Adoi Malaysia 2000 August

sky's the II

With 370,000 copies and growing, ASTRO The Magazine offers you one of the widest coverage, possibly the highest exposure for your ads. It currently has the ability to reach close to 2 million readers and will soon surpass that mark. Read an¡ average of 10.67 times per issue, it gives your ads a very high opportunity-to-see. Place your ads with us and there's no limit of what they can do for you.

Reach out. Call Advertising Sales at 603-583 6688 ext 8612.

The future is Direct-to-u¡

Notes from the editor Late last month, the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents of Malaysia (4As) held a cocktail reception for the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) with the objective of fostering relationships between Malaysia's leading advertising agencies and the business community. This noble initiative by the 4As however ended up as a virtual 'no show' on the part of its member agencies. The 4As which boasts a membership base of 63 saw only 18 members turn up for the event.

On the other hand, there was a good attendance from MCCI with almost 100 members showing up with the hope of building new business friendships with advertising agencies. Which is probably why when I arrived to attend the event, the look of 4As President Tony Lee's face said it all.

Here's a clear case of pathetic waste and ignorance. Whilst many will jump to suggest that a 'networking' opportunity where one gets to rub shoulders and make acquaintances with Malaysia's business elite is an excellent idea, more that 80% of 4As members decided otherwise. Their abse nce demonstrated more than just business naivety; it was a slap in the face for Tony Lee and his team who worked so painstakingly hard to make the event a possibility. One would think that the chance to establish new business and client contacts would be the most promising idea to come out of the 4As of late, but the 'silent' absence was too much to bear.

I believe that the time has come for 4As members to search their conscience if they're really serious about promoting themselves and their mission to the outside world, because the 4As ongoing agenda to do so is very clear. Instead of propelling this crusade for the good of all in the industry, many quarters prefer to finger stab each other which suggests that ego bashing is the way forward . If we don't respect ourselves, how can we expect others to respect us. Regardless of what anybody says, I'd like to commend Tony Lee and his team for doing their bit to open the advertising industry and its players to the business community at large.

Brand missionary Shelly Lazarus - Page 4 & 5.

For a clearer perspective on why we shouldn't be killing ourselves, read Jeffrey Seow's article on page 16.

Shameless confessions from BBDO- Page 8.

I'll say no more, except to add that if you're reading this magazine and haven't subscribed to it yet, adios brudder. We just can't go on doling out free issues to you month after month, for almost three years now. If everyone subscribed to ADOI, we can keep the only magazine read by over 30,000 advertising and marketing professionals in Malaysia and Singapore alive.

Please do your bit- the coupon's inside. This will be your last free copy.

Lovingly,

Marilyn does the Levi~ thing for BBH- Page 41.

MANAGING EDITOR: Harmandar Singh aka Ham PRINTER: Cetakrapi Sdn Bhd OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER: Jen Siow DESIGNER: So Tiong Cheng COLOUR SEPARATOR: Screen Gallery Sdn Bhd ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES (Malaysia): ADLANTIS Communications Sdn Bhd No. 44C, Jalan 19/3, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 603-754 7271 Fax: 603-757 3343 E-mail: adlantiscomm@yahoo.com ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES (Singapore): Marketing Concepts Pte Ltd 723A North Bridge Road, Singapore 198691. Tel: 297 2393, 297 2392 Fax: 297 7270 E-mail: mcg@pacific.net.sg DISTRIBUTION: Efficient Lettershop, Mag Media Distributors (M'sia) and MarketAsia (S'pore).

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28.11?11a ... IIIIIIIRIIISIII, ............. -~~~~~ ,...._ • . . . , . . . . fll: . . . , . . . . ŠAll rights reserved by Sledgehammer Communications Sdn Bhd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without prior permission in writing from the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the publisher and the editor assume no responsibiliry for errors or omissions or for any consequences of reliance of information in this publication. The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessaril y represent the views of the publisher or editor. Advertisements are the sole responsibility of the advertisers.

Global brand warrior blitzes through the region!

Shelly Lazarus has been called many things. Queen of Madison Avenue.

Princess of Advertising. Advertising Woman of the Year. But whatever the accolade, she is undoubtedly one of the most powerful women in the world of advertising today. As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, she runs her global empire of over 377 agencies in 97 countries from a splendid lOth floor corner office in New York. And that office alone employs more than 1,200 staff and commands half of the US network's billings. Her office is decorated with hundreds of toy frogs.

"For my first wedding anniversary, I bought my husband a frog which said 'I'm mad about you'. A week later, he bought me one back, then we kept buying frogs for each other: Now I can't stop them coming in, three or four a week, from all over the place. The mother of three children, aged 12, 20 and 25, Shelly is married to Dr George -Lazarus, a pediatrician.

She succeeded Charlotte Beers as chief executive of O&M in 1996 after a 25-year career at the SO-year old agency. "Life is a wild juggling act and I love every minute of it!" This was immediately obvious in her style as she walked into Suite 12.02 of the Regent Kuala Lumpur where ADOI patiently awaited her arrival for this exclusive interview. She is a busy woman. Very busy. And yet, amidst all the hustle and bustle, the chairman of the American Association of Advertising Agencies displayed a collected consistency in her though ts as we spoke to her about everything advertising....

You are a crusader for brands and the values of branding.

What's the distinction of that in the context of advertising?

Too many people say advertising IS branding.

And to

build a brand you must do great advertising. I actually feel that brand-building goes beyond that.

Every point of contact between the consumer and the product is a brand building opportunity. And this transcends advertising. Brands are not just FMCGs sitting on shelves. People are also brands. Events are also brands.

What's your definition of a brand?

I think a brand is the relationship between a product and the user. It is all about shared experiences both rational and emotional. Nothing compresses data better than a brand. It pulls together all the attributes and wraps them up in this unique way and then planks it somewhere in your mind where it will always occupy its very own special place. It's almost like you don't have to process the information to understand it; it's just all crystalised in one place. Here's a great brand test. For example, if Sony produced a car what would you know about it already, before I told you anything about the car? You'll know a lot; you'll say it's high-tech, reliable, expensive but worth it, stylish ... see that's the power of the Sony brand.

How do you manage everything? Having so much to do and all ....

I hire the best people and leave it to them to do what they do best.

I've got Miles Young who runs Asia and he's great and someone who runs Europe and the US and so on. Which leaves me with the fun part: meeting the clients and talking abou t brands and so on ..... I'm serious about this.

Your office is still on the lOth floor. You have not moved to the corporate floor?

No, I have not. I've done away with the corporate floor.

I've torn the walls down. We have too many people. I've taken the boardroom and put 25 interactive people in there.

You spoke about some idea in India where O&M used the sides of huts in rural areas as advertisement space.

This was initiated by O&M India and called 'O&M World'. I'm really taken with people who can look at something and see it in a completely different way. It was based on how to sell things to people in places where the re's no media. That's why the idea of painting the sides of huts was phe nomenal. The medium became the message. T his idea has now developed into outdoor shows, basic theatre, evolving around products. the idea provided And employment and social good.

I don't see why this thought has to be particular only to a rural situation. It can be an urban possibility as well; only if you

begin to see things in a new light.

Yes, that bit about people being given free cars which have ads painted all over them in Silicon Valley...

Right. I've discovered that media is becoming as creative a part of any effort as the actual creative work. We've discovered anybody will sell you space for media. Anything IS available: popcorn bags, water bottles, magnetic cards, murors m washrooms. Media is just exploding all over the place. The thing I love about Ogilvy is that the media people and creative are thinking together on problems.

You have so many units in the Ogilvy family. From advertising, to interactive, to DM, PR, M-commerce and so on .. .

Yes. Ogilvy has just launched m.Ogilvy in Japan which would act as its world centre for wireless communication. This is borne out of our 360 degree branding philosophy. We believe we have a responsibility to our clients and to their brands to help them interpret the brand at every point of contact.

That's why we need all these capabilities. We either got to grow it, buy it, or go into a joint-venture.

We cannot ignore all these little pieces because they are part of a larger point of view which says that you have to understand the brand and then help the brand be represented at every point of contact. We now even have architects working at Ogi lvy!

Because a lot of what a brand is, is physical space. The showroom should be the living representation of the brand. Have you been to Nike Town? It's a living brand which masquerades as a retail store.

You can buy Nike stuff in it. But it's all about the Nike brand. It's about the love of sport, challenging yourself and so on. There are soaring ceilings, huge pictures of athletes jumping up, bursting with energy. It's like a temple to athleticism. And you go into this space and you say 'OK, now I unde rstand what it means when using the retail environment to build the brand. So now, we need architects, we need people who design stores.. we even have engineers who work on ou r interactive side because it not just abou t getting the graphics right on the website, it's about getting the

whole navigational system which has to be consistent with the brand.

What's your take on O&M in Asia?

I'm de lighted with the creative work. We just had a good run at Cannes. We can't just talk about 360 degrees branding. Now we have to get the people to do it; the

come to work for us and say there's no better place to witness enterprise in the 21st century than by being in a brand agency where you're involved in everything a client is doing, from the internet to television. As an industry, we're not being marginalised anymore. Good people are coming back into our business because it's the best place

Nothing compresses data better than abrand.

It pulls together all the attributes and wraps them up in aunique way. architects, the engineers and so on.

And I find Asia the most open to working in these new ways. For example, I feel Ogilvy PR in Asia understands branding better than any PR capabi lity I've seen anywhere.

You've b een asked this question a million times: how does it feel being a woman running the big show?

Probably the same as a man!

I don't know. It feels fine. You know, so many people make a big thing about being a female CEO. But I think that, by example, I send an important message to young woman that it is possible, without having to sacrifice everything else in your life, that there are ways to make room for anything that is important to you.

Tell us about the big catch, the big blue ...

Oh, IBM has just been a fantastic client. They really allowed us to participate in the rebuilding of their brand. They've also allowed us to do great creative work. You don't build great brands without great clients!

to leap into the new world economy.

We're now back in the boardroom!

O&M used to be seen as oldfashioned, an institution, very big and awkward. But this h as changed. It is looking spunky these days. Hey, you even have a Managing Director, Jeffrey, who's dyed his hair!

you dressed, what gender you were, where you went to school. So what you're seeing now is actually what Ogilvy is all about, at its core. I look at Jeffrey and say, "I think it's great!" The more outrageous you were, the more David loved you.

He hated boring. Boring was the ultimate sin.

So when will you be back in KL again?

This is funny. When I arrived last night I got these two exquisite Pewter goblets as gifts with a note that said there were actually 12 of them. 'Each time you come, you get two'. And that I have to come back another five times to complete the collection! I found it so hilarious.

Here's an example of someone who obviously understood direct marketing. Giving me an actual incentive to back and build my collection!

I think it's fantastic! You'll be surprised that this is actually our way of being. It's not about being different for d ifference sake but being real and unique. That's our culture; we make the distinction between what's artifact and what's real. When you look at David Ogilvy, you think very British, you think conservative, university, cautious, forma l and all that. But if you really knew David you' ll know that he was actually about 'wild creativity', he did things in ways no one else did them. In his time, he broke every rule. Dyed your hair?

David used wear a kilt to the office, a cape too! Always ahead of the curve. And he believed m rewarding peop le for their performance. It didn't matter how

What's your agenda for this trip through the region?

I'm talking to clients and our own offices and giving speeches about branding. I am a brand missionary! I've been doing this every year for the past three years.

It was Miles' idea, and at first we had small groups attending in the early years; but this year we have hundreds of people attending. I mean, they're really 'getting it' now.

How

is

the

changing from perspective?

advertising a

talent

scene pool

We now have MBA grads who

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 5

4A's Malaysia posts favourable m1d-year review

Six months into the year, the Malaysian advertising industry is looking strong and healthy, well on its way to recovery after a turbulent two-year period. Association of Accredited Advertising Agents (4A's) Malaysia president, Tony Lee, said the industry was expected to grow between 20- 25% this year, up from 16% in 1999. Much of this growth is a result of increased expenditure from telecommunications and dot.com companies, and the finance & banking industry,

particularly in home loans and credit card businesses.

In terms of spend, traditional above-the-line advertising (TV, print, radio and outdoor) grew by 27% in the first quarter, compared to the same period last year. While no audited figures are available for non-traditional media like internet I online advertising, it is estimated that this sector grew at a much quicker pace, albeit from a smaller base.

At the same time, Tony said the industry was facing a challenge from the digital economy, which was attracting the youngest and brightest of its talent with the promise of quick financial gains to be made from internet start-ups, and the opportunity to savour the adrenaline rush of building a new enterprise.

ACNielsen eRatings.com global client list triples Continuing its rapid growth as the world's leading provider of global Internet audience information, ACNielsen eRatings.com today announced that 95 new clients have subscribed to the international Nielsen//NetRatings Internet audience measurement service in the second quarter, adding to the 55 global clients signed in the first quarter and bringing the year-todate total to 150 clients across 15 countries. Including the US, the Nielsen//NetRatings service now has more than 520 clients worldwide. Clients who subscribed to the Nielsen//NetRatings service outside the US in the second quarter include British Telecom, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Co.,

Microsoft, Philips Electronics, Intel, Reuters, Saatchi & Saatchi, Tesco pic, Yahoo!, Organic and Lycos Asia.

Nielsen//NetRatings is reporting data on Internet audience activity in the US, Japan, Australia, the UK, Singapore, New Zealand, Ireland and Canada, and has introduced the service m Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark,France, Germany, Italy, Brazil and Hong Kong in the second quarter, with local data expected in those markets in the third quarter. In total, Nielsen//NetRatings panels now have more than 150,000 individuals under measurement, representing the world's largest real-time Internet audience measurement panel.

Ads to be or not to be... On Air ?

