Cannes Contenders: Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong
How will Asia Pacific perform at Cannes this year? In the lead up to the Festival, Campaign Brief Asia will be showcasing the work we hope will impress the judges…
Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong
In October 2015, five Hong Kong booksellers were abducted for selling controversial books. Only 4 have returned. To prevent this kind of oppression, we needed to get Hong Kong behind freedom of expression. So we did the unthinkable, publishing controversial literature and selling it. With one small difference, it was all redacted. And typographic posters of Hong Kong’s Basic Law article 27 were dissected to reveal these voices of dissent. The bookstore sold out in two days, and the campaign raised over a million dollars. Reminding people that the censorship remains as strong as ever and that everyone needed Amnesty’s help to keep fighting it. Every freedom needs a fighter, and Hong Kong has Amnesty International.
Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong
Teenagers are one of the few demographics in which the HIV rate is rising. Born after the major campaigns of the 90s, and shock tactics don’t resonate with them – as AIDS is no longer a death sentence. Simply telling them to stop having sex is pointless and actively causes them to disengage with a cause. To position MTV as an understanding ally, we created a film spreading a positive message: that you can have more sex and more fun, when you wear a condom. We brought this to life through a disarmingly simple tale of a dog called Dick, with a special suit that allows him to explore as many holes as he likes. This colloquial film rolled out across MTV’s channels and social media globally, promoting having sex, but doing it safely, in a way teens could relate to and engage with.
Oreo Thins: Straw
Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong
The global Oreo Thins positioning is “a thin twist on the cookie you love” and we demonstrated this, quite literally, with a simple visual twist in print and outdoor. Dramatizing the fact that the new Oreo Thins are almost half as thick as the original.
Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong
Having recently won best international series of the year at the Radio Mercury Awards. This campaign of four executions enlists some talented voice actors that appear on first listen to be couples in abusive relationships. Only at the end do we realize one of the more ‘demanding’ characters is actually a cat.
Samaritans: Caged Characters
Ogilvy & Mather Hong Kong
For those suffering from depression it can feel like they are in a cage, trapped by their inability to speak. To get the phone ringing for The Samaritans Hong Kong we commissioned Jordan Metcalf the famed typographer to craft three unique works. Each execution using Chinese characters for ‘Helplessness’, ‘Loneliness’ and ‘Hopelessness’ that visually form cages (see below).
We are inviting agencies to showcase your agency’s best chances at Cannes this year. Open to all Asian based agencies entering Cannes this year. Just email kim@campaignbrief.com with a paragraph or two on each of your best chances at this year’s festival. Include a link to the case study/TVC or supply jpegs if it is print.
