>>
Sphere
#40
2016
21
Jingle Bells
Ads in the early 1980s used memorable
jingles that forced product awareness into
people’s permanent consciousness with
undeniably catchy tunes.
In 1985, Watsons released an
advertisement with a jingle that ended
with the famous words, “Watson’s – Your
personal store”, which became known to
a generation of radio and TV consumers.
Watsons’ Christmas ad in 1989 used a
distinctive and popular Dr Seuss-styled
rhyme voiceover, with a familiar jingle
playing in the background.
Times changed as the 1990s saw jingles
decline in favour of using celebrities, and
then the post-2000 rise of campaigns
linked to social media.
Mr Clifford Ng, Executive Creative Director
at DDB Group Hong Kong, Watsons Hong
Kong’s advertising agency, says, “Jingles
grab attention and are able to convey a
message effectively. ‘Your personal store’
was unique, very simple and direct, and the
last few notes were very memorable.”
But jingles, once the pinnacle of infectious
advertising, became less essential over
time. According to this industry veteran,
it’s not a matter of jingles becoming
outdated, but rather a change in the
message and a decline in the media of
radio and television that deliver the jingles.
“Jingles, celebrity endorsement, or
storytelling, are just means of execution,”
explains Mr Ng. “When we receive a brief
and think of ideas for a campaign, we
won’t say use jingles, or another particular
strategy. Those are only tools. The most
important thing is ‘what are we trying
to say?’”
Although advertising evolves over time
as trends change, the variances are
usually just in the tone and style of the
presentation, such as the typography and
the visuals. Instead of what’s current and
‘in’, Mr Ng explains, “Our utmost concern
is whether the vehicle can strengthen the
message or not.”
The King of Pop
In 1993, Leon Lai, one of Hong Kong’s
“Four Heavenly Kings” of Cantopop,
began his partnership with Hutchison
Telecoms in a TV advertisement playing
himself. Unlike the other three “Kings”,
who each collaborated with different
phone companies for, at most, two years,
Leon Lai’s relationship with Hutchison
Telecoms lasted for more than 10 years.
The ad campaigns would be an inspiration
to a generation of youngsters, and the
songs used in Hutchison’s commercials
still resonate with those who grew up in
the ’90s.
Ms Stella Ip, Director of Operations at
Hutchison Asia Telecommunications
Limited, offers a unique perspective. Ms Ip
was involved with the TV advertising
campaign from the beginning. She started
with the partner advertising agency and
then became a formal member of the
CK Hutchison family.
According to Ms Ip, Hutchison Telecoms
wanted to launch their new CT2 phone
along with their pager service, but at the
time, pagers were considered downmarket
and were mostly used by blue-collar
workers. The company hoped to expand
that market.
To reach a broader audience, especially
younger people, the team approached
Mr Lai and began a close partnership. Each
song was tailor-made for each campaign.
The creative process involved Hutchison
Telecoms, the advertising agency, the
artiste, songwriter, and the lyricists.
Nothing was left to chance.
The brand name and its products were
deliberately excluded from the lyrics.
The exposure of the songs was multiplied
as they were played on the radio, on TV,
and in concerts – something that was
unlikely to have happened if the songs had
been branded. “We knew it would kill the
song, and it wouldn’t be able to reach the
different channels,” explains Ms Ip.
Leon Lai’s relationship with Hutchison
Telecoms lasts for more than 10 years.