Abhijeet Dutta Ray, Strategic Planning Director, Ogilvy & Mather (Thailand) Ltd

In all my years in the business, I have never seen anything like it.

The local monopoly cable company in Thailand - UBC is currently awaiting a crucial judgement on whether it can carry ads on its channels. The arbitrators are ... hold your breath - the subscribers of UBC! The actual ability of pay TV channels to carry ads depends on at least three factors : the local broadcasting law, the commercial agreement between the pay TV service and the channel owners (STAR, BBC etc), and last bur not the least - the terms and conditions of subscription.

Like many of its Asian neighbours, the local broadcasting laws in Thailand remain gloriously vague and where there is a law- it is grossly inadequate to cope with the modern media scenario. Just to draw a comparison, when pay TV BskyB was launched in the UK, it was understood that subscribers would be spared the ads, the logic provided was that they paid for the TV services, and I believe the local broadcasting law was clear about this.

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 6

Cut to Malaysia - when pay TV was launched there, the local broadcasting law did not cover the media and hence operators like ASTRO aired local commercials from day one. However, Thailand, like Malaysia does have a local law in place which prevents UBC from

for whether logos and ads could be aired at all.

So how do subscribers and the public in general get involved in this decision making process ? Well, a local NGO - Foundation for Consumers is gathering public opinions on the issue and will

The actual ability of pay 1V channels to carry ads depends on at least three factors allowing "pass through" of foreign commercials or placing of sponsor's logos on the original content of the pay TV channels. UBC has so far ignored the same and carried sponsor logos, only to be pulled up recently and ordered to stop doing so. In the meantime, the local broadcasting bill, currently in the process of being drafted leaves room

present its findings to the bill committee for consideration. UBC on its part has claimed that it has sought its subscribers' opinion on whether they would mind seeing the ads, but how it did so remains much to be desired: it chose to hire pollsters instead of obtaining the information directly from the subscribers.

Just how much of an impact public and subscriber opinion will have on the final draft of the broadcasting laws remains to be seen. What is heartening to note is that the final decision on whether the cable monopoly will be allowed to have an advertising revenue stream will not be left to a bunch of senators or regulators, there is at least a democratic element of getting public opinion in place. This in itself is a refreshing development in the world of pay TV - anywhere in the world today.

If pay TV were to go the "commercial free" route however, the consumer may have to bear the burden of higher subscription fees (which could go up by a third from the approx. US$ 30 per month subscription cost) which in turn may have an impact on the viability of the business, as the subscriber numbers seem to have already stagnated at the 330,000 mark.

Being all for a competitive market place, I for one am hoping that the consumers vote with a resounding "yeah" in favour of advertising!

Of pony-tails, earrings, tatoos and promiscuity

by Hwa & Szu, CDs BBDO Malaysia

Day-in, day-out you must conceive, nurture and give birth to ideas, ideas, ideas.

Recently, we had the distinct pleasure of some students visiting our office.

First question we asked these bright-eyed, bushy-tailed , green horns was," Why advertising?"

In chorus they answered, "It's glamorous."

After some smelling salts, we picked ourselves off the floor and said "Oh, you too?"

To them, we had to admit: we wanted to get into an industry where everyone seemed to be having a laugh, getting paid well and working very little. But as we all know, that's as far from the truth as penguins are from the North Pole.

We find ourselves asking many questions these days.

Why are we experiencing the haze again? Must we attend 6 meetings ~ day? Why ; re we still here at 4 bleeding 30 in the

morning?

Perhaps it's because beneath all the fancy offices, the designer clothes, fast cars and, much food and drink, most ad people still do real work. (Yes, even the ones with long hair, body piercings and birth control.)

So the moral of the story, dear students?

Day-in, day-out yo u must conceive, nurture and give birth to ideas, ideas, ideas.

Then put them on paper and try to sell them to your clients, clients, clients.

Then get confronted by, "... but the consumers won't understand ... and I don't really like blue ...or red ... actually, I don't like green either."

Or, "Oh my god, yo u must change this! Oh my god, you must change that!

Oh my god, you must change the change that I told change yo u to before the change."

And yes, the deadline remains.

But there is an upside to all this.

Because yo u work such long hours, yo u tend to skip meals, so you tend not to put on weight.

You don't have a 'life' so you compensate by buying fancy stuff for the few moments when you do.

You don't see yo ur parents much, so you don't hear them tell you they still don't understand what it is that yo u do. You don't see the sun, so you won't die from skin cancer. And chances of you being hit by a bus while jogging are very slim.

Yes, we still love it. Every once in a while we get to do an ad which redeems our faith.

- like wasabe nuts and sour cream crisps. We still find delicious excitement in pitches. We still enjoy coming into the office and seeing it abuzz and being in the thick of things. (No really). We still enjoy seeing our ads appear in the papers or on TV. Until of course, the day comes when we stop enjoying it.

Then we'll start having ponytails, earrings, get tattooed and ...

Oh look, it's 4.30am already.

Time to head home.

We still enjoy trying new things

India ratings: AXN hitting the mark AXN 's Ani me Festival scores in Asia AXN, Asia's first and only all-action and adventure television network, clinched the number one spot for the peak time belt (9pm-12mn) over two weeks in India during May and in primetime (6pm-12mn) took third place amongst all international channels.

AXN led the entertainment channels in the primetime ratings stakes - placing third only after the

sports networks - and hit the right mark with viewers in the peak viewing period from 9pm to midnight, where ratings proved particularly strong.

Managing Director of AXN, Todd Miller, said AXN consistently placed amongst the top one to five international channels after launching in India just one and a half years ago.

AXN clinched Eco Challenge AXN Asia, has won the broadcast rights to televise the Eco-Challenge Sabah 2000 adventure race, the world's premier expedition race that will be held in Sabah, Malaysia, from 21 August to 2 September 2000.

Maximising the impact for the region, AXN Asia will focus on the Asian teams participating in the adventure race - namely Team Singapore Power from Singapore, Toyota Team 2020 and Team Sabah

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 8

2000 from Malaysia, and two teams from Hong Kong - Team Asia and Team Hong Kong. AXN Asia will track each Asian team's training regimen and preparation before the challenge, progress and movements during the race, and post-mortem after the event to give viewers from the region a stronger sense of identity with the competitors and this year's race.

The Eco-Challenge is widely recognised as the world's toughest

With over 15,000 entries for on-air and online contests, 5,000 entries for the Anime Hero Drawing Contest and high TV ratings for weekend anime specials during the Anime Festival 2000, AXN has staked its position as the destination network for action anime in Asia. The AXN Anime Festival 2000, a month-long annual on-air and off-air event dedicated to Japanese animation, has become one of the most eagerly awaited viewer events of the year, attracting exceptional viewer participation and solid ratings.

Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Ricky Ow, said AXN's integration of on-air, Internet and on-the-ground marketing initiatives had forged a strong identity for the network's anime program ming and the AXN Anime Festival, feedin g the growing demand across East Asia for this unique form of animation.

and prem1er Expedition Race attracting the best adventureathletes from around the world, and is held in a remote region of the world each year.

Created by Mark Burnett in 1992 and screened globally since 1996, the Eco-Challenge combines responsible ecological use of the land with the toughest endurance race in the world. Each team in the grueling Eco-Challenge race comprises of four individuals who are required to race non-stop, 24-hours a day, over a 500 kilometre course.

Eco-Challenge Sabah 2000 will also broadcast on Columbia Tristar International Television's (CTIT) other action adventure channels AXN Japan, AXN Latin America and AXN Spain - with a similar focus on the teams representing the region. Video footage will be captured along the entire route, and before and after the race, to make up four hours of gripping drama for action sports and adventure fans worldwide.

For more info onEco-Challenge Sabah 2000 you can easily log on to http://www.ecochallenge.com.

You don•t need to read Forbes to put it on a schedule. You just need to know who does.

12% of Forbes readers travel First Class on long-haul flights. 96% of Economist readers don't. (Source: Europe 2000)

CIA buys into ADazzle Tempus Group PLC, the global media and marketing communications group and parent company of CIA Medianetwork, Outrider and Added Value, has bought a 15% stake in TTS Online Limited (ADazzle), the media trading portal that recently went live at www.adazzle.com. Other large media buying groups are expected to join Tempus in its investment, with the intention of helping to shape what is hoped will become the market leader.

Chris Ingram, Chairman of Tempus added, "It is important that Tempus remains at the forefront of developments in media technology and we believe the trading of media online will become a normal part of the

CIA Singapore beats full-service agencies for the launch of four new UK fashion brands CIA Medianetwork Singapore has just won in a three-way pitch for the launch of four new exciting UK fashion brands - Warehouse, Top Shop, Top Man and Miss Selfridge under Wing Tai Clothing, who has recently been appointed as the local

franchisee representing the above four new exciting brands from United Kingdom. CIA will be developing integrated media communication strategy and . implementation for these four brands as well as O'no, an upmarket

business in the future. Having surveyed the market, we felt that ADazzle's business model best reflected our own views on how the market will develop. We are therefore delighted to have taken a strategic stake at a modest cost to the group".

In a separate development, CIA Medianetwork International Asia announced the appointment of Cate Sinclair to a newly-created role of Regional Media Director for Daimler Chrysler Media Alliance (DCMA).

Cate will be based in Singapore.

Cate was previously the Media Director for Euro RSCG, handling Philips Electronics, Volvo Motors, Dell computers and Intel. Originally from Australia, she has more than 10 years of media planning experience with the likes of Leo Burnett Connaghan and May, Starcom Australia and The Seven Network Australia. children's boutique chain. Helen Khoo, Director of Wing Tai Clothing said of the appointment, "CIA has demonstrated their understanding on these four brands, the distinctive marketing approaches and exercised strategic thinking to these brands. Their recommendations on the integrated media communications solutions and innovative use of media are refreshing to us. We look forward to working with CIA in strategising the growth and maximising the business potential of these exciting brands in

Singapore." Bertilla Teo, General Manager of CIA Medianetwork Singapore added, "This wm demonstrates the fact that CIA Medianetwork is not just a media planning and buying agency. We are offering Integrated ¡ Media Communications services. We have demonstrated to Clients the importance of Media and the 'hows' and 'whys' that it is now the strategic focus. We are glad that the client has taken the bold step of going beyond the conventional full service agency route."

I

The truth, the whole truth Another peek at the embarrassing understains found in the laundry basket of the world's advertising news.

Suddenly people in advertising seem to be telling the truth.

Polygraph needles are rusting all over the world. Gallons of Scopolamine are being poured down the drain. Personally I think it's a sneaky plot.

Listen to this. William Clay Ford Jr, great grandson of Henry Ford, said in AdAge that SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicles), the biggest profit generating vehicles for the company, were 'environmental disasters that gobbled fossil fuels, spewed emissions and threatened

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 10

the lives of drivers in smaller cars.'

Why would he do such a thing? Well perhaps Willy is talking to bozos who think it's only queers, little girls, reds and follicley-challenged pop stars that care about stuff like the environment. He's counting on people in baseball caps and plaid shirts (who greatly outnumber pop stars and little girls) to start beating down the doors of their Ford dealers demanding a SUV so that they might look tougher and butcher and macho, macho men. Not so daft our William eh! This could become a trend; it must be the time for brutal honesty to become the marketing strategy of choice. Cigarette companies have been legislated into it but I bet there is a slight suspicion that health warnings may actually be working to their advantage.

Smokers look so damned butch and non-smokers look like total wimps.

Give me a non-filter French fag anytime and let me stare the reaper right in the face.

So what's next? Fur coats

with 'Buying this coat may result in the extinction of a whole species of cute little animals' labels. Shampoo bottles with 'As used on garage floors' stickers. Cell phones with 'May turn your brain into guacamole' signs. Flashes on Premium Lager cans that read, 'be advised: this b~9ze will get you pissed-as-a-fart and you may start a knife fight with some German soccer fan' . I can hardly wait.

In Adweek a source said P&G is looking for opportunities "to make savings" since its stock lost about one-third of its value in March.

They have asked their ad agencies to lower their commissions. Very honest if not totally brazen. I mu"st try that next time I'm strapped for cash and ask my doctor or lawyer or taxman to help me out and cut their charges. Fat chance.

In his weekly Sunday Times advertising article, Sledgehammer glorified the life of an Advertising Person for four action-packed columns that made a career in

advertising look far superior to brain surgery for skill; made Mother Teresa look like a total no-hoper in the pureness of purpose stakes and made bonking supervisor at Club 18-30 appear a distant second for job satisfaction. Gosh it was wonderful. Yet how can this be?

I have been in this business for a zillion years and I've only managed to grab a few small scraps of satisfaction and scored seriously tiny victories. Don't get me wrong.

It's all been very worthwhile, and I wouldn't dream of doing anything else, but I don't expect sainthood any time soon.

So the article wasn't really an unblemished picture of a creative life. But, and this is the killer, in shimmering italics at the end of the article was an off-the-cuff, and quite coincidental invite to enroll in Sledgehammer's own small college for advertising. What a cheek. I almost signed up myself. Proof indeed that being brazen ts definitely the order of the day.

So in conclusion I would like to say, "Please send me all of your cash, jewelry, stocks and shares because I want to live a life of huge luxury and never have to work again. Thank you".

PS. Diogenes, you the man

•

THEN AGAIN, SO IS A SAMSONITE. Winning any Cannes lion is never easy, so winning o Silver is truly o monumental achievement. This year Cannes received 9000 entries in the Print & Poster Category from the best agencies on earth. Only some 600 of those entries were judged to be worthy finalists by some of the world's best creative minds. Only 40 were considered great enough to receive o prestigious Silver lion. Congratulations to the winning team from TBWA

who received this rare accolade for their outstanding Somsonite ad. Comfort Ads ore very proud to hove played o major role in this honor and look forward to bringing many more inspirational ideas to life in the future.

