Our most feared competitor, TIME!

wow... it has been nearly 1.5 months since my last blog entry. despite the unstable economy and uncertain future ahead, there is plenty of work to be done. i've been occupied with back-to-back events, new projects, personal errands, and the list goes on...

i have been involved in quite a bit of new biz pitches and brainstorming sessions lately. and i feel i am running out of creative juice. being creative and coming up with big ideas for clients is my day-to-day job, which could pose challenges to some (e.g. accountants and ibankers, no offense). there is never a "best idea" because like the chinese saying goes, "the is always another higher mountain". we are not competing with other creative agencies to win a business, but rather, competing with time, time to come up with something to boost the "wow" factor when the client hears our idea.

if we had all the time in the world, we could use this time to look for ideas, get insights, be creative to come up with a kick-ass campaign. but we don't... so the only way to compete with time is to use it to read, to see, to converse, to listen, to experience, to come up with the big idea that is slightly better than the one prior. this is a really difficult task and often times, an around the clock commitment.

for a financial consultant, his or her job ends at 4:10pm when the stock market closes, but for creative consultants, it doesn't really end at all...

A Brand That Speaks For Itself

instead of talking about how great the 3g iphone is, highlighting the specs and talk about what everyone else is talking about, i would like to look at this from a marketer's perspective.

apple has simply created not just an iconic brand, but a lifestyle which everyone is after. the introduction of the macbook air, ipod and iphone are great examples of how apple has turned its products around to becoming must haves.

i am sure not how much apple spends on advertising, pr, online, etc., but i believe majority of publicity is self-generated by end-users / consumers who are in love with the brand. let me give you some examples of the buzz that has generated after steve jobs made the announcement of the 3g iphone at the apple's worldwide developers conference.

source: blogpulse

source: google trends

source: factiva (iphone mentions)

source: factiva (apple mentions)

there you have it. apple has done it again. for those that weren't able to wait for the 3g version and got the aftermarket 2g version, time to upgrade?

Where Amazing Happens... I Love This Game and I Love This Ad!

there's a series of this ad which feature different players but this one is my personal favourite. for those that know the kobe-shaq history, you know what i am talking about. needless to explain the creative behind this.

there are several more on the youtube NBA channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/NBA. check it out!

We Are Blushing

if you can't read the fine print, it reads:

we seem to have scooped all the 'agency of the year' awards for advertising, direct and digital marketing and public relations in hong kong last year as well as winning asia-pacific awards for best creative agency, best network agency and best one-to-one agency. which means we left hardly anything for anyone else. sorry, guys. having said that which, our team couldn't have done it without our clients. so many thanks to each and every one of you. forgetting to express our appreciation for your help and support would give us a reason to blush.

this was a full-page ad that ran in scmp. what a creative way to pat ourselves on the back for a job well-done.

The 2008 Olympics - Missing out on the athletic aspect?!?

the tibet-china story has been lingering in the media for weeks, ever since the initial torch lighting ceremony. i feel sorry for the athletes that have put in so much of their time and efforts in training for this once-in-a-four-year occasion because no one is writing about their stories. what was meant to be a goodwill sporting event has turned into a political platform.

anyhow, there has been some interesting anti as well as pro china campaigns circulating in the media and web. some are quite creative while others are very extreme.

an online game developed by the americans that show their anti-china views. even if you do not feel the same as the guys who developed this game, i am sure you will get a kick out of this. http://www.addictinggames.com/olympictorchrelay.html

in retaliation of cnn's pro-tibet coverage, computerworld reported that a bunch of chinese hackers are readying an attack on cnn. however, there is always a conspiracy theory to everything, so could this be something that anti-china parties have planted to make themselves look vulnerable. you be the judge.
http://www.cw.com.hk/article.php?type=article&id_article=1444

here is a guy (i am assuming it's a guy, looking at the language used in the video) that have quite a strong view on those who don't know the facts about the china-tibet relationship, but are slashing the chinese government for their actions against anti-china protestors. this video generated 2,779,252 views over a month and numerous comments among youtube viewers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9QNKB34cJo

i am sure you know this one... the [heart] China that appears in front of the names on your msn contact list. this viral has spread like a virus and i m sure you are also seeing this on your msn. my question is, do people know why they are putting the [heart] China in front of their names? is this to show that they are in support of the olympics? or is it because they agree with the chinese government's views? by participating, they've engaged themselves in the political agenda.

so... who is stirring up all these controversies and driving the political frenzy. my guess would be those who run the united states of america and people's republic of china. lets focus back on the games and continue the political warfare after the games, shall we?

An Award-Winning Ad Campaign

reason:
- delivers the message
- concept is fresh
- simple to execute
- most importantly, cost effective

Calvin Klein towers Victoria Harbor

calvin klein launched its biggest outdoor campaign in the world, a 27-story billboard across the former ritz carlton in central, hong kong. very kool!

Know Your Media

chacky & ki,

interesting to know... hahaha.

key take aways:
- keep things simple and direct
- never call before 9am (i play safe and never call before noon)
- do not interfere with the editorial angle (lets work towards a collaborative effort, shall we?)
- there is no such thing as a good PR approach

A Night to Remember

ogilvy pr took home 24 honours tonight. i was very fortunate to be a part of this and even more fortunate to take home the first GOLD AWARD for ogilvy pr, tech practice. i received the "The Best Use of Digital" award with the scmp.com campaign, an online viral leveraging web 2.0 - seeding the clip on over 20 video sharing sites, engaging bloggers, adding wiki entries and using the good old "word of mouth" tactic.

Singapore Airlines Bans Sex on A380’s

November 5, 2007
eTravelBlackBoard.com

Singapore Airlines has spoken out against those looking to get busy in one of the airline’s private double suites, which are fitted with the world’s first airborne beds.

“There are things that are acceptable on an aircraft and things that aren’t, and the rules for behaviour in our double beds are the same ones that apply throughout the aircraft,” Singapore Airlines spokesman Stephen Forshaw told The Daily Telegraph.

“If couples used our double beds to engage in inappropriate activity, we would politely ask them to desist,” the spokesman added.

However, thrill-seekers should be aware of the fact that although private, the double suites are neither sound proof nor completely sealed.

ON