Nokia; Transformers + Michael Jackson Viral.

by Rand on 2009/09/23 · 14 comments

Post image for Nokia; Transformers + Michael Jackson Viral.

Here’s a pretty cool ad; it takes advantage of current pop trends to weave together a simple engaging experience.

A key element to note is that both the Transformers & Michael Jackson elements are western in origin, yet either separate or together, they have a big emotional impact on the average Nokia-targeted Chinese.

I like this ad; not because I’m a fan of either MJ or Transformers; but because it plays into a simple escape from reality into a quick, fun, fantasy. This reflects comments from an earlier post suggesting Chinese youth define “cool” as something below the surface that springs forward unannounced; a superior skill hidden away, ready for sudden expression, definition.

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Tagged as: Business, Chinese, Chinese language, Electronics and Electrical, Michael Jackson, Pop music, Transformers, Transformers and Inductors

Article by Rand Han

Rand previously worked for Axciom and McCann Erickson in China before creating BA360 in 2005. In 2009 Rand founded Resonance China for which he won the "Internationalist Innovator of the Year" award. He currently serves as Strategy Director, overseeing business development, client creative strategy, and general project management. Rand created the popular China advertising blog Littleredbook in 2008, and has spoken at UC Berkeley Asia Business Conference, served as a judge for the Global Effie Awards, and served as panelist at the Effie Awards Social Media Roundtable. Connect with Rand on Twitter, and/or Linkedin, or at rand.han@resonancechina.com

Rand has written 222 articles for littleredbook.

{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }

1 oni September 23, 2009 at 4:46 pm

Chinese market needs more advertising like this to entertain consumers rather than just boring monolog TVC. Chinese market now is closer to international market, especially when these gobal children grow up. they want entertainment, more fun and creativities. Chinese local brands need to consider adopting viral strategy as one of their main approaches to young consumers.

2 Cool Springs TN September 24, 2009 at 9:46 am

That was the coolest thing Ive ever seen. If they ever really come out with a phone like that Im buying it.

3 Veronica September 24, 2009 at 6:15 pm

@oni
You are right. We have seen some creative virals starting to work online. But, for the great most majority, who don’t often go online, browse digital ads, or care if anything is of any creativity – I think it will require a great deal of time to educate those…

4 oni September 24, 2009 at 8:08 pm

the new technology accessiblity is another barrier. in China, still have lots of consuemrs cant access internet either via PC or mobile. that is more serious than lack of knowledge of online ad.. but my point is for the young consumers, who are more likely to accept online ad than older generation, and who are always seeking for fun and entertainment on the internet, marketers and advertisers need to offer somethings to them. we have seen lots of young people share creative ads or viral ads on SNS, unfortunately, most of these ads they shared are from other countries or even Hongkong and Taiwan, not China mainland…or have some from China mainland, but posted as “the worst Chinese advertisement”….

5 Veronica September 25, 2009 at 5:33 pm

Chinese youth needs fun. Simply from what they themselves have done, such as spoofing brands or their ads work can we sense the big surge. Whoever manages to seize their liking of SNS, virals etc, wins.

6 oni September 26, 2009 at 9:38 am

and those brands which are spoofed by those young SNS enthusiasts need to manage having a proper response on social media, using a homor and creative way to reshape consumers’ negative perceptions that those spoofs caused. personally, I think lots of Chinese brands lack of this social media public relation sense which is becoming more popular in western market as the result of SNS becoming the hotest topic

7 Rand September 26, 2009 at 1:32 pm: Brands everywhere are scrambling to figure out how to deal with social media; every other article i read on social media talks about how to get brands, and their inner teams to embrace – even way more so for chinese brands. this makes it an exciting industry to be in tho – as u can feel it shaping and forming all around you.

There will come a point where brands learn to optimize the social media conversation; but it wont happen soon; its like a someone who always talks being forced to shut-up and listen, and dialogue – it’ll take effort, but the end result will likely benefit all parties involved.

8 Veronica September 24, 2009 at 6:19 pm