The Insights — S01E02

Angelo Agdeppa
Aug 26, 2017 · 7 min read
Screen grabbed from K Bank Live’s YouTube account.

I was browsing on the Campaign Asia website when I saw this article from Ad Nut about a predictable love story that still succeeded in getting millions of views after a few days. I thought that this is an exciting case to analyze, since familiarity with a certain story doesn’t always get a nod from the community. This is especially true nowadays, with the unending pursuit of fresh, creative ways to get the attention of people.

So I figured that if the article is telling the truth, then this ad may be special. (Click here to see the ad.)

And it is — it even led me to a different country. Thailand.

The story revolves around childhood sweethearts Tum (the boy) and Vee (the girl) who got separated when they were young because Tum had to move someplace else. But they never stopped communicating with each other — showing the time that has passed since they last got together, thus reflecting that the theme of the ad isn’t just about the relationship between two people, but the length and depth of their connection.

Screen grabbed from K Bank Live’s YouTube account.

It’s interesting that Kasikorn Bank and GreynJ United opted to go for a long-form ad for their campaign, especially a five-minute long ad. I wonder if they did that to align the ad with the objective of the bank. If the campaign would like to show the length of the relationship with their customers, then it makes perfect sense. A longer ad will be able to show the long history of the connection between Tum and Vee.

Usually, longer ads are also constructed in a way that it can be cut into pieces to form shorter ads that can be a 30-second TVC or a 6-second bumper ad. However, with the content and the execution of the video ad, the campaign will have to continue without any varieties or versions aside from the original. This will pose a problem on the continuity of the campaign as Kasikorn will have to stick with other content strategies.

Screen grabbed from K Bank Live’s YouTube account.

It shows that although the video is good, it won’t ensure the success on the whole campaign and the brand behind it. They have to have a way to sustain the positive opinion and deliver the audiences at the middle and lower part of the marketing funnel.

Also, I agree with what Ad Nut of Campaign Asia said about the ad. It’s difficult for long-form ads to show association between the brand and the ad itself. This rings true on this particular mini-movie. Since the ad did not show any hints that it is promoting Kasikorn Bank and its campaign until the last few seconds, chances are, there will be lesser impact in terms of brand awareness.

One thing is for sure, though: the content will stay longer in the mind of the audience than the relation of the ad to the bank.

Founded in 1945, Karikorn Bank (formerly known as The Farmers Bank), shows how it values the connection with their audiences. As one of the oldest banks in Thailand, I’m sure that Karikorn enjoys a big amount of awareness over the years — a possible reason on why they can afford to create longer ads without hard selling themselves too much.

One thing is for sure, though: the content will stay longer in the mind of the audience than the relation of the ad to the bank.

However, I think Kasikorn could have used a better hashtag for the campaign. The idea #GoodImpressionsLiveOn is only good in principle, but I don’t think the word “impression” is reflected on the ad and on the bank. If Kasikorn is gunning for the reiteration of its good reputation, then the campaign should be adjusted. The 5:33-minute ad excels in its story-telling, evidenced by the positive reception it got, but the campaign as a whole can be improved — with the campaign focusing on good relations rather than just impressions.

Impressions are just initial observations about a certain topic or object, but we know that the ad is showing us more. The ad is actually effective in terms of evoking emotions from us, but we need to feel the same way towards the bank — that it has been our good partner from the start, and will continue to do so in the years to come.

Screen grabbed from K Bank Live’s YouTube account.

But behind this interesting ad from Thailand, here are more of the insights that I think the team have (or have not) considered during the creation of the campaign and the How Are You Doing? video.

Firstly, as I’ve said before, love, as an emotion and a theme for a story is always a good way to be relatable to your audiences. One clear benefit is its universality. I believe that people who watch this advertisement will still understand the gist of the story even without subtitles. The emotion is that common, but the execution of GreynJ United is also a significant. They made a good job in incorporating as few words as possible, with only the music and the characters holding us through the story.

I don’t think that the ad is entirely predictable. Although all scenes hint the eventual meet of the lovers, I was expecting for a plot twist at the end. (I think that mindset is the result of watching a lot of movies and advertisements with unthinkable endings.) I believe that the team also thought about giving it a twist just to grab attention, but doing a formulaic story is more unpredictable. It’s unpredictable because we are expecting something else —surely life isn’t always happy endings, right? Maybe I’m just being pessimistic.

They made a good job in incorporating as few words as possible, with only the music and the characters holding us through the story.

Another notable insight about the ad is the intelligent use of mediums that we used for the last twenty to thirty years. Using the communication devices proved to be a good move to connect with the audience once again and give the feeling of nostalgia in everyone — connecting generations who grow up with letters, telephones, cellphones, and social media. Our desire to connect with the people we value has endured through the years and are vividly seen through our advancements. The devices were focused in the ad, one might expect that this ad is from a telecommunications company.

Screen grabbed from K Bank Live’s YouTube account.

It is also clever that the ad didn’t show the reason why the couple broke up. I mean, we are certain that the long-distance relationship is weighing down on both characters but no degree of bad blood was seen. That works for the objective of maintaining a “good impression” to the viewers.

Now, since a lot of people haven’t experienced long-distance relationships, it’s interesting to know why Kasikorn and GreynJ United used one. Seeing that, the How Are You Doing? ad put more focus on showing the degree of hardships between two people — being separated for years. This time, it’s not about relatable, common love stories but relatable emotions that the characters and the audience share.

Screen grabbed from K Bank Live’s YouTube account.

At least once in our lives, we have felt longing, love, and a hope for a happy or amicable ending for our relationships. We also have felt the rush of excitement and uncertainty when we add someone from our past on Facebook.

Good story-telling paved the way to understand what the ad and the whole campaign wants to achieve. From there, we see insights that were mined from the feelings of connection. We also see insights on how people perceive time and its connection with depth of relationships — something that will always be a factor on how we see the world and the people in it.

A partnership or a relationship that withstands the tests of time — that was what I guessed the ad and the whole campaign wanted to show. That no matter what happens, the same, good impressions that we have for others will remain.

In reality, that wish is very difficult. First, we don’t always have a good first impression about others. The uncertainty will always make us wary of the stranger next to us. First impressions are skewed by our prejudices and biases — only succeeding interactions matter, including any chances to shatter what we have initially guessed.

A partnership or a relationship that withstands the tests of time — that was what I guessed the ad and the whole campaign wanted to show.

But I hope the campaign will succeed — the insights on the emotions that link us as human beings in love are the ingredients of an effective ad. With millions of views and millions of hearts happy, the ad made a good impression. With this, I hope that the good impression remains and carries the campaign to success.

Screen grabbed from K Bank Live’s YouTube account.

Here’s the subtitled version of the ad for the media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=327&v=osUlLWCI28k

I first saw and read about the article here: http://www.campaignasia.com/video/ho-hum-love-story-outstanding-response/439156

This blog features various advertising, marketing, and branding campaigns with interesting insights, key messages, and strategies from agencies, brands, and organizations.

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Angelo Agdeppa

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The Insights
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