The third Comfort Ads Cannes Competition is open for entries. So if you think that you ore tough enough to compete, not only with the best creotives in Singapore, but also the world, then coli Comfort Ads on 450 0135.

Bronze lyin'

by Dean fohns

The creative director of Lowe Limas Sydney resigned recently following an international internal

investigation by the agency into allegations that it had won a Bronze Lion at Cannes for a scam ad. The ad in question had been rejected by the client, Sydney's Taronga Zoo, and had never run anywhere. The investigation also revealed that a second Lowe Limas Sydney TV commercial that wo n a Bronze Lion, and a poster that took-out an awa rd in the New York Advertising Festival were also "illegitimate".

That there are people in this business who will do almost anything to win awards is nothing new. But this latest instance does up the ante a bit.

Unlike most of the scads of scam ads that have been submitted for awards over the years, the Lowe Limas ones involved genuine, quite prominent clients. From what I've previously seen of the phenomenon, the scamster usually counts on the sheer obscurity of both the "client" and the medium in which the entry has purported to have appeared. A classic example of this was the highly-awarded campaign out of Singapore a few years ago for a single-outlet, very down-market restaurant that clearly neither had nor needed a true advertising budget.

But in the end, who cares? As far as I'm concerned, the entire awards scene is, even when not a scam and a sham, largely beside the point. Highly disproportionate numbers of winners are for charities, causes, corporate image or other "soft" categories for which advertising is either of marginal significance or unknown effectiveness. And suspiciously few awards go to ads in "hard" categories, like supermarketing, fast foods and other retail, in which advertising's effects on sales and market shares are both crucial and highly measurable.

Award-obsessed agencies are kidding themselves and wasting their own and th~ir clients' time and money. Nobody can judge infallibly whether a commercial or ad is, was or will be effective, even - or perhaps especially panels of self-styled creative know-ails. Hence the fortunes invested in preand post-research, which isn't necessarily foolproof either. So that in the end it boils down to what David Ogilvy, himself a prodigious award-winner, had to say on the subject: "If it doesn't sell, it isn't creative".

Ogilvy's great friend and rival Rosser Reeves, whose proudest boast was that he took out the ultimate anti-award - "America's Most Hated TV Commercial" - ten years in succession, typically put it more bluntly:

"Now what do yo u want. .. fine writing? Do you want masterpieces ? Do you want glowing things that can be framed? Or do you want to see the goddamned sales curve stop moving down and start moving up?"

My sentiments exactly. But why am I wasting my breath? Nothing will ever dissuade the awards-at-all-costs cliques from the errors of their obsession. But maybe when they're tempted in future to take the low road in their frenzy to get themselves lionised by their kind, the example of Lowe Limas Sydney could be enough to give them pause. Or at least render them a lot less braze n.

Dean Johns is a partner in Sydney-based regional creative/motivational consultancy CreAsia and strategic/ creative hotshop StrADegy. Website www.stradegy.com.au Note from Editor: As a follow-up to Dean's article, a recent Advertising Age report states that two Bronze Lions won by Lowe Limas & Partners Worldwide's Australian office at the International Advertising Festival in Cannes were being returned. The agency picked up a Bronze for a print ad for Taronga Zoo, prompting the zoo to announce that Lowe was not its agency and that the ad, portraying animals as similar to people, did not reflect the zoo's attitude to animals. Another Bronze scam ad from Lowe was for a TV spot for Artel Australia's plastic containers. A third Bronze award, won by Grey Shanghai, for an Electrolux print ad is also under investigation.

Allegedly, Grey executives admitted the ad was the idea of a former creative executive at Electrolux's agency Saatchi & Saatchi who joined Grey, and later suggested that Grey run the ad in an obscure Chinese newspaper so that it could enter the Cannes festival.

This is the first time Lions have been returned to the festival fuelling suspicion that scam ads are regularly entered at advertising awards shows. As the result of an internal investigation by Executive Chairman Lionel Hunt, the age ncy's creative director Marc Schattner resigned. Award-winning Schattner was once creative director of McCann-Erickson Singapore. Hunt added that the Sydney agency will withdraw all its entries in Australian ad contests. Advertising Age also reported Sara Morton-Stone, general manager of the Australian Association of National Advertisers as saying advertisers should sign off on all entries to award shows. Romain Hatchuel, CEO of the Cannes festival commented that returning the awards creates a healthy precedent for those who would think in future of entering ghost or scam ads.

Two meals with David Ogilvy, and what I learned from them

by Drayton Bird

years Some ago, David Ogilvy bought me lunch m Paris. Actually, that's not strictly true. He invited me to lunch, then found they didn't acce pt American Express.

"Oh, my God," he said in tragic tones. "We'll have to pay cash."

When the bill came, he misread it as 147 francs, when it was really much more. "You're living in the past, David," I said. "I preferred it then", he responded gloomily. He didn 't have enough money - so I paid for most of it. Whether this was by accident or design, I don't know (he was famously careful with money) but his conversation was well worth the cost.

He told me that when he was offered the American Express account, his then partner thought

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 12

they were a waste of time. "I had to wait till he went on holiday before I could take it," he explained . It proved one of 0 & M's biggest accounts and has stayed with the agency ever since, except for a brief period when they were doing badly.

They decided it must be the fault of the advertising and switched the account to Chiat Day, who made a complete hash of it, before they moved it back to 0 & M. Clients often look round to blame somebody else for their problems, and changing the agency is often a damn sight easier to effect than something much more serious and hard to fix in their business.

In the case of Amex, the problem was that they were spending far too much time and money on trying to get new customers than on keeping and cosseting the ones they had especially the best ones, which are

always disproportionately profitable in any business. This was both in terms of their CardMembers and their retail partners, who could see no justification for the hi gh commission they we re paying (still true today, incide ntally).

No agency could fix that problem, obviously, let alone one that didn't understand the business; but aro und that time the head of Amex, James D Robinson III, known as Jimmy Three Sticks, took David to lunch and as ked his advice. D avid said, "Why don 't you hire someone who understands advertising?" A little unkind, but surprisingly few clients ever bother to study something so critical to their businesses. Too damn lazy, I guess. Robinson lost his job eventually, whereas his number 2, L ou Gerstner, who was arguably equally to blame went on to become head of IBM.

Not many people realise there ts a pretty direct relationship between how much you advertise and how much profit you make. In a huge research project a few years ago, this was learned by studying the marketing strategies of hundreds of US and European firms.

The 25% who advertised most were on average twice as profitable as the 25% who advertised least.

In my next piece I shall reveal more about how advertising works, but for now, let me tell you about a meal David did buy me at Claridges.

Half way through, he suddenly said in the rather abrupt way he had, "Do you know the secret of success in this business?" "No, David, " I replied. "What is it?"

"Charm," he replied, m the penetrating lower tones he reserved for his more oracular announcements.

Coca-Cola Voted As Superbrand Coca-Cola has successfully maintained its coveted position as t he number one soft d rink in Malaysia this year according to the Reader's Digest SuperBrand 2000 Survey.

Country Manager Reiner Becker received the Reader's Digest Platinum Award of Excellence 2000 for outstanding brand performance on the behalf of Coca-Cola Far East Limited. To win the Platinum Award, the brand must achieve at least thrice the vote

of the next brand in the same category. In the case of Coca-Cola, it was five times more.

Coca-Cola Far East Limited's Country Manager, Reiner Becker (right), receiving the Reader's Digest Platinum Award of Excellenct 2000 from Peter Jeffrey (left), Regional Advertising Director of Benchmark Limited.

LBSingaporescoresatCannes!

Ogilvylnteractive appoints Graham Kelly _ as Regional Creative Director Graham Kelly, one of Asia's most awarded creative talents, is now Regional Creative Director for Ogilvyinteractive. Kelly a multi-disciplinary creative talent has an extensive collection of international creative awards to his credit. These span advertising, direct marketing and interactive, and include Cannes, The One Show, MEDIA, Echos and the Clios. Graham commented, "To date, the Internet has not been a place, by and large, where you'll come across great creative ideas. That's clearly got to change if the Net is to realise its full potential as a key communications medium. And this will only start to happen when the online creative becomes as involving, insightful and emotional as the best ads on TV or in print."

LB goes local with Diadora Leo Burnett Singapore celebrates the local football scene with a subversive campaign for Diadora sportswear. Both the client and Leo Burnett felt many sports related advertising, particularly football ads in Singapore have yet to tap into the local psyche. So they positioned Diadora as the working footballer's brand targeting football enthusiasts who play local football without ''contracts'. Creative Directors: Linda Locke/Tay Guan Hin/Simon Beaumont, Art Director: Eric Yeo, Copy Writer:Jay Phua, Photographer: Jay Phua/Eric Yeo

At this year's Cannes Advertising Festival, LB Singapore was awarded a bronze lion for its print ad titled 'Leaf' for the Singapore Discovery C hannel's campaign on the conservation of the world's rainforests.

The poste r shows a simple yet powerful visual of a single leaf being

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 14

eate n by 'insects'. On close examination you will realise that t hey are actually mechanical 'Caterpillars'.

Creative Director: Linda Locke, Art Director: Eric Yeo, Copywriter: Lim Soon Huat, Photographe r: Alex Kai Keong, Retouching: Pro-Color/Fan g.

Visiting Hours: 9am to 9am

Need help ? Post Asylum. 3, J alan Sri Hart amas 7, Sri Hartam as, 50480 KL. Te l: 651 2901 , 651 2801 Fax: 65 1 2803

Bates Singapore's Heineken work for world

Bates Singapore, (with strong input from Bates/Heineken Vietnam market) has just completed four new regional TV commercials for Asia-Pacific and for world-wide usage for the Heineken brand.

Whilst the creative reflects a regional/global positioning for the

brand it is also relevant and respects local culture.

The four new TV ads are structured to run as a series in most markets and are a combination of 45 and 30 sec commercials called "Lights Out", "Domestic argument", "Tour Group" & "Worth the Wait".

The 45 sees "Lights Out" reveals a cheeky situation that takes place inside a trend y bar during a thunderstorm, focusing on a couple sitting at the bar and are then joined by another person who starts stealing peeks at their drinks.

Suddenly the lights go out and it

becomes pitch black. A few moments later, the lights come back on, but the first guy realises his full glass of Heineken has been drunk and confronts the second guy. We see an interchange of mistrusting glances between the two and then pan across to the girlfriend who with a cheeky smile has beer foam on her lips. Commercial ends with the communication proposition It could only be Heineken.

The campaign was based on a global communication proposition which Bates developed for the Heineken Corporate Marketing Team in Amsterdam late last year.

Reading this message can be hazardous to your health

by Jeft Seow, Managing Director of Ogilvy & Mather Advertising, Malaysia.

Even as I write, this I know from research that another teenager has jumped in front of a bus or out of a window, slashed his or her wrists or ended their lives in any number of different ways, and for what? Because they felt incomplete, abnormal or not good enough- got 95% instead of 100%, maybe because they were born slow to think, or missing the use of a limb, or because of their sexual preference, or born with a birthmark on the face.

Some things are not working in the world today and these are the things that are killing off people, especially our young.

Prejudice is not working. People's egos are so big they cannot admit that we are all alike so they see differences where there really are none and they condemn the ones they see as different.

Being judgemental is not .working. I think it is marvelous to create values. Love, passion, compassion, team, creativity, accountability are great values to create. But then we attach values to things, people and actions.

Five feet eight inches is five feet eight inches. But we have to attach values to things so we say tall or short, thin or fat, good or bad, right or wrong.

I got into this business because I wanted to make a difference in the world and I saw myself sitting on a powerful age nt of change communication.

A lot of what is happening in the world today has been influenced or reinforced by messages, ball and chain messages.

What is a ball and chain message ? The kind of message that keeps people dependant on others rather than empowering them to stretch themselves and make a difference to themselves and others.

associated with not using that product.

Some of us laughed at that kind of thing.

Perhaps the most subtle form of ball and chain message is the kind that suggests yo u need to look and feel your best in certain situations and with certain people. I wonder how many people have gone through life believing that they need to place their happiness in someone else's hands ? How many invite manipulation by believing in that kind of message ?

I love the new age messages. They are empowering.

Thinking is great, planning is great and dreaming is great. Up to a point.

Get with the action and just do it says Nike. Your effort and commitment are what counts. Comparing yourself with others is an excuse not to do your best... Play the game of life as if yo ur very life depended on it- isn't that what Tag Heuer is all about? Throw away your fixed stereotypical beliefs about what will or will not work, you can be mother if you are a man and all you have to do is open you rself up and be willing to be that and you know you can, says Nescafe. Be in the driver's seat of your life, be accountable for your choices, make decisions says MasterCard.

The earliest form of ball and chain messages was literally that.

Remember the ads from the 60's with piles of washing chained to a poor woman struggling to reach the kitchen sink?

I got into this business because I want to make a difference and now I get to do it with the people at 0 & M in Malaysia. And if I get it right and create openness, honesty, and risk taking it will all translate into the work they do and the messages that come out from us to build our brands.

That gave way to the type that urged people to buy a product by suggesting they would become successful in money, relationships, family and so on and contrasting that success with the destitution and poverty

And as our brands go out in the world to empower people, they will reward us with sales and a big change in world attitude and perhaps then, people will stop killing themselves.

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 16

CIA

Some people think w e're the Central Intelligence Agency. Fact is, w e are a global media intelligence network.

And we work independently, for advertisers with a keen eye for optimisation of their media solutions.

So if you're an advertiser, call Margaret Au-Yong, Helen Yeo or Rachel Jayaratnam now on 03-460 1343, or e-mail ciamm@ciasb.com.my and w e'll get on your case right away.

