StarHub nudges McDonald's at top spot in recall charts

Beer brand Carlsberg's promotion of football tournament Euro 2004 resonated with fans and beer drinkers alike, reflected by its eighth place in the chart. According to Nielsen Media Research, Carlsberg spent about S$6.2 million (US$3.6 million) on advertising from January to June this year against a full year spend of approximately $10.3 million last year. Meanwhile, telco/cable TV provider StarHub took second place: "Viewers relate to the StarHub TV commercial because it speaks to them on their own terms, not the brand's," said Michael Liew, group account director, Batey/red cell Singapore. "Couple this message with great lyrics by The Rolling Stones and you've got a TVC that's eminently watchable and likeable." The telco sector is one of the biggest investors in advertising, with StarHub battling both the dominant SingTel and mobile rival M1. StarHub has reportedly just invested a further $40 million in its digital cable-TV service, allowing viewers to have access to over 60 channels compared with the 50 on its regular analogue service. It hopes to reach 60 to 70 per cent household penetration with this new service. Fastfood brands were still in top form in the recall chart: Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken emerged in fourth and fifth place respectively, while Delifrance, whose advertising and media is all handled in-house, entered the chart for the first time. McDonald's has remained at the top of the chart since the last poll in April. "The world famous product that's so good it remains constant -- that's the communication message and it's done in a funky, relevant way," said Rosalynn Tay, head of account management/new business development director at Leo Burnett, McDonald's AOR.