Violet Wang, executive creative director at Publicis China, explained that the new push was also designed to draw attention to the brand’s redesigned packaging and to reinforce its positioning as a premium product.
Developed by Publicis, the campaign follows Tsingtao’s recent drive to cement Chinese patriotic sentiment ahead of the Olympics, which features an online cheering contest inviting members of the public to upload content in celebration of China.
The TV spot, set in a fashionable restaurant, opens to the scene of two young male professionals about to enjoy the beverage.
As one pours the last drop from a bottle to his glass, an attractive young woman unexpectedly lands from above in the form of a drop of beer to join the men at their table.
This sparks a chain reaction and the restaurant proceeds to fill up with surprised customers as the two friends continue to empty their bottles above their glasses. The spot ends with the tagline ‘Tsingtao Draft: Refresh your life!’.
Sheena Jeng, chief executive of Publicis China, explained that the work was intended to imbue the brand, which is widely recognised in China but lacks the contemporary appeal of its foreign rivals, with an international, “metropolitan lifestyle” image that would encourage consumption of the beer among young people in restaurants and bars.
The approach is in a similar vein to Danish brewer Carlsberg’s recent initiatives, which sought to target an audience of young, middle class drinkers by positioning its Chill beer as a brand synonymous with light-hearted fun.
However, Wang noted that Budweiser led the field in terms of brand awareness in China, citing it as Tsingtao’s primary competitor.
Tsingtao’s major challenge she said, was in establishing itself as a serious contender in nightclubs, where imported brands hold more cachet.
A source added that clearer positioning was required. While Budweiser had a solid brand image, Tsingtao’s multiple packaging was confusing, the source said, and required simplification.
Tsingtao campaigns anew
SHANGHAI - Chinese brewer Tsingtao has launched an integrated campaign in an effort to refresh the image of its premium Tsingtao Draft brand and to increase its competitiveness with imported labels, such as Carlsberg, Heineken and Budweiser.