Turn Off Your Mind, Relax and Float Downstream

by I osh Sklar, CE 0/Exec. Creative Director CCG.XM

Very, very few agencies truly understand how to use new media Even after all these years - after all of the countless articles written by pundits and critics alike - it still appears that very, very few agencies truly understand how to use new media. When I say "agencies" I don't just mean ad agencies; I also count the iShops, design houses, consultancies and anyone else playing in the field.

Why? Five, six years later for most, why would this be the case? And what do I know? I'm just one of them. But if one were to step back and objectively examine what has been happening, it might become clear that the vast majority of people exploring dot.com opportunities are not taking a considered approach either for their own business models or those of their clients.

Who cares about business objectives or the needs of the end-user - the person that will actually be using a developed system or trying to understand a communication? That seems to be the internal mantra. Sure, we hear about "integration" and "synergy" and "360 degree branding" and on and on to such an extent it seems they've lost their original meanings. Now they can just be defined as buzzwords to use when faced with a press interview or pitch. The sad thing is I really believe the people in these agencies truly believe and intellectually understand what must be done, but with so many egos in the way and the need to rush rush rush out there to gain a foothold of credibility in this space, I see only a small handful living up to their own sound bites.

Last month I was in New York for a few weeks and had the opportunity to sit and politely listen to over a dozen of the biggest and brightest in the category (traditional ad agencies, direct marketing companies and the new breed of stand-alone "interactive shops") preach about their new (always new) unique vision of differentiation. Two things became inherently clear: 1. They all have the exact same unique vision but aren't consciously aware of it.

2. Not a single one had sat down to even so much as write a business plan outlining what it was they hoped to accomplish in the next few years in this segment and how they might achieve it in a realistic time scale. They all had it pretty clear in their heads and had scratched some notes and vague, confused charts on paper but they didn't see the value of formalizing anything. "Things change so quickly, we don't want to commit ourselves to any one avenue, but we know what our strengths are!" was one semor executive's response.

I suppose if the IPO kindling hadn't ignited the fire of paper success for so many companies up until this year, these very smart people with proven capabilities would be applying their skills to see what the real values of this new technology are. And what the true needs of the brand and customer are.

Instead there's this perceived need to showboat unfounded theories and promote their own cleverness and quasi-insight over practicalities. One thing's for certain: the Internet and Internet-like technologies such as 3G (Biuetooth, WAP) and those yet to come are absolutely here to stay. There's consumer demand, there's business demand and best yet, there's an infallible logic to it all as a converging medium. Someone's going to have to develop the systems, messages, brands, customer interaction, content and future technologies. Every business, utility, government and education model will be involved in some respect. So rather than scrambling to be king of the hill, the real success stories in this industry will be those that hunker down and spend their time wrapping their heads around what will work best for the end-user. ... but then again, what do I know? I'm just another pundit.

The Beauty & Pain of Being Creative

by I ullie P. Lingan

Last week, a fellow creative director was telling me there was more than a storm at sea in their office. In fact, it was a cyclone that lasted longer than it should have.

The young creatives understandably battled the waves and raced against the winds and the opposing forces created more havoc than necessary. Violence of course prevailed. And as is usually the case, heartaches derail creatives momentarily from their tracks, till they regain their full composure and the fire begins again.

I, like any Creative Director anywhere in the world, could easily emphatize with him, for although I see this movie all the time in my very own creative backyard each time there's an impasse, a disconcerting deadlock in creative judgment between creatives and the powers that be, it never fails to

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICAnONS 18

affect me. As to the time that I'll probably be jaded and just shrug indifference, this scenano will probably just exist m my imagination. I don't think time can

concept/execution when the fire actually builds up and passion grows into obsession (every word is well thought of, art direction and production have to take into

I don't think time can ever diminish the passion for defending one's creative work! ever diminish the passion for defending one's creative work, no matter what it takes.

While I did write about learning to live through the death of an ad sometime back, this time I'd like to focus on the burden that we creatives impose on ourselves when we put so much of our heart and soul into our creation. The fire starts even before conceptualization when we're just gathering all the ammunition needed; the percolation stage (ideally, if time permits though most of the time, deadline is "yesterday"); the actual

consideration the importance of nuances that can spell a world of difference between an average ad and a winner); and of course, the critical part, when we're most vulnerable as we gear ourselves up for battle: expose the ad for approval and experience the exhilarating natural high that goes with it or run the risk of rejection, rebuttal, bloodshed , nightmare and pain.

101 % emotional involvement that can either lead to 150% euphoria or 200% despondency. This is the story of our life in creative. The who le tapestry is altogether beautiful and

extremely fragile. With sensitivity comes vulnerability. With passion comes ecstacy or pain. But then, is there any other way?

I don 't think so. We were born to see things as they're not, experience life's moments¡in a manner that flies us to the moon or cuts us deep like a knife; cry when we hear a beautiful concerto, encounter an art masterpiece or watch a mushy movie; fall hopelessly and deliriously m love without conditions or restraint. There is never a middle ground, no sitting on the fence, no grays in between. Just basic black or stark white.

This is perhaps the reason why, of all mortals on earth, we creatives are just about the most misunderstood, most sensitive, most fragile creatures who are either loved or hated, despised or admired, if not mutually exclusive, then at least, alternately. Or is that wishful thinking?

(Dec 22-Jan 19)

(Jan 20-Feb 18)

(Feb 19-Mar 20)

(Mar 21-Apr 19)

(Apr 20-May 20)

(May 21-June 20)

(June 21-July 22)

(July 23-Aug 22)

(Aug 23-Sept 22)

(Sept 23-0ct 22)

(Oct 23-Nov 21)

(Nov 22-Dec 21)

(Jan 1-Dec 31) No matter what your star sign, there is one for every Malaysian, every day of the year.

Don't leave home without it?

Heck, just don't leave home.

By Kurt Crocker, Partner and Creative Director, Drayton Bird, Crocker & Mano Sdn. Bhd.

Negative Option in Direct Marketing world But that's just me. Hey, but what about me? I've got money to spend (most of the time). So where can I go to comfortably satisfy my buying binges?

Does anyone really enjoy walking around in 1 Utama? Or Bukit Bintang Plaza? Or the Megamall?

Many must, because especially on weekends, every shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur is an elbow-to-elbow mass of humanity.

Personally, I'd rather insert needles under my fingernails than endure the ebb and flow of strangers at shopping centres. All those randomly directional bodies to dodge, the queues, the jammed car parks, and (arrgh) the kids (Warning: Unattended Children Will Be Sold Into Slavery).

Back in the stone ages, when I was just out of college, I joined a book club. Every month, they sent me a nice packet of literary choices, along with news about the Book of the Month. As promised when I joined, they would send the Book of the Month automatically unless I told them not to. (This is called Negative Option m Direct Marketing world.)

Ah, what a way to shop! I didn't have to do a thing ... just sit back and read about what was soon to arrive by post.

Now we have Amazon.com, as well as many other booksellers on the net. Just search the site, find what you want, and order.

If I want to look for books beyond Amazon, I go to BookBrowse.com. And I subscribe to their Ezine, which includes an excerpt from a newly published

book selection, plus capsulated information on other recent releases.

You can't buy books at BookBrowse. But you can compare publisher's prices, which have direct links to sites where you can order.

Or course, you can buy practically anything on the net.

From chocolates to cars. But while e-commerce seems to me much more attractive than wearing down shoe leather at the malls, I'm not overly impressed.

No matter how interactive the web site, buying on the net is cold.

Companies like Amazon will continue to communicate to you if you give up your e-mail address, but it's still e-mail isn't it? It's impossible to even simulate personal contact by clicking a keyboard and ogling a screen.

I'm an avid reader. I buy a lot of books, but only a few from Amazon.

MPH gets most of my business.

I'd buy even more books at MPH if I didn't have to go to their stores. I bet there are a lot of people like me. So?

So... retailers are m1ssmg a grand opportunity. While it's probably a tad premature for retailers to worry about serious competitiOn from e-commerce, only about 1 in 20 people around the world are on-line, says one report, customer care will increasingly drive business success.

Retailers can care more for their customers in hundreds of ways, from the friendliness of sales staff to after-sale service, and yes, through the ease and convenience of shopping on the net. But if you want to care for customers like me, allow me to shop at home... with or without a computer.

In other words, send me mail.

Something I can touch. Send me news about things that I've told you interest me. In the example of MPH, I would have told them I buy mostly fiction, and an occasional cookbook. Send me an envelope, and a letter, a nice brochure and an easy way to order. And include a coup!<? of leaflets on the latest fiction and cookbook releases.

By all means, build your web site. Recreate your in-store shopping experience in cyberspace, because for many it will indeed become a preferred way to buy.

But don't neglect the needs and wants of the vast numbers of customers and prospects who will continue to hover m the netherworld between traditional shopping and the web.

Second time around for the DMAM Awards

by Rod Strother, Manager- Grey Direct.

Having just finished another successful semmar for the association,. thanks to both speakers and attendees, it's now time to get the Annual Awards organised. The night of 22nd September will see the doyens of direct, sweating it out to see who tops the judges' charts this time round.

The panel of judges last year was drawn from some of the top names in direct marketing both in Malaysia and Singapore. In addition we brought in one of the leading lights dn the creative side in the UK - Paul Davies of DraftWorldwide,

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 20

Scotland. It was encouraging to hear Paul> comments on the night when he said that he did not know what to expect in terms of creative ability from the agencies here and ended up being "hugely impressed". In all the judges awarded 7 Gold, 7 Silver,

in town. I noticed the comment on Arachnid's agency gossip site that it was amazing how Grey Direct had come from nowhere to win the most awards and could it be something to do with organising the event. Apart from the fact that the judges came

We brought in one of the leading lights on the creative side in the UK - Paul Davies of DraftWorldwide, Scotland 8 Bronze and 9 Merit.

Obviously we are not yet on a scale to match the Kancils and it's going to take a long time to develop the anticipation that particular event seems to hold. However, one of the biggest contributors to making that leap is the participation of all the direct marketing agencies

from our competitors and that our work was bloody good, the lack of overwhelming entries certainly helped.

Now, if I wanted to take a completely parochial view I'd sit back and be content to take the criticism on sweeping the awards year in year out. That is not going to

get the industry anywhere though.

I'd rather that we won less awards but against a far wider field of competition (and I would hazard a guess that OgilvyOne feels the same, Steven?).

How much satisfaction can you take out of winning a one-horse race?

Manchester United fans being the exception. Costs will remain the same as last year - table for 10 at RM1800 and entries at RM150.

The call for entries wiH be hitting desks around mid-August and if you want to make sure that you're on the list, just call Patricia Chong 0n I 012-320 4548.

Rod Strother welcomes your comments, views or business at rod.grey@integ.com.my

THE NEW YORK FESTIVALS Ave Grand Award Trophy Winners announced in the 43n1 Annual International Print-Poster-Design Competitions of the New York Festivals Multinational Agency Networks of DDB and BBDO Garner the Most Gold World Medals The New York Festivals recently announced the five Grand Award (GR) winners for "Best of Show" in the 2000 International Print, Poster and Design advertising competition.

DM9 DDB, Sao Paulo won a Grand Award Bowl in the Print competition for a magazine ad for Parmalat Hot Ketchup.

BBDO Toronto won a Grand Award for a Billboard campaign for Pepsi titled "Bare Rug/Pick Me".

Lowe Lintas, Sydney won a Grand Award for a Poster created for Jif Window Cleaner titled 'Stained Glass. ' DeVito Verdi, New York received a Grand award for a Public Service Print campaign for the ACLU titled "Bullets/Bible/Guilty".

Dentsu Young & Rubicam, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia won a Grand Award for Design for a direct mail piece created for the Malaysian Association for the Blind titled "The Dots of Communication".

Of the worldwide networks DDB agencies received six Gold World Medals followed by BBDO agencies with five Gold World Medals.

Other multiple Gold winners were Dentsu Young & Rubicam and TBWA, each receiving three Gold World Medals.

GRAND AWARD (Best Billboard): BBDO Toronto ( abooe) - two winning entries titled 'Pick Me' and 'Bare Rug' f or Pepsi.

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 22

GRAND AWARD (Best Posrer): LovJe Lintns, Sydney - titled 'Stained Glass' for Jif Wind0f111 Cleaner:

GRAND AWARD (Best Magasine ad): MDM9 DDB, Sao Paulo -titled 'Hot Ketchup' for Parma/at.

GRAND AWARD (Best Design): Dentsu Young & Rubicam Malaysia - titled 'The Dots of Communication' for the Malaysian Association for the Blind.

McCann-Erickson, Leo Burnett and J. Walter Thompson networks received two Gold World Medals each.

Of the individual shops, the big winners were DM9 DDB Sao Paulo, Lowe Lintas Sydney and Springer & Jacoby, Hamburg each receiving three Gold World Medals.

Receiving two Gold World Medals each were 8800, Toronto; Dentsu, Tokyo; DeVito Verdi, NY; F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, Sao Paulo; TBWA, London; Target Stores, Minneapolis.

The Print/Poster/Design winners were selected from 5,618 entries received from 64 countries.

Preliminary judging was conducted by creatives convened in major advertising centres throughout the world. Grand Award winners were selected at a

final judging sesswn at BBDO's headquarters in New York arranged by Phil Dusenberry, chairman of The New York Festivals International Board of Judges.

The New York Festivals is saluting its 2000 Print/Poster/ Design winners in the forthcoming Annual Of Advertising Volume Nine to be distributed by Hearst Books International.

Founded in 1957, The New York Festivals ranks among the most heavily subscribed and prestigious shows worldwide, encompassing annual media competitions in radio and television programming; radio, television, print and poster advertising; interactive new media; film & video; healthcare communications and marketing effectiveness.

