Advertising best practice, evidence and insights

What we know about bricolage and semiotics

Article • WARC Best Practice, August 2019

Summarises the insights from key papers on the topic of bricolage (how different materials are used in the creative process of understanding) and semiotics (the study of signs and symbols) – techniques used by qualitative researchers to deliver cultural insight.

What we know about cultural insight

Article • WARC Best Practice, April 2019

This article explores the current sources informing how brands and agencies can use cultural insight, the ideas, customs and behaviour of particular people.

What global brands can learn from local Asian ones

News • 17 September 2019

A majority of consumers in Asia-Pacific, as elsewhere, believe that brands can make the world a better place, but global brands will have to work significantly harder than local ones to persuade them.

JOY STORY II: JOY and Koi

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, IN2, Winner, 2019

JD, an e-commerce company, launched a short branding film for JD and advanced marketing work of the JD mascot Joy to promote the brand in China.

China CITIC Bank Credit Card: Break Bias, Create Possibilities

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, Financial Services, Gold, 2019

CITIC, a state-owned investment company, connected with women in China on International Women's Day to increase applications for its credit card.

Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta Ltd.: GRASSROOTS COMMUNICATION THROUGH FOLK ART

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, Energy & Natural Resources, Gold, 2019

Cairn, an oil and gas company, used performance to reach key communities in rural India.

High Society to All Society – Coca-Cola Celebrates Myanmar's Everyday Women

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, Cause-Related Marketing, Gold, 2019

Coca-Cola, the beverages brand, gave the average working woman a platform in Myanmar to celebrate their business achievements.

ISEHAN Co. Ltd.: We're Hiring... Based on Looks!

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, Employer Branding, Gold, 2019

Isehan, the cosmetics maker, organised a job recruitment campaign in Japan to encourage applicants to come to their job interview looking like themselves.

HSBC: #ThisIsMyCNY: A Fresh Perspective on Chinese New Year Traditions

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, IN2, Winner, 2019

HSBC, a bank, launched a documentary series on Facebook Stories in China that followed millennials leading up to Lunar New Year.

DETTOL BANEGA SWACHH INDIA: DETTOL BANEGA SWACHH INDIA

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, Consumer Health, Gold, 2019

Dettol, a brand of consumer hygiene products, reduced instances of diarrhoea by 10% among school children in India.

Hotels.com: Introducing Bleisure to Japan

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, Marketing to Men, Gold, 2019

Hotels.com, a hotel-booking service, used humour to reach business travellers in Japan.

National Arts Council: The A List

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, Branded Journalism, Gold, 2019

National Arts Council, a statutory board in the Ministry of Culture, increased awareness of the importance of arts and culture among Singaporeans by relaunching its A List project.

Horlicks: Emotional Nutrition

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, Superior Achievement in Brand-Building, Diamond, 2019

Horlicks, a sweet malted milk hot drink, connected with mothers in India by addressing the emotional needs of their university-bound children.

Myanma Posts & Telecommunications: MPT & MNL Breathe Life Into Youth Football

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, IN2, Winner, 2019

Myanma Posts & Telecommunications (MPT), a state-owned enterprise, reignited interest in the country's footballing talent with football tournaments and media engagements.

Mahindra Group: Wings for our girls

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, Corporate Social Responsibility, Gold, 2019

Mahindra Foundation, a non-profit organisation, took a misogynistic phrase and gave it a new meaning in its PR and online campaign in India.

Yahoo! Japan: Diversity in Disaster Preparation

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, Superior Achievement in Research and Planning, Diamond, 2019

Yahoo!, the search engine, raised awareness of the many challenges facing people in post natural-disaster shelters to help people in Japan to be better prepared.

Gordon Thomas Honeywell - GA: Where's the DNA?

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Asia-Pacific, Indian Sub-continent, Gold , 2019

Gordon Thomas Honeywell – GA, a consultancy, reached the government in India to advocate for DNA testing and successfully doubled the number of DNA profiles developed from crime scenes.

Singapore Tourism Board: Passion Made Possible

Case Study • Tammi Seng, Felicia Ong, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Shortlisted, 2019

The Singapore Tourism Board used an integrated approach based around passions to launch a global platform to attract leisure visitors to the island state.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: When family planning had a better plan

Case Study • Jitender Dabas, Rupa Roy, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Shortlisted, 2019

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation used a 360-degree approach to speak to newlywed couples and change the family planning narrative to tackle the issue of early pregnancy in India.

Berger Paints: Truck Art Childfinder

Case Study • Ali Rez, Huma Mobin, Assam Khalid, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Shortlisted, 2019

Paint brand Berger Paints partnered Roshni Helpline and leveraged the unique truck art tradition to locate missing children in Pakistan.

Coca-Cola: Faces of the City

Case Study • Roshni Hegerman, Richard Cotton, Steve Llewellyn, Cia Hatzi, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Shortlisted, 2019

Beverage brand Coca-Cola took a radical approach in China to launch a sleek new can that appealed to Chinese youth.

Puma: Suede Gully

Case Study • Ketan Rambhia, Mehak Jaini, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Shortlisted, 2019

Sportswear brand Puma, promoted a street culture movement via a music video to markets its Suedes shoes in India.

UN Women: Bridal Uniform

Case Study • Ali Rez, Fatima Ansari, Assam Khalid, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Shortlisted, 2019

UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality, achieved social and political change around the issue of child marriage in Pakistan with its Bridal Uniform campaign.

What diversity means to consumers around the world – and where brands fit in

Article • Gabey Goh, Event Reports, Advertising Week APAC, July 2019

Consumers around the world have differing views about diversity, and international brands need to deeply understand the local context as they approach this issue.

A region in motion: Mobile video trends in Southeast Asia

Article • Oliver Woods, Admap, September 2019

An overview of highlights and trends in Southeast Asia’s mobile video landscape, a market in which mobile is the dominant device for internet access.

Cultural insight