Global bubble tea franchise Cha Time is launching a potentially controversial ad mocking an Asian dictator who bears a striking resemblance to North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.
Melbourne’s The Sphere Agency is behind the campaign which is anchored in a minute-long YouTube ad giving the campaign global exposure and will be supported through social channels.
Locally the campaign will run on SBS and the Pop Asia program, targeting a younger demographic.
The ad features the dictator ordering numerous minions to be dragged away for displeasing him, as he demands to be offered something amazing that he has never experienced before – as an old man proffers an iced tea.
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The drink transforms his life, as the sombre ad jumps to a Barry White-inspired 1970s disco soundtrack with the dictator dancing and leaping along a Slip N Slide and has his face painted.
However, the joy comes to a sudden end when his finishes his drink.
Michael Abdel, managing director at Sphere, said he hoped to do with Cha Time what the agency had achieved with Nandos, creating conversation around the cheeky ad.
“It’s been a joy to work with Cha Time. They have a very clear understanding of their brand and are brave enough to embrace their target market’s bold, fun-loving attitude,” Abdel said.
Cha Time’s general manager, Carlos Antonius, said the brands needed a different style of advertising that matched its personality.
“Cha Time isn’t your typical iced tea – it’s a fun twist on iced tea that appeals to people with a sense of adventure,” Antonius said.
“We wanted to bring that sense of adventure and fun to the fore with a TVC far removed from what you’d expect from an iced tea brand.”
Credits:
Client: Chatime Australia
Agency: The Sphere Agency, Melbourne
Production Company: Brainstorm Inc (Melbourne, Jakarta)
Simon Canning