They can be reached at www.nyfests.com

..

GRANDAWARD (Best Public Seroice): DeVito Verdi, New York (abooe) - titled 'Bullets ', 'Bible, 'Guilty' for the ACLU.

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 23

O&M Asia strikes gold in Cannes

Asia-Pac Winners of Cannes Lions 2000 Agency

Award

Country

Winning Entry

1 Gold 1 Silver 1 Bronze 1 Gold 2 Bronze 1 Gold 1 Silver

Bangkok Tabasco T he Economist Hong Kong Singapore Mattei/ Junior Scrabble NZ, Auckland Singapore Japan, Tokyo Australia, Melbourne

Print Category O&M

Saatchi

Dentsu Clemenger BBDO ColensoBBDO 1 Silver TBWA 1 Silver WhybinTBWA 1 Bronze 1 Bronze Grey 1 Bronze 1 Bronze Leo Burnett 1 Bronze 1 Bronze Bates 1 Bronze

NZ, Auckland Singapore Australia, Sydney NZ, Auckland China, Shanghai Malaysia, KL Singapore Australia, Sydney Singapore

Film Category O&M Dentsu Leo Burnett Saatchi's Clemenger BBDO

1 Gold 1 Bronze 1 Silver 1 Bronze 1 Bronze 1 Bronze 1 Bronze

Singapore Mattei/ Scrabble India, Mumbai Fevicol Adhesive Japan, Tokyo T hailand India, Mumbai Singapore Australia, Melbourne

Ogilvy & Mather, scored outstanding results this year at the 2000 Cannes Lions award ceremony. This year, Ogilvy & Mather Asia-Pacific e merged clear winners when it walked away with two Gold Lions, one Silver, and two

ADOIMARKEnNGCOMMUNICAnONS 24

Bronzes, bringing home a total tally of five Lions. Said Tham Khai Meng, Regional Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather (Asia Pacific), "We are very pleased with our performance this year at the 2000 Cannes Lions award ceremony.

T his shows the extent of recognition and appreciation for the work produced by Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific. As an industry in general, Asia Pacific produced some splendidly great work and this is clearly seen in the nu mber of awards given to agencies in the region. T his fantastic result makes us the Number One agency network here in the Asia-Pacific region including Australia and New Zealand. Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific was awarded two Gold Lions, D e ntsu Tokyo one, and Saatchi's New Zealand one - adding up to a total tally of four Golds for Asia-Pacific."

Ogilvy & Mather's agency in Bangkok - Results, picked up the first Gold Lion ever in the history of T hailand. It won a Gold for Tabasco under the print category. Likewise in Singapore, Ogilvy & Mather won its first ever Gold Lion for 'Scrabble' under the fi lm category, and a Bronze Lion for 'Junior Scrabble'

print. Ogilvy & Mather was the only agency to bring home to Singapore, a Gold trophy from the Cannes Award cere mony.

Added Khai Meng," With AsiaPacific coming out of the recent recession, it's perhaps no coincidence at all with the good yield of L ions this year at Cannes.

Last year there were 17, this year 25. Overall I get the real sense that the creatives here are now more confident than ever, and taking higher risks. And it shows. The work is braver, and following in tow, a certain charm and wit comes with it. Ogilvy's Tabasco print ad that picked up the Gold Lion for print is one of them. It was also vying for the Grand Prix together with 6 others, including coming up against the inspired and brilliant Lowe's Stella Artois campaign, which as we all know, went on to deservedly win the Grand Prix.

The t hing about awards in gene ral is they are inevitably a lottery to a certain exte nt.

Subjective, unfair, full of flaws, open to dispute. Except when you win yourself in which case it all comes down to hard work and talent!"

Spotyourdog, cat or snake?

LB Singapore's recent campaign highlights the little known, but very useful pet location service of the S.P.C.A. The campaign consists of three prints titled, Dog, Snake, Cat, showing the various pets camouflaged by surrounding objects, with a simple message to call the S.P.C.A if you have lost your pet. Creative Director: Linda Locke/Tay Guan Hin, Art Director: Koh Hwee Peng, Copy Writer: Priti Kapur, Photographer: Alex Kai Keong, Retouching: Phenomenon.

Leo Burnett Singapore's Hewlett-Packard -Notepad The 'notepad' campaign developed by L eo Burnett for Hewlett - Packard is a public service direct marketing campaign, designed to draw attention to how rapidly our forests are diminishing. The notepad measures 9 em by 11.5 em with an image of a forest printed on all sides. As each sheet of paper is peeled off, the forest grad ually disappears. The campaign serves as a continual reminder to use paper wisely as every little bit counts. Creative Directors: Linda Locke/Tay Guan Hin, Art Director: Eric Yeo, Copywriter: Jay Phua, Retouching: Procolor.

Direct Marketing Opportunities We need highly motivated professional advertising people with a strong marketing bias for our internationally-aligned Malaysian Office. DraftWorldwide is the largest Direct Marketing agency in Malaysia and is part of a worldwide network of 52 offices.

We have an immediate need for a Senior Account Director to manage and co-ordinate multi-national as well as local accounts.

Writers, art directors, designers, F/A artists are all needed to cope with the clients work.

Please fax, mail or e-mail with a brief resume to introduce yourself to:Sennett Tzinberg Regional Managing Director 15B, Jalan SS22/23, Damansara Jaya, 47400 Petaling Jaya. Selangor Darul Ehsan.

Fax: 03-77290481 E-mail: draftmalaysia@po.jaring.my Website: www.draftworldwide.com

~ DraftWorldwide .,.

'Treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen' client culture

by Tess Caven, General Manager- CIA International Asia

How much easier it would be if we didn't have clients getting in the way of our great ideas!

If only the agency would listen to us instead of just doing what they think is best for our brand!

How often do these sorts of comments arise on either side of the agency-client "fence"? How many times do accounts go up for review due to a deterioration of the relationship that has probably been going on for months, if not years?

How many agency people have not, at least once in their career, had a feeling of dread as they prepare to go into a meeting with a client whose goal in life seems to be to trip them up?

On the client side, this "treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen" approach often seems ¡to be part of the company culture, almost certainly springing from a senior person's past experience of being "ripped ofr' or let down by their agency (it does, sadly, sometimes happen). An atmosphere of mistrust and "guilty until proven innocent" surrounds meetings, the agency cannot persuade their best people to work on the account for long and so the clients' suspicions of incompetence

and passivity are often justified, Without opportunities for neutral dialogue, the relationship is certainly doomed. Many junior marketing personnel "brought up" in this situation mature, thinking that this is just the way things are done and so perpetuate the practice when they move up or on.

While the hidden purpose of this article is not an excuse to mount the soapbox about equitable service remuneration, it is worth commenting that there is often a strong correlation between poor client-agency relationships and instances where fees or commissions have been painfully screwed down to the bare bones.

This could have something to do with the fact that by our nature we do not tend to value a thing that it has won cheaply. And, while an agency may have acce pted unacceptable terms for whatever reason, it is a phyrric victory for the client, as the agency will almost certain ly not view them as an "investment" account m terms of servicing or staffing.

What clients sometimes forget that the people running their account are generally keen-toIS

please, fierce ly loyal types who, if treated with trust and respect, will personally endeavour to return such investment triple-fold - no matter what the fi scal arrangement. I myself have been (and continue to be) fortunate enough to work with a number of enlightened clients who expect hard work and the highest standards of their agencies, but only in return for being treated as an equal partner and valu able resource. Inevitably, this could be seen by the more cynical clients as leaving the door open fo r abuse, but there are a number of formal checks and balances that can, and should, be deployed to ensure that any liberties are kept in check. Some examples wou ld be regular and mutual reviews, performance related remuneration incentives, ongoing and appointment driven dialogue at senior levels. This will ensure that problems are identified at an early stage and a meaningful (and consistent) relationship can be enjoyed by both parties.

On a related matter, there is often a "Them and Us" divide created (largely, admittedly, by the agency) between media owners and media personnel. When I was

Mirage Post. Editing under no illusion

Standing from left to right: Affandi, Jackie, Moi Moi. Seated from left to right: Bob, Bee Leng, Zaki. \

One company in Malaysia's TV commercial filmmaking industry that, despite its name, appears never to shimmer and fade from view, is Mirage Post. Although usually fai rly laid back about their achievements m editing TV commercials (though no one would

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 26

ever accuse Affandi, its owner and senior editor, of being quiet) their track record over the past five years of the MVA awards is nothing short of remarkable. It's difficult to know where to begin.

Every single 'Best Film' of the MVA festiva l's 5-year existence has

been edited by Mirage. Every year, bar one, they have taken the topediting award. And in the past two years they have swept all editing awards; taking Bronze, Silver and Gold. Name your favourite spot and there's a real chance it was cut by Mirage. Super storytelling for Petronas 'Local Hero', 'Forgiveness', 'No Charge' and 'PX2 The Test'. adidas 'Kampung Boys', TNB 'Uiu Tembeling', Celcom 'Wedding', MAS 'All our Lives' and 'My Way'.

And exciting fast action editing in Ford Ranger 'Ran ge r World', Marlboro 'Drums ', Sime Tyres Proton Satria 'Weather' and 'Horsemen'. And that's just a small selection.

Mirage editors, Zaki, Bob, Bee Leng and Affandi, clearly believe they are playing a big part in the progress of TVC filmmaking by pioneering new editing skills. And they are right. In contemporary feature films it's becoming patently

orking in the UK six years ago, there was an unwritten rule that if a media owner was forced to complain about poor treatment to the Media Director, the "culprit" in question was in fact sound ly praised and slapped on the back on account of their being a tough negotiator.

Happily things have moved on from here and such behaviour in Asia is rare. However, what is again often forgotten is that the person at the other end of a negotiation is also human and (generally) an intelligent professional. They may, like the agency, be forced to concede under duress (need the business, pressure from their boss), but they do so grudgingly and will almost certainly put you and your client at the bottom of the list for bonus space, great ideas or useful information. This does not mean that agencies should become soft in their dealings, but a bit of courtesy and respect will go a long way to creating a partnership that will usually reap 3-fold return in value for you and your clients.

J'hose at the top of all organisations should take on the responsibility for the professional conduct of our respective sectors.

After all, this is supposed to be one of the more fun industries to work in - perhaps mandatory kickboxing classes wou ld help those with excessive aggression to vent?

clear that editing is playing a significant part in their success.

Fast cut action in the films of John Woo and Tony Scott and the abstract, non-linear editing in the films of Oliver Stone and Steven Soderbergh all rely so much on the creativity and the skill of the editor.

This may be why Mirage develop and use creative new techniques like mixing colour grades, nonlinear story telling, m1xmg videotape, film and stills in the same spot and include in their cuts surprising and unexpected shots like clapper boards, out-takes and actor's goofs. Clearly great editing is an area that needs courage and willingness to break rules as well as employing conventional skills.

Probably this is why directors and creative teams like to work with Mi rage and why they win so many awards and probably will continue to. And probably why Mirage can make a film so good and win so many awards you'd swear your eyes (if not your ears) were playing tricks on you.

It's ALL new media The Impact of Transformational Technologies on Media Businesses in Asia

Introducing the CASBAA Strategic Issues Forum A series of moderated panels in the Exhibition Hall to address major topics of urgent interest to the industry with representatives of major media, technology and service organizations.

15 - 17 November 2000, Singapore Expo • Singapore

Asia's Cable and Satellite Convention

The All Informative CASBAA2000 Convention Key issues: • Surge of new media in the broadcasting arena • Delivery of multimedia applications and e-Commerce services on broadband • Webcasting and video streaming • Digital terrestrial TV • DTH broadcasting • Interactive TV • Video and software piracy

g .....

CA.SBA A

Organised by:

A0 C !Worldwide Where Business Does Business

Official Media Partner:

ASIAeaWORLD

Supporting Organisations:

Lead Sponsors:

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Name: _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ Designation: _ __ __ __ _ _ _ __ Company: _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ ____ Address: - - -- - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Tel: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Fax: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ E-mail: _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ For more information, please contact Katherine Quek at +65 322 2729 or email: katquek@aic-asia.com Visit us at www.casbaa2000.com

Grey Worldwide wins!

Grey Worldwide:Hong Kong has won Coca-Cola China's non-carbonated beverages account for Hong Kong in a pitch against Bates that included strategic, creative, and promotional ideas. Their task will be to increase market share of brands like Bonaqua, Nestea, Powerade, Sunfill, Tianyudi and Hi-C, as well as to launch any new non-carbonated drink brand that Coca-Cola creates. The account is estimated at HKD 20-30 million.

In China, Grey Worldwide:Beijing has won Founder Computer System Co. Limited's from incumbent Bates through a presentation on brand strategy and creative recommendations. The agency will create through-theline communications for the company, including image and product

campaigns for Founder's PCs, notebooks, servers, PDAs, and MP3. Founder is China's second largest computer brand and the country's third largest overall after Legend and IBM. The agency will also handle TV planning and buying with print media assignments to follow. Initial billings, for a six month period, are estimated at RMB 20 million.

Grey Worldwide:lndonesia has clinched Lippo Bank's corporate account following its win earlier this year of the Lippo Group's ISP, LinkNet, and Lipposhop.com and Lippostar.com. The agency will work with Lippo Bank on a rebranding assignment that spans logo creation, all advertising and marketing communications as well as the re- branding of its 360 branches.

Agency head Bob Smith attributed the wins in part to Grey Worldwide's highly successful work earlier this year for LinkNet, Indonesia's fastest ISP, which reached its subscription target in just one month.

