Short is the new sticky.
Leo Thailand and energy drink brand Sting have brewed up a campaign for a generation already buzzing from its fifth caffeine hit and endless scrolling. The brand has sliced storytelling into six-second bursts and 18 of them, to be exact.
Ad Nut remembers a time when ads had plots. These have… pulses. It Must Be Sting, the brand’s latest series, doesn’t tell a story so much as jab you straight in the cortex.
It’s a clever move in a market ruled by energy drink giants and when you can’t outmuscle the big guys, you outpace them. “Thailand’s energy drink market is fiercely loyal to legacy brands, so Sting had to do more than show up—it had to own these split-second moments to help people see that Sting means energy,” says Yutana Jitcharoongphorn, CMO at Suntory PepsiCo Beverage (Thailand).
That’s exactly what the creative arm did. “We took inspiration from internet memes by creating fast, fun and super-short videos—each only six seconds long,” says associate creative director Nutthawut Amkamsong. “Perfect for Gen Z attention spans, but long enough to make the product unforgettable. Whenever you see speed and fun like this, it must be Sting.”
The six-second format mirrors how people actually consume content today: scroll, smirk, forget, repeat. But to Ad Nut's bewilderment, if everyone's chasing the same sugar high and if brevity is the baseline, doesn’t this just dissolve into the same feed fog it’s meant to cut through?
Where it does win is execution. It’s cohesive, smartly targeted (AI-powered, even), and built for Southeast Asia’s scroll-happy audiences. And it owns the energy equals motion vibe.
With the help of AI-powered media targeting, the ad targets students to Muay Thai fans and farmers and has achieved 750 million total views across social and digital platforms in Thailand. It has been adapted for six Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
In short (fittingly), It Must Be Sting cuts through in the moment—it did stand out among the pile of press releases in Ad Nut’s inbox today. But for lasting recall? Well, let’s just say Ad Nut felt the buzz. Then promptly forgot why.
CREDITS
Client: Sting Thailand (Suntory PepsiCo Beverage, Thailand)
Marketing Director for Energy, MLC and Digital: Yutana Jitcharoongphorn
Senior Marketing Lead: Gutzee Segura
Chief Marketing Officer: Anawat Sangkhasap
Digital Marketing Manager: Wiratchapong Chantapan
Marketing Manager Hydration and Energy Drink
Sr. Brand manager: Nuwat Maytaprechakul
Agency: Leo Thailand
Executive Creative Director: Titipun Tubthong
Associate Creative Director: Nutthawut Amkamsong
Creative Director: Kaiwan Teanngam
Art Director: Sutprasert Juntabua
Copywriter: Naravit Hongsamut Copy
Group Account Director: Warin Waiyavut
Account Director: Ratchada Rujiworakulthong
Account Executive: Patcharaporn Wansumrit
Head of Strategy: Vibhu Harnvarakiat
Associate Strategic Planning Director: Sireerat Wasukhan
Strategic Planner Supervisor: Chattamachote Sesavej
Strategic Planner Executive: Wisharat Rattanataymee
Content Director: Patsanun Jeenanat
Influencer Management Manager: Yatichaphat Kittiwitchaowakun
Influencer Management Specialist: Kannit Saisa
Project Manager: Chavakorn Leelakul
Design Director: Chutamas Pothong
Graphic Designers: Apirak Jadrit, Rungsimunt Rujirekrungsima
Multimedia Designer: Krittakan Chaiyadum
Digital Content Manager: Kanokporn Oonsalee
Media agency: Publicis Media Thailand
Media Planning Director: Jittinan Jotikabukkana
Associate Media Planning Director: Ekkaphop Chuengkul
Senior Hybrid Planner: Damisa Sae-lim
Production: Player 2 Production
 Ad Nut is a surprisingly literate woodland creature that for unknown reasons has an unhealthy obsession with advertising. Ad Nut gathers ads from all over Asia and the world for your viewing pleasure, because Ad Nut loves you. You can also check out Ad Nut's Advertising Hall of Fame, or read about Ad Nut's strange obsession with 'murderous beasts'. |
