Scholl and Adda lock horns for Thai favour

"We didn't want to have just another celebrity wearing shoes on the catwalk," says Vancelee Teng, head of art at Lowe Worldwide, which created the Scholl ads. In a "Nike-like" TVC, a man grabs a passer-by's rolled-up newspaper, relay-style, making off with the 'baton'. The owner gives chase, and retrieves it, also relay-style.

The message to the target group of 15 years and up is that "you find creative ways of doing things when you are wearing Scholl", says Vancelee.

The television campaign of three commercials will go on for three months.

SSL Healthcare, which distributes Scholl locally, hopes that connecting with young people on an emotional level will help it maintain its profile in a fragmented market. The company's sales is estimated at between 800 million and 900 million baht, of which Scholl brand foot-care and footwear products collectively generate about two-thirds.

While Scholl leads in the upper strata of the market - in which Dortmuend, Walker and Stutgard also compete - Adda, priced 25-35 per cent lower, leads the local brands by a wide margin. Its nearest rival is Kitor. Distributor Grand Siam Footwear's brief to its agency this year is to "upgrade (Adda's) brand image".

"In the last four to five years, local brands, led by Adda, have become stronger," said Chunika Tangtanaporn, account management director at Leo Burnett, citing improvements in technology, design and marketing, plus an ability to offer lower prices. Building and upgrading the brand, she hopes, will lead to increases in Adda's marketshare, estimated at around 35 per cent.

Adda's move to use singer Peter Corp Dyrendal as its presenter continues a strategy which began 2002 of usingwell-known faces to connect with its target market of teens and young adults. "The strategy, which will be the umbrella for the brand is 'Adda is for causal time only'," Chunika said.

In its 'Just kidding' campaign, which airs until mid-June, Adda spoofs the traditional ad formats for fitness clubs, motorcycle oil and toothpaste.

In the last, the teenage heartthrob flashes his white teeth in a fashion that would do your average toothpaste ad proud, and then credits the sandal brand for it.

The 45-second TVCs will eventually give way to 15-second reminder spots.