Seven-storey Coca-Cola sign in KL is one of Asia's tallest The thousands of commuters who daily ply Kuala Lumpur's Federal Highway, one of the burgeoning Malaysian capital's main arteries, are greeted by a neon-lit unipole sign of the ubiquitous Coca-Cola bottle that at 40.23 metres high is Asia's third tallest.

Only two Asian Coca-Cola signs outreach the new KL landmark which switched on at midnight on June 17, 2000. One is the godzillaproportioned 60.2 metre sign atop a 26-storey building near Shanghai's People's Square (it made the Guinness Book of Records). The other is a 36 x 91 metre outdoor painting of the famous contoured bottle which adorns the side of Coca-Cola's Hong Kong bottler's premises.

It is expected to become a tourist draw, along with the Petronas

Twin Towers (the world's tallest), the Merdeka Square flagpole (also the world's tallest) and the KL Communication Tower (the world's tallest all-concrete structure). The Genting outdoor sign is Asia's fifth tallest Coca-Cola sign.

According to Mohd Kadri Taib, external affairs manager for CocaCola in Malaysia, the Kuala Lumpur Federal Highway sign stands out from surrounding unipoles because of its vertical shape. Most other s1gns along the highway are horizontal.

"The Coca-Cola sign in Tokyo is 28.3 metres high, while the 'mother of all outdoor advertisements'- the New York Times Square Coca-Cola sign - is 20 metres high, so Kuala Lumpur can claim to be one-up on two of the world's largest and most sophisticated cities," Kadri said.

CN BC Asia lights up Hong Kong with its illuminated Bus Ads

Used for the first time in Asia, these ads light up between dusk and dawn. Unlike conventional bus ads, the CNBC Asia ad employs the latest electronic technology to illuminate the exterior posters. The illuminated ads, with the headline "Look & Earn", are now on 18 double-decked CityBus buses which serve downtown Hong Kong.

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICAnONS 28

http:/ jjooze.com/

Software to Download.

Jooze.com is an initiative of iHive.com (formerly known as eProjectWork.com) formed to cater to the growing needs of the creative community and businesses m Singapore and South East Asia. The core business behind Jooze.com is a creative service exchange, whereby business users can find creative talents who provide their services in areas like animation, web design, graphic design, writing, photography, illustration, video, film and audio production.

Jooze.com was formed in April this year by a core team of four young professionals, who recognised the need for a gathering place where businesses and creative services can meet, interact, conduct business and develop each other.

One of the key features In Jooze.com is a personal gallery whereby creatives can showcase their work. Because of the nature of the internet, the showcase isn't just limited to visual or the written word. The gallery is able to display animation, video, graphics and text.

Jooze also provides software and hardware updates related to the indus try, as well as benefits for Jooze members such as previews and discounts. Members who join Jooze.com as creative serv1ce providers will be allowed free access to all these features, information and more. It seeks to be the premier web site providing integrated solutions that facilitate business transactions between creative service providers and their clients.

The Leading Corporate & Brand Sites area links marketers to top sites by advertiser category including Apparel, Automotive, Computing, C lassifieds, Demographic, Finance, Food &

http:/ jwww.zenithmedia.com/ This is an Internet portal for marketers. It provid es a daily updated directory of links to over 4,000 hand-picked sites in 170 categories tailored to marketer interests.

The Most Usefu l Sites for Marketers section provides links to key sites in categories such as Advertising, Creating Sites, Cutting Edge, Internet Research, Marketing & Market Research, Media & Media Research, Searching, Site Promotion, and

countries. It is essential when planning cost effective media campaigns.

WARC Market Research Abstracts are a compilation of short abstracts collated from leading international academic and professional journals. Publications that are regularly scanned include: Admap, Journal of the Market Research Society, Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of Consumer Research, International Journal of Advertising, Proceedings of the ESOMAR Congress,

Areview of advertising, marketing and media related web sites from around the world Drink, Healthcare, Home & DIY, Music, Movies, Retail, Sports, Telecoms, and Travel.

The Top Media Sites index provides direct access to the leading media sites in four key categories: Television, Press, Radio and Outdoor.

Proceedings of the Market Research Society Conference and lnternatio~al Journal of Public Opinion Research.

www.AdAgelnternational.com This IS Advertising Age International's new free web site, which brings full -motion video of

the hottest new TV spots from around the world. Updated daily, this site features three exciting new commercials chosen from a comprehensive global database.

The ads are accessible with either Microsoft Media or Real Time software.

The global daily news service is produced by their network of over SO correspondents worldwide, plus editors in London, New York and Hong Kong.

The site also includes the Breaking Spot Database, which gives users the facility to track down any non-US commercial produced over the past two years.

Searchable by brand, product category, country or region, users can purchase a tape or CD-ROM of the actual spots.

Other features include the Global Account Database, a daily updated searchable guide to global and regional advertising reviews and wins; the World Advertiser and Agency Database, detailing what clients work with which agencies and where; and Advertising Age's renowned rankings, the definitive guide to the world's largest agencies and biggest-spending clients.

The Sites of Daily Interest page links marketers from a single screen to key Internet sites in a number of categories such as Marketing News, Media News, Financial Information, Travel, Searching for Companies and The Weather.

Other areas of zenithmedia.com include the Millennium Timeline which 1s a fasc inating record of communications spanning the last thousand years.

http:/ jwww.warc.com/ Advertising The World Research Center is a collection of three discrete and unique web sites which are vital information resources for advertisers, agencies, the media, research companies and academics.

WARC Advertising & Marketing Knowledge acts as a research assistant available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Containing thousands of leading edge articles and authoritative case studies this site covers virtually all areas of advertising, marketing and media activity and helps you to plan more effective advertising.

WARC European Media Center lists top-line information on print, television, radio, cmema and outdoor media for 28 European

Why you should use PRWire's services: P ress releases have been the most powerful form of advertising and publicity for businesses for years now.

A press release that appears on a newspaper or TV can generate exposure that could bring in customer orders. Or launch your company into a multimillion-ringgit business.

That's why you need PRWire Malaysia-Global, a professional press release distribution company, that can help you get the press attention and success you want.

• PRWire is a product of BERNAMA, the Malaysian National News Agency, a leading supplier of news to the media.

• Newspapers, TV and radio stations and web portals depend on PRWire for company news that they receive on BERNAMA's newswire service • PRWire has a multi-channel distribution network to deliver your press release to journalists timely and cost effectively • PRWire has the reach to distribute your releases anywhere locally and globally • Users have FREE access to your release from PRWire's and BERNAMA's news and financial information services on the Web

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Yahoo! remains top website Nielsen//NetRatings, the fastest growing Internet audience measurement service in the industry, announced their findings based on data derived from monitoring a panel of nearly 2,000 Singapore Internet users, as they surfed the web from home. Topline findings indicate that Yahoo!, MSN, Pacific Internet, Singapore Telecom and AOL websites were the top web sites by property. Yahoo! retained its position as the top website by property for the third consecutive month, with MSN at number two also for the third time.

The average time spent by Singaporean users saw a decrease, from six hours

and fifty-two minutes in April, to six hours and nine minutes in May 2000.

Female Internet users were more active on the Internet this month with the composition of female Internet users increasing to 43%, from 40% the previous month.

Here's Nielsen//NetRatings Singapore for the Top 10 Web Sites by Propert in May, 2000. Unique audience is a measure of the total number of individuals that visit a property. A property is defined as a consolidation of multiple domains and URLs owned by a single entity.

Property

Unique Audience

Time Per Person (hrs:min:sec)

Yahoo!

300,971

0:29:48

MSN

246,454

0:36:03

Pacific Internet

211,767

0:14:13

Singapore Telecom

188,580

0:17:45

AOL Websites

167,615

Lycos

146,958

0:08:06 0:07:44

Microsoft

107,385

0:04:07

Asia One

94,786

0:25:19

Go Network

85,679

0:20:51

Eastciti

81,595

0:08:39

Source: Nielsen//NetRatings, May 2000 Example: The data indicates that nearly 81,600 home Internet users visited at least one of the Eastciti-owned sites during May.

World Domination?

Getting there.

Getting Tony is fantastic news, his skills in the Interactive area and his instinctive understanding of how to build Customer Relationship strategies on and off line will be invaluable.

r

ADOI recently caught up with FCB's Regional Director of Integrated Marketing, Robert Burr for a quick update on what's news at FCB. FCB have announced a series of new hires to strengthen their Integrated Marketing Division,

FCBi, following a recent hot run of new business wins in Malaysia and Singapore.

Robert has relocated from Malaysia to Singapore and Tony Ong from JWT has been appointed to head up FCBi in Malaysia.

"Getting Tony is fantastic news, his skills in the Interactive area and his instinctive understanding of how to build Customer Relationship strategies on and off line will be invaluable".

Also joining FCB Malaysia are Caroline Wong an Account Director who moved from OgilvyOne, together with Account Executive Charmaine Yong and writer Gavin Ho fromJWT.

"We are delighted with the direction our business is taking in Malaysia" said Robert, "Becoming a destination agency has been our goal for a long time, having people of the calibre of Tony and Caroline join us clearly shows we are getting there."

New Business wins in Malaysia recently include the Entellium, Clairol, Zoom Sports.com, and Peremba.

Burr is clearly pleased at the pace of growth. "2000 started very well for us, local and international wins are feeding a very fast growing agency. Compaq is obviously the biggest, and FCB sees Compaq as more than just a win, for us

it's a crusade".

In Singapore, the FCBi success story is equally impressive. A series of new business wins since the beginning of the year and the expansion of services has again required a number of new hires.

Robert Gaxiola joined as Creative Group Head from DY&R earlier in the year and Fiona Chong from Saatchi & Saatchi, Burr assured me there were more to come. The recent win of Compaq on a global basis is clearly fuelling an agency in a hurry.

Burr continued, "Singapore is critical to us, we have established an 路 Integrated Marketing hub operation here and that will support and service other FCB Offices in South East Asia. Our team is expanding fast and we have some exciting tools being deployed that will put us clearly ahead of the curve in the interactive and CRM Space".

In addition to . Compaq, FCBi in Singapore has won Regional Timberland, Business from Coolconnect.com and Beanz.com.

As we finished the drinks and headed for cabs, I got the distinct impression that FCB is nowhere finished in 路 their plans for world domination, watch this space.

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 31

Biti's and Burnett create afirst in Vietnam Vietnam's largest shoe manufacturer, Biti's, made history by being the first advertiser to feature the Vietnam wars in their 30- second TVC, which aired on the 13th June 2000. The TVC, from Leo Burnett, dramatises these moments in the country's history by a series of stories and the role that footwear has played.

This campaign is also the first multi-national TVC produced entirely by Vietnamese staff and it is the first spot produced by Biri's to an international standard. It is a directorial debut for Lazennec's Nicholas Simon and shot by award-winning US DOP Joe Zizzo.

The TVC begins with the birth of the Vietnam nation where, as legend has it, the great mother and great father part, to find new lands in the mountains and by the sea. The next frame shows the battles between the Chinese Qing Dynasty and the Vietnamese where the soldiers wear shoes made from rattan.

The film then curs to the Truong Son range jungle, located on the border between Vietnam and Cambodia, during the American conflict. The soldiers here wear the famous rubber sandals as they maneuver through the thick foliage.

leaping symbolically into the Saigon skyline.

The TVC ends with the ragline (back translation) 'Biti's. Cherishing the Vietnamese Feet'. Truong Tiep Truong, senior writer with Leo Burnett/M&T said "We wanted to make a truly Vietnamese spot for a true Vietnamese client. This ad is proof of what passion and commitment can produce, even on a limited production budget".

The final scene captures modern Vietnam and irs flight into the new millennium, which features a man wearing the latest Biri's sports shoe

Rosenkranz heads Grey Worldwide in Asia Pacific Eric Rosenkranz is now Grey Worldwide's President Asia Pacific and Executive VP, International. Based in Hong Kong, Mr. Rosenkranz replaces Jonathan Fox, who had run the region since 1997. Foil owing three years as head of the company's Larin American Division, Mr. Rosenkrantz becomes the first person m Grey Worldwide's history to hold the post of President in two of the company's four Divisions, and the first executive to have held senior positions in three of those Divisions: Larin America, Asia Pacific and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He joined Grey Worldwide's Latin America operation in 1997, after holding increasingly senior positions with the company internationally over 14 years. During his Larin American tenure, billings increased by more than 40%.

Outgoing CEO Jon is now VP/Execurive MD, Grey Worldwide, with global responsibility for the agency's Mars business. During his tenure in the region, which began in January of 1997, Jon successfully steered the the network through the Asian economic crisis; acquired full Rosekranz ownership of agencies in Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia and India; launched Grey Academy, a multi-disciplinary training institute; and was early to identify the opportunity in the interactive and Internet fields, now one of the network's hallmark strengths. Based in New York, his work on the Mars account will make him a frequent visitor to the Asia Pacific region.

TNS new offerings in Singapore!

The recent announcement of the new TV contract in Singapore, commencing year 2001, spelr a change for the ad industry. The new contract awarded to Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) promises to deliver a larger sample size of 750, up from the current 300. This translates to over 2,500 individuals compared to the current figure of around 1000.

This is important considering the "fragmentation" of targets that planners have to work with in this marketplace.

Some of the commonly used ones are PMEBs (professionals, executives and managers, businessmen), kids and mothers with children. Based on a sample of 2500, the estimated sample sizes of the various targets would be 500+ PMEBs, 250+ Mothers with kids,

250+ Indians and others, and 400+ Teens 10-19, giving ample sample base for target group analysis.

And cable homes would also be monitored. TNS is offering a measurement method that incorporates Picture Marching technology and Arbirron's parented audio encoding system. Using the picture matching technology, samples of the programs viewed wou ld be marched and referenced to identify the channel in view without having to open the cable boxes. With cable penetration standing at slightly over 20% in Singapore and increasing, this is a concern within the industry as the present service does not reflect TV viewing accurately in the island (cannot identify cable home viewing).

Lady at helm of Malaysia Newspaper Publishers Associations Roselina Johari, representing Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd was elected Chairman of the Malaysian Newspaper Publishers Association (MNPA) at the AGM held recently.

She will be the first lady to lead

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 32

MNPA since its formation in 1972.

The General Manager of Star Publications (M) Bhd, Koh Beng H uar, was re-elected Honorary Secretary. Wan Razif Wan Musa representing the New Straits Times

Press (MN) Bhd Honorary Treasurer.

was

elected

Executive Committee members elected included Wong Ah Lek (Nanyang Siang Pau Sdn Bhd), S.M. .

Periasamy (Malaysian

Nanban), Ng Beng Lye (The China Press), Gan Chin Kew (Pemandangan Sinar Sdn Bhd), Patrick Ting (See Hua Daily News Bhd) and Tan Boon Kean (Sun Media Corporation Sdn Bhd).

1need someone who11 be there

24 hours a day.

PHASE ONE

DIGITALCAMERABACK

-~-¡~

TBWA wins in Cannes and New York TBWA Singapore has won a Silver Lion at the recent Cannes for its Samsonite 'rolling suitcase' taxi rop campaign making it the most highly-awarded Singaporean agency at the festival (see picture).

TBWA also won a Bronze World Medal in the recent New York Festival Awards for their client Caltex. From a record 6,882 radio and print entries from more than 60 countries, TBWA were among only two of winners in the radio section from all of Asia. Credits go to Copywriter Robert Kleman, Producer: Eunice Ong and Production by Song Zu Singapore.

Award-winners, left to right: Copywriter Robert Kleman, Art Director Gngory Yeo and Account Director Dinesh Sandhu.

From Gold to Nothing: the Art of Mud-Slinging

By Maximus Confusious Ng

What's the worst thing that can happen to a good ad?

It picks up a Gold at some big award show and gets bagged out of the Malaysian Kancil Awards.

What's the second worst thing that can happen to a good ad?

It picks up a Gold at some big award show and bags a Merit in another.

Lordy Lord. If you think women are unpredictable, what about award shows?

Creative people are trained to expect nothing.

the last time they picked up an award? What the heck did they pick up? What criteria do they make judgements on?

Seriously, a few pieces of metal at New York Festival do not a jury member make. Then again, someone with a One Show Gold in his 15-year-career isn't any more qualified. Neither is a guru with a cache of statues, lions, pencils or spikes.

Medals are proof of capability.

But they are not accurate measures of character.

More importantly, they cast a dark cloud of doubt over the jury itself. And bring us to the questions of who, why, when and what.

We forget the "it" factors that makes one jury member more qualified that another. Fairness, magnanimity and honesty can cut through all that subjectivi ty, all those notions of superiority, and breathe credibility into every tick that enters the box.

How many conspiracy theories are there floating in our subconscience after every award show? Wild ideas of elitism?

Concerns about politics of the "nudge-nudge" kind?

Who are the jury? Why have they been appointed? When was

Let's face it. The creative industry isn't spared from the

But when you've been through hell and hailstones to create a fresh, charming piece of work, you'd be like any expectant mother after 9 months of toil and another 12 hours of torture: full of expectations.

Discrepancies between award show results can be very damaging ro the ego.

principle of "I scratch your back, you scratch mine".

some good stuff do get slashed out from the initial rounds.

In our line, corruption begins when two jury members know each other. And discuss their votes.

Objectivity ends when members bag the ass out another agency's ad because their work didn't quite get the same erection the way "Fiery Fries" did.

So here're some suggestions.

How about adopting a principle of transparency during the judging? How about recruiting the up-and-coming batch of creative people to sit in for an exercise in observation?

The battle for cutting-edge creativity turns into a clash of egos.

What should be a celebration of good work becomes an exhibition of mud-slinging prowess.

Those who have won at least metal in the last 2 Kancil Award shows - Group Heads and Seniors alike, of course.

We don't need that, thank you very much.

Creativity itself already makes the job rougher without a bunch of sour grapes ro spoil the many fruits of labour at stake.

What we do need is authority that check themselves against prejudices and biases. Respected figures who leave their titles and egos outside the judging room.

Guests included.

Let's nor forget that while foreign judges have been placed ro maintain som~ degree of fairness,

The criteria?

The exposure will nor only give future candidates a gauge of how the whole process works. It will encourage an exchange of different opmwns and blatant honesty.

And at the same time keep the Qui-Gonn Jins of advertising m a noble frame of mind.

A well-known local CD once commented, "The Kancil Awards is tougher than some international shows."

I don't see Malaysia hauling metal m big shows like her fishermen do ikan bilis.

So I'm not sure what he meant.

Clio Awards Show on August 29 You can catch the award-winning work from the Ia rest Clio Awards 2000 at The PJ Hilton on August 29 ar 4pm. To book your seats early, contact the

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 34

IAA Secretariat on 03-460 8535. It costs RM30 per person, and the event is sponsored by Tourism Publications.

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Thinking in the New Age

by Tim Evil/, President & Executive Creative Director; DDB Singapore.

1999 was an incredible year for DDB Singapore. 19 out of 21 pitches won, bringing in over $16 million m new business. Staff growing to 105 people from 45, three years ago. The Telecoms Worldwide Marketing Effectiveness award for Ml. The establishing of Rapp Collins Singapore, bringing relationship marketing into the fold.

Enhanced interactive capabilities with the transitioning of HIT into Rapp Collins interactive so as to provide the best front-end interactive and web design skills to our clients. And the further development of DDB Beyond, event management and alliance specialists who bring the added value of marketing beyond the agency norm.

The truth is out there.

But perhaps the most important and certainly most fundamental change that has taken place is DDB Singapore's approach to delivering relationship marketing solutions.

Sure, relationship marketing is all advertising is and ever was, but few agencies seem to acknowledge this truism. Instead, they continue to give away ideas to their clients whilst trying to make a dollar on media or commissions. All the time doing ads for themselves in the hope of getting an award so they can show how clever they are to their fellow agencies.

Sorry but those days are over.

Today it is all about results and the 'traditional' agency- someone who acts on behalf of a client to produce ads - has gone the way of the dinosaur. We realised it 3 years ago and we began looking for a better way that would give our clie nts better results right then. It took us 2 years to really get it defined but in the past twelve months, we reckon we've cracked it.

The Internet.

Catalyst or catastrophe?

Many ad people see the Internet as either something to fear or to worship but in reality it is neither. It is just another form of conversation. And, in the end, that is all advertising was or should have been, a conversation.

Bill Bernbach knew that best.

All of his ads were conversations.

'Think small' or 'We try harder', are cozy chats. Our DDB Worldwide C hairman, Keith Reinhard and I were talking a few months ago and we mulled over what Bill would have done if he was around today and had the Internet as a medium.

Our conclusion was that he would have done what he always did.

He would have welcomed you in to the page or the TV commercial and invited you to sit down for a bit of a chinwag. And you would have been pleased to join him and come away better informed with a smile on your face thinking aren't VW, or Avis or Levy's really nice people to know.

Those were ads done for the customer; not for the client, or the agency, or the creative team, or, heaven forbid, the award show.

Think of any great ad campaign and you'll find it is a conversation with you, the customer. And that's what is so great about the Net. The web is just a market place where all business is a conversation. There is no longer a 'us' and 'them'. It is only ' us' now and if you don't realise that then you are going to be left out of the conversation, and nobody likes that!

The soft soap of advertising no longer washes.

People are talking on the Net. The customer, not the consumer that's an old word - knows more about a product, and the company who makes that product, than the company knows itself. Because the customer talks to other customers about that product and the service and the company promises and knows the real truth, the soft soap of advertising no longer washes.

That customers can now talk to each other is the most influencealtering thing about the Net. And it is something very few bricks and mortar companies from the Old World realise. Amazon is so successful at garnering--loyalty from its vast customer base because it knows exactly what each of its customers wants. H ow does it know? As CEO Bezos says, "it may sound simple but we asked the m".

It's only the Net you numbskull!

But, that's just it, the N et ts

simple and it's easy because anyone can talk on the Net and the Internet has reached as many people in its first six years as the telephone did in its first four decades. In fact, a thousand new Internet users have joined the web since you began reading this article.

E -commerce is transforming world business. Both in the way that we do it and the means we use to measure it. So, where does that leave us marketing people? Well, if like DDB Singapore you have embraced this new new way of b.usiness - which is in fact the same as the old old way but with new tools - and understand how to use it, then you are laughing.

Agent provocateur.com The net is not the revolution, it 1s only the catalyst. A change has been long overdue and the World Wide Web is merely an agent for that change. Our job has always been to build brands. But too many advertising agencies have been stuck in the rut of doing ads that dictate to consumers, "Buy me and I will change your life!", they shout.

But, the thing is, people now know that it is not true. T his has caused many companies to begin to soul search in order to know themselves better and that is where we, the new age brand builders, come in.

Navel gazing is for beginners.

At DDB, we are lucky enough to have some proprietary tools that mean we can help clients find the heart and soul of their organisations and their brands themselves. We call it Brand Foundations. It has he lped us win a heap of new business and, because we sell it as a brand consultancy, it is a great revenue generator in its own right.

Integration begins at home.

We strive to offer truly integrated solutions that best reflect the needs of a strategic group of significant clie nts. T hat solution could be an event, a web site, taxi tops, a TV blitz, or a fu ll customer loyalty program. We find that, if you start with knowing exactly what your client's brand really needs to achieve what they really want, then the solution usually finds you by itself. It's not rocket science, but

then advertising never was.

Bring us your dotcoms.

Where Brand Foundations IS particularly useful is with the plethora of dotcom start-ups that come looking for us these days. Dot com start-ups are good at being fast.

They can make decisions - even big decisions- in a mouse click but that won't work when it comes to developing their core values and their brand. That process requires more reflection and a deeply thought out consensus among members of the leadership team.

And once those core values have been defined, they need to communicate them to the people who work for them.

Internet years are like dog years.

These two essential activities developing an organisation and developing a brand - take time. By doing a Brand Foundation, we can help the company founders with leadership, which is about teaching their organisation what it is they stand for, and brand building, which is about teaching millions of customers what it is they stand for.

Leadership and brand building are parallel and independent and they both require time, consistency and constancy. And, because dotcoms move at lightspeed and are usually made up of very passionate, clever people who unfortunate ly know little of marketing, a two day brand foundation and a very reasonable consultancy fee now, can save them years and hundreds of thousands of dollars later.

Exciting times.

T hese are exciting times. The most exciting times our industry has experienced since Bill Bernbach set the world of advertising on its head.

Sure, they may be a little confusing but, as Jack Welch puts it, if you're not confused, you obviously don't know what's going on.

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 35

Famous faces grace new AMEX ad campaign

by Steven Palos, Managing Director, OgilvyOne Worldwide in KL.

Malaysians have not seen American Express Brand advertising for a while. That is until now. A new campaign has appeared in our media, featuring faces you can't help but notice and, recognise. They include some of the most well known and well-regarded Malaysian personalities.

ADOI interviews Steven Palos, Managing Director of OgilvyOne Worldwide Malaysia, the agency behind the campaign, for the inside story.

corporate success, which he achieved through his extraordinary vision and acumen. Faridah Merican and Joe Hasham are recognised for their contribution and dedication to Malaysian theatre. Dato' Shahrum Yub, who as museum curator, awakened history for people of all ages ... and so on. And by the way check out some of the "member since" dates for these people.

How would you describe the creative execution?

The team behind the campaign is Tan Kien Eng (Creative Director) and Lee Siew Tin (Associate CD/ writer). Kien and Siew Tin had a tough call. Their challenge was to produce work that is on par, if not better, than standards set by New York, UK and Europe for American Express. I think they have done an outstanding job.

After years of absence, why is American Express advertising now?

American Express has not had brand advertising for some four years although there have always been tactical activities in the mass media as well as, on a personal level, direct mail.

American Express has decided to refresh and strengthen its brand positioning through a new campaign which reaffirms what American Express stands for and the privilege and prestige it offers cardmembers.

So, is this campaign part of a worldwide campaign?

Only in that each market will have some form of brand campaign, and many of these campaigns involve the use of personalities relevant for each market. For many years, American Express has feature real cardmembers in their advertising. In terms of the creative concept and execution, these ads are totally local - from copy and layout to photography. It's all original work, and am very proud that we have produced them here in Malaysia.

The work had to have stopping power.

Attention was focused on the visual treatment or the photography of the personalities. In each case, the creative team was able to achieve a clever balance of portraying the personality in an appropriate setting, yet never stereotyping them. Kien has managed to achieve honesty in the photography, and the image conveys a simple dignity and confidence, with a strong sense of self. The visuals are interesting, and have managed to capture the "essence" of our personalities. The copy has to communicate an understanding of and empathise with the audience (the cardmember) but at the same time clearly delivering the message of "do more". The copy recognises the achievements of each personality, with the headline providing the connection between the personalities' achievements, and a key benefit of the American Express card. Siew Tin has crafted the words to be conversational m tone, reflecting a comfortable dialog between American Express and its cardmembers.

You will notice there is no hard sell, and frankly (with American Express) it is not necessary. It is enough for the benefits and values of American Express to be linked to the cardmember through clever chosen words.

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Is using famous personalities a worldwide strategy for American Express?

Yes it is a direction, but not mandatory. In Malaysia, we chose to use personalities for a simple reason. After the hiatus, we wanted to create impact, not just through the visual execution, but by using personalities who would make readers sit up and notice. These people are all card members.

