gupta
Production house: Fuel Films
HEINEKEN
Project: Credentials Close Ups
Client: Heineken
Brief: reinforce the image of Heineken as one of the world's premium
beers
Agency: Bates Singapore
Copywriter: Lim Chiao Woon
Art director: Liyu Min Zie
CANON
Project: Flipbook, Treadgold, Credits, Wall
Client: Canon Australia
Brief: demonstrate to Australians that Canon technology and products can
make life simpler
Agency: Leo Burnett
Executive creative director: Nick Souter
National planning director: Todd Sampson
Copywriter: Greg Logan
Art director: Micah Walker
Production house: Revolver Films
Interested in having your campaigns reviewed? Send submissions to Alfred Hille in the form of trims, transparencies or video printouts for TVCs plus the TVC itself, and proofs for print ads and posters.
Please send all material to Media, 2201, 22/F The Centrium, 60 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong.