With 130 offices around the world, DDB is the major advertising agency that within the Global Advertising Networks arm of the Omnicon parent company which also includes the Omnicom Media Group and Diversified Agency Services. We met with Conrad Ng, Group Business Director and Milo Chao, Head of Strategic Planning. Our visit to the DDB Asia Pacific office in Hong Kong was a highlight, with the décor and workplace environment displaying the relaxed, yet creative culture of the team at DDB. Conrad started with detailing the history of the DDB Hong Kong office and how the creatively put together campaigns. Much of DDB's work explores the concept of the human experience and attempts to bridge the consumers' emotional need with their clients offering. Conrad ran through a few examples with us, including:
Their global "I'm Lovin' It" campaign for McDonald's that centres on how happy going to McDonald's can make us feel, such as commercials that remind us of our first drive thru experience and those Sunday after sports lunches as children.
Their Chow Tai Fook brand repositioning exercise for an 80 year old local premium jeweller saw them highlight the joy of giving and receiving jewellery. Their goal was to associate the emotional feeling of love as the Chow Tai Fook moment for the younger consumers that the client was targeting.
Finally, their Park'N'Shop television campaign utilises a fussy and comedic local Hong Kong celebrity chef to drive home the message of both value and quality. The consumer is challenged to consider how good quality food can be so affordable.
We learnt that DDB's strength also comes from their ability to adapt their global campaigns to be more local market sensitive. For example, the global McDonald‘s "I'm lovin' it" message is presented in different ways across different markets. Such understanding of cultural differences was presented by Milo Chao, who highlighted many of the characteristics particular to the Chinese market, including:
That the Hong Kong market responds extremely well to celebrity endorsement. Some "Cantopop" stars will often even be contracted to promote a variety of linked brands.
That while the mainland Chinese Government keeps a strict eye on all advertising they do so with "good intentions." For example, an ice cream commercial that had a glimpse of an overweight child was banned because the government did not want the public to think eating ice made children fat.
An in depth theory based cross cultural review of the power of humour within advertising and how it differed between the Chinese, English, Thai and Indian markets.
In their constant search to create something different, something new and to be creative in order to be competitive, DDB also understands that the consumer is no longer solely reached via television or printed media. The team told us of the need to explore new "touch points" through the understanding of consumer psychographics is becoming a growing trend and will ultimately allow for better penetration of their clients message.
The group lounging in the DDB conference room
Conrad Ng, Group Business Director, telling us about the McDonalds campaign
Milo Chao, Head of Strategic Planning, telling us about using humour in advertising