So firstly the selection of the personalities was crucial. A lot of hard work and effort went into getting this just right. The chosen personalities are men and women who have achieved significant success through their own merit.

They are people who think bigger pictures, and do bigger things. And with exception of Tiger Woods, I am pleased to say all Malaysian.

I am sure there must be many names who came to mind when you were selecting the personalities.

How did you decide on whom to feature?

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ADOIMARKEnNGCOMMUNICAnONS 36

Well, most importantly, they must be men and women from different fields who have achieved significant success through their own merit. We selected six personalities, who are recognised and also respected for their achievements. Like for example, Tan Sri Dato' Francis Yeoh represents

What you see is the culmination of some SIX months of hard work.

What results have you had for American Express so far?

For a start, many American Express cardmembers and merchants were taken by pleasant surprise and impressed by the line-up of personalities we had featured in our ads. I suppose it confirms for them the brand attributes they've always known and believed about American Express. And of course they are pleased that American Express is back with such a campaign. As for non-American Express cardmembers, the ads are an interesting revelation of the brand. And although this is a brand positioning campaign, we believe that they will be able to identify with and aspire to the brand values we are projecting, ultimately leading to card membership.

CAN Power!

Ogilvy & Mather Singapore's new campaign for Singapore Power EServices (can.com.sg) strives to position them as the leading interactive directory of local services; leveraging on Singapore

Power's comprehensive database of households, businesses and detailed maps.

The following print ads spell out this message very graphically.

...-

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Product: can.com.sg Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Advertising Creative Director: Andy Greenaway Copywriter: Eugene Cheong Art Director: Ng Peipei

O&M Mumbai catches Bronze Lion Check out this Bronze winner from Cannes this year for Fevikwik adhesives. Film opens on a well-dressed gentleman sitting by a river fishing.

He spends the entire day sitting motionless with his fishing rod. Suddenly,

Sparks Fly at Draft Digital!

DraftWorldwide, the world's # 1 interactive marketing organisation announced in Chicago recently the takeover of Capita Technologies, a 400-person e -business solutions company. Under the lnterpublic Group (lPG), Draft Digital will now be a driving force for end-to-end e-

commerce as well as offering a new level of interactive marketing expertise to their clients like Kellogg's, Compaq, American Express, General Motors and other blue chips. Capita Technologies clients include Xerox, GE Capital, Earthling and Morgan Stanley.

a villager appears with a stick, squats on the bank and proceeds to apply drops of Fevikwik along the length of the stick. He immerses the stick inside the water and promptly pulls it out to find a row of fish stuck on it.

He sings lustily to himself and runs off with his catch. The gentleman looks on with absolute disbelief.

"DraftWorldwide's expertise has always been to help clients identify their best prospects, e licit a response and then convert these people to loyal customers," said Jordan Rednor, present and COO of DraftWorldwide.

"The partnership will truly help clients exploit the convergence of technology and marketing under a single discipline via the internet.

This will allow us to create new methods of developing interaction with customers and build loyalty in ways never seen before."

With offices in 26 countries and billings of more than RM10.3 billion DraftWorldwide (www.draftworldwide.com) is one of the world's leading integrated global marketing companies.

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 37

COMAudit launched for low cost PR research and evaluation A breakthrough Windows-based CD of easy-to-use research and evaluation tools for public relations and communication has been launched including an Asia Pacific versiOn. CARMA COMaudit is a CObased suite of software tools that allows public relations and communication professionals to carry out media content analysis, surveys and even complete communication audits internally for very low cost.

Free talk time in exchange for listening to advertisements

The CARMA COMaudit CD, produced and distributed by world leader in media analysis and PR research, CARMA International, includes CARMA MEDIAudit, a PC media content analysis program, plus 10 professionally designed PROforma survey questionnaires for evaluating publications, events and a number of other public relations activities.

CEO of CARMA International (Asia Pacific), Jim Macnamara, speaking at a PR Summit in Manila

on June 29 and in Singapore at an Institute of Public Relations of Singapore (IPRS) workshop on July 4, said evaluation and measurement had been identified as the number one challenge for public relations worldwide.

"PR and its various related disciplines such as public affairs, corporate communication and internal communication, are important but are generally not objectively evaluated. A lack of evaluation tools and methods has

held PR back in gaining greater management support, recognition and budget", he added.

CARMA MEDIAudit Asia Pacific Edition contains a comprehensive media database including the circulation of publications where available for Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand.

Further information, just e-mail: injo@carma.com.au

ABCturns25

BroadPoint.Com Asia m partnership with Telekom Malaysia is offering its subscribers two minutes of free talk time on the condition that they listen to one 1520 second advertisement.

A subscriber caller by way of a PIN number, can listen to as many ads to earn free talk time.

The service called FreeWay, will be launched at the end of August with a target of 50,000 subscribers.

BroadPoint.Com is projecting subscriber base of 500,000, representing 10% of Telekom subscribers.

A subscriber of the FreeWay service has to register and submit a profile to receive a PIN number to access a toll-free number to participate in the system.

a

T he profile submitted will be used to match the target group of the advertiser to ensure that only the right profile listens to the advertising message.

Rates are costed at RM2.80 per message with a minimum contract -of RM5,000.

The F reeWay media service allows advertisers to place their ads by target audience, time and/or geography.

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 38

With these good looking beauties around, no wonder ABC membershio has shot The actions hots up as Raymond Chew joins in! through the roof

ASTRO to carry Sydney Olympics MEASAT Broadcast N e twork Systems Sdn Bhd, operator of ASTRO, today announced it will be adding six additional channels exclusively for the broadcast of the XXVII Olympiad to be he ld in Sydney, Australia from 13 Se ptember to 1 Octobe r this year.

T hese six channels (Channel 500 to 505) will offer comprehensive

coverage of the over 30 sports contested at the Games and will be offered at no additional charge to all residential ASTRO subscribers.

This means that an estimated 2 million vie we rs will be able to fo llow the action directly from Sydney. ASTRO's coverage will be the most comprehensive coverage of the Games ever in the region,

with more than 1,300 hours of 'LIVE' and delayed telecasts during the 2-week plus duration of the world's biggest sporting event. In addition, ASTRO will be offering daily wrap-ups, highlights and repeats of key events. Coverage will comme nce at around 7.00am every day and end around midnight - a total of approximately 90 hours of Olympics coverage a day in digitalquality picture and sound.

Ogilvy &Mather Manila Creative Showcase

Product: Viva Natural Mineral Water (above) Agency: Ogilvy & Mather Manila CD I Copywriter: Marc Lucas Copywriter: Tom Trinidad

Northwest Airlines Campaign Ogilvy & Mather Manila is also running a print campaign (below) for Northwest Airlines Visit USA Pass. The idea was to say 'see more of the USA for less'.

Ain't this great?

Oglivy & Mather Manila has launched a point of sale campaign for client Casa del Tobacco.

The campaign is designed to create an affinity between cigar smokers and the client, and is being seen in hotels, bars and tobacconists - wherever the cigars are stocked.

The creative portrays cigars as expensive, bad for you and anti-social with the strapline ain't that great.

Marc Lucas Copywriter: Edsel Tolentino

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 39

Cresta International Awards Judges meet lnstitut Sledgehammer students

Standing lift to right, Cresta Judges Yoki Chin, Lillian Tan, Sonal Dabral, Ted Lim, SP Lee, Huang Ean Hwa, Dharma Somasundram, Ben Hunt, Jullie Lingan, Janet Lee, Thomas Low, Innocent Bystander and Edmund Choe.

Front row, left to right: lnstitut Sledgehammer Diploma in Advertising full- time students.

Ogilvy wins 7

'new economy' businesses Ogilvy Singapore has won business worth an additional US$3m revenue over the past three months - all of it in what could best be described as the 'new economy' area. Many are dot.com start-ups.

"All these new businesses are Singapore-based but none of them are confined to the Singapore market alone. This is an important factor.

It indicates the extent to which Singapore is becoming an increasingly important regional and worldwide service centre" said Tim Isaac, Chairman of the Ogilvy Group in Singapore. The accounts won by the Ogilvy Group include Indigoz Pte Ltd; Asiatravelmart.com; doAsia.com; Netlock; and three others. "The marketplace for dot.com businesses is now very competitive. It is no longer a matter of which organisation can offer good services and content - branding and marketing communications are increasingly the critical factors that will make the difference between success and failure" added Tim.

IPRS Introduces Accreditation

Finger Lickin' Good!

"Select Team from Malaysia won a finalist award at the 42nd Annual New York Festival, for a corporate video "Total Business Integration" made for KFC. The production was one of 3,400 entries submitted for the awards."

Marketing Director of KFC Malaysia, S KWong, with Pat Steven of Select Team standing on his right, and Robert Ong, Chew Han Tah and Leong Boon Khai from Skywalker 1V Facility House.

expenence. That PR is increasingly employed within successful organisations to inform, educate and promote awareness and acceptance of their business is testament to its importance in the value-add chain," said IPRS President Gregory Tan.

The Institute of Public Relations of Singapore (IPRS) announced the PR industry Accreditation Scheme in a move to ensure that those admitted to professional membership have the competencies required for public relations practice.

Equally important, Singapore's pool of about 3,000 PR practitioners will benefit from gaining accredited status. "Accreditation is an asset that can open doors for local practitioners, wherever they go," Mr. Tan added.

"Accreditation IS one way of ensuring we have competent and professional practitioners with the right level of knowledge skills and

IPRS hopes to become a self-regulating accreditation body and set international benchmark standards for PR practice in Singapore.

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 40

Creative Director: Steve Elrick Art Director: Kelly Pon Writer: Todd Waldron Producer: Rebecca So Director: Paul Middleditch.

BBH Creative Showcase

BBH Singapore has produced its first ad for Unilever Indonesia (above). The 30" TVC is for Refresh, a product that removes odours from any type of fabric.

Filmed in Australia, it tells the story of a man having a clandestine affair

with a fish. With his girlfriend out for the afternoon, he spends quality time dancing, watching TV and drinking a milkshake with the true love of his life- a garoupa. Hearing the imminent return of his girlfriend, however, causes him to

race around spraying Refresh in order get the fish smell out of his clothes, the couch and a tablecloth.

In the end, Refresh saves the day by eliminating all of the odorous evidence. A line and super remind us that "Refresh removes lingering

odours from any fabric". Filmed on location in Sydney, the spot also features "Fish Love", a song especially composed by Song Zu.

And below, check out the latest work from BBH for Levi Strauss.

Creative Director: Steve Elrick Title: Marilyn Writer: Todd Waldron Art Director: Kelly Pon Photographer: Shawn Michienzi (Ripsaw Studio) Retouching/3D: Brad Palm (Dpalmz).

ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 41

BMW Asia carves aniche with nouveau rich BMW Asia launches first-ever regional TV created by M&C Saatchi. It characterizes the successful BMW 7 Series driver rather than the car itself.

It was agreed to focus on the emotional approach of depicting the driver. After all, BMWs - and the BMW 7 Series in particular - are already acknowledged throughout Asia for their rational superiority in performance, technology and build quality.

Client: Ralf Hussmann Art Director: Yue Chee Guan Copywriters: Peter Soh and Paul Ruta Creative Director: Paul Ruca Agency Producer : Serene Chiu Account Team: Goh Shu Fen and Joanne Hong Director: Tomas Masin Production House: Stink (London) Post Production: Moving Picture Company (London) Sound: Jan Cerny (Prague)

BOOK The most powerful tool for marketing, branding, direct response, and building customer relationships is email. It's cheap, easy-to-use, and almost everybody on the Inte rne t has an e mail address. T he only problem is that not everyone knows how to use it correctly. Sending out a bad email

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ADOIMARKETINGCOMMUNICATIONS 42

T he spot was conceived and originally scripted in Mandarin and subsequently received other language treatments. Entitled "Doll", it outlines the unconventional career of a gentle but worldly man who spends a day carving a wooden doll as a gift for his daughter to express his hopes for her future.

Filming was done on location in and around Kuala Lumpur by director Tomas Masin of Stink Films. Post production was completed in London, with a stunning music track composed by Jan Cerny of Prague.

A campaign of press and magazine ads has been developed to support the television work.

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What was required, however, was to give the growing ranks of Asia's nouveau riche a compelling way to connect the brand values of the car with their own independent thinking. In this way, the BMW 7 Series strengthens its association with the bold and passionate among us, creating greater distance from the competition's positioning as the

quiet reward for followi ng oldfashioned paths to success.

Andreas Buchholz and Wolfram Wordemann have reached the end of a six-year research project - a never before attempted analysis of over 1000 winning brands in the food, non-food, consumer goods, investment goods, and service industries, to establish a blueprint

for brand growth.

T he authors posit that winning brands achieve outstanding growth in terms of sales and market share by adhering to specific 'laws' when activating a specific purchase motive in the consumer's mind .

They are called Growth Codes and they are applicable to any product or service in any market. Growth codes can help you identify a new, unexpected and compelling purchase motive for an average beer brand, for a car brand that is losing market share, or for an insurance company that the consumer perceives to be too expensive.

T he 27 Growth Codes discovered by the authors are unve iled In t his book.

Validated with compelling case studies of leading brands and best practices around the world, this book shows you how the method works and how effectively it can be applie d.

We reach millions. In the English and Malay language.

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dominate nationally. Our exciting afternoon tabloids penetrate urban market centres. Our quality magazines cater to varied interests.

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We reach corporate figures, business people, homemakers, the young , the upwardly mobile, the economically robust, trend setters and centres of influence. Collectively powerful.

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A communicator's dream. Talk to us.

The New Straits limes Press (Malaysia) Berhad (4485-H) Balai Berita, 31 Jalan Riong, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: 03-282 3131 Fax: 03-282 1428 Website: adtimes.nstp.com.my