Campaign Review: The verdict on Samsung’s influencer spoof and CHEP’s bid to cure homesickness
Mumbrella invites the industry’s most senior creatives and strategists to offer their views on the latest ad campaigns. This week: M&C Saatchi's Rachael Fraser and White Grey's Ronojoy Ghosh offer their views on the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation's effort to cure homesickness, McCain's take on the modern family, Samsung's assault on sponsored posts, and Didi's attempt to stand out.
Brand: Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation
Campaign: Curing Homesickness
Agency: CHE Proximity
The verdict: Emotional but a little contrived
Rachael Fraser, head of strategy at M&C Saatchi says:
“This one is hard not to love. Ironically not because it hits you in the heart, with sick kids. Actually, it’s the reverse. Ads like this are normally quite hard to swallow and typically make us want to look the other way because it’s confronting and we feel helpless in the face of such suffering. What this work does beautifully is elevate the cause beyond different, foreign diseases to something familiar we can all connect with, homesickness. In so doing it successfully overcomes the category challenge of donor fatigue and differentiates the role of the Hospital clearly.
“Opening with a call to action is an interesting invitation for viewer participation. Perhaps a little contrived, particularly when coupled with the awkward reveal, that the story isn’t in fact real. But adland sensibilities aside, it’s hard to be cynical of something that exists in the real world like ‘sause’, and enables real people to make a difference.”
Rating: 8/10
Ronojoy Ghosh, creative director at White Grey, says:
“Me: Hey Hayley, what do you think of the Mum’s Sause campaign?
Hayley: I like it, but it left me confused.
Me: Hey Grace, what do you think of the Mum’s Sause campaign?
Grace: Haven’t seen it, send me a link.
Me: Misa, have you seen the Mum’s sause stuff?
Misa: No send me a link.
A few minutes later.
Misa: Is this real? I feel confused.
Me: I want to like it but it leaves me asking way too many questions.”
Rating: 7/10 (5/10 for the idea, 10/10 for getting all the partners on board and raising funds for a good cause).
Brand: McCain
Campaign: We Are Family
Agency: DDB Melbourne
The verdict: Outdated and overdone
Fraser says:
“This strategy is outdated and overdone. In the category alone, McCain is late to the party on this territory, with both Continental and Masterfoods owning positionings around ‘Bringing families together over (processed) food’, for a long time now. The inclusivity angle feels trite and token. Diversity isn’t a strategy unless you’re willing to invest in it wholeheartedly and take a unique point of view on it, à la lamb. The execution with the same ‘Dear old dad’ voiceover, is a very literal walkthrough of the strategy and lacks any real creative leaps. As a ‘modern’, ‘working mum’, living ‘the juggle’, I don’t want McCain telling me what my life is like, I want them to sell me chips.”
Rating: 5/10
Ghosh says:
“A simple script that’s well narrated with good casting. Don’t know what else to add or critique on this.”
Rating: 5/10
Brand: Samsung
Campaign: #SponsoredPost
Agency: Leo Burnett
The verdict: Brave, funny and based on truth
Fraser says:
“Influencers definitely had it coming, so this pastiche felt bang on for the audience and welcome for the space, albeit a tiny bit Bondi Hipsters 303. Ten points for being brave enough to challenge the world of product and feature, phone conventions and to push the brand out there, in a pretty bland marketplace. It felt fresh for Samsung and I actually think the catchy track and million references to the infinity screen, will work its socks off in terms of sales. The only awkward irony amongst ironies was that for an ad trying to combat boredom, it felt long and by 90 seconds in the joke was old.”
Rating: 7/10
Ghosh says:
“I’ve always been against using influencers who have nothing to do with what a brand stands for. Or influencers who are in it for money rather than their passion.
“Thank you, Samsung. This is funny, engaging and based on a real truth. It’s a product brochure that I would watch over and over again. OK that’s a lie, I’d watch it once more.”
Rating: 7/10
Brand: Didi
Campaign: Do More, Pay Less
Agency: OMG Creative
The Verdict: Generic and fails to portray a point of difference
Fraser says:
“Whilst it’s clever to counter Uber’s cost and controversy, this left one left me cold and confused. It felt category generic, despite endeavouring to carve out a challenger position. When you’re new to the market and going up against the brand that has become synonymous with the product, you have to be a little more ballsy than that. Executionally, it felt like a race to get through an animatic-cum-hype reel, disguised by overpowering music and a very large tagline.”
Rating: 4/10
Ghosh says:
“I wish they had kept the insight of ‘Do more by paying less’ real. How much more fun could you really have by saving five or ten bucks? I wish they had gone for humour rather than showing generic fun. I’m sure the agency would have given an option that they really wanted to make rather than what they’ve ended up with. I wish we could have all seen that.”
Rating: 5/10
- As told to Zoe Wilkinson. If you’re a senior creative or strategist who would like to take part in a future Campaign Review, please email zoew@mumbrella.com.au
