More than 700,000 people have seen this ghost video. While there is certainly room to doubt its authenticity, many–at least those who are not from Singapore—didn’t really think it was a viral video ad campaign of McCann Erikson for the GMP Group, a recruitment agency in Singapore.

The video features two executives coming to work late at night when in the office elevator, a ghost mysteriously appears. The Raffles Place Ghost campaign won the top prize, at the 2009 Effies Singapore Awards in July. The video bagged more awards in Asia Interactive.

Excerpted below from the blog, http://adverteasements.wordpress.com/2009/07/22/gmp-the-raffles-place-ghost-viral-campaign/

“The challenge: GMP faces competition from bigger, more established manpower agencies. GMP needed to increase market presence and position themselves as the ideal choice for jobseekers.

Two objectives were set; primary objective was to drive brand awareness among target audience – working adults, 20 to 35 years old; second is to generate candidate leads through CV uploads on its website.

The idea: GMP believes in work-life balance and that no one should have to work late if the job is right. The right career will present the right challenges, prospects and benefits hence leading to greater job satisfaction. A happy employee is more productive, and therefore the need to work overtime diminishes. And GMP believes its stringent placement process will help candidates find the right career.

Given the understanding that Singaporeans like to share paranormal sightings and stories, McCann came up with the big idea – “No one should work late” and the ghost-themed viral video was conceptualized.

With a S$100,000 budget (about $70,800), GMP had to find a creative and effective solution. Viral marketing was an excellent platform as the ghost theme, being a sensational topic locally, will cause a self-replicating effect that encourages advocates to spread the message.

The reveal made primetime news locally (e.g. CNA) and overseas (e.g. CNN). It was also featured by local dailies (e.g. Straits Times), trade publications (e.g. Media magazine) and discussed on over 300 websites. Everyone from paranormal societies to video-makers gave expert comments.

PR value from local media coverage alone is approximately S$200,000.

Discussion in the cyberspace was overwhelming. A Google search on “Raffles Place Ghost” shows 36 pages of relevant results. Of which, 82 bloggers (23%) embedded the video and discussed the campaign. There were 64 forums discussion (18%) and 81 sites where the video was uploaded (22.5%).

Besides attaining massive awareness, the number of CVs uploads increased by 48% on a YTY comparison.

It is a definitely a defining piece of Singapore advertising and a fantastic example of how a big idea can magnify a small advertising budget.”

Some people frown, even scoff at the way I tend to rely on Wikipedia when I do some research  I understand  the antagonism. Information  can be skewed to the person posting an entry to this pseudo-encyclopedia. But the trick is to go way past that.  Go down to the References section where a Wikipedia entry links to: original sources.  I use market research studies, Google to do my research and other websites, too, but it doesn’t hurt to use Wikipedia’s references section.  For a comprehensive study on the Asian-American market, one of the most extensive one that should be on your top shelf should be the Pheonix Multicultural with Interviewing Service of America study released this year.  For Asian behavior online, go to emarketer.com.

We need talents for an Asian-American print ad

One girl aged between 5 and 9 yrs old

One guy aged between 26 and 37 yrs old

Please send recent pictures (head shots, preferably) to Oi Ling at oilinga@admerasia.com or kaipol@admerasia.com not later than Tuesday, 9/9.

Casting will be on Wednesday.

Admerasia produces so many great award-winning ads I am almost tempted to put them here every time they come out in their respective ethnic media. But it can be so difficult to have those displayed here when an ad campaign is currently running. I learned that, even if the ad is out there, Admerasia has to ask permission from its clients before we can put them here.

I know a lot of things going out there happen in real time. For instance, a TVC can instantly be replicated in various social media sites, such as YouTube. But stay tuned. I’ll see what I can do about it.

“Which is harder,” someone asked me, “being a journalist or being an advertising copywriter?”

Being both, I would say advertising copy is harder to master, for lack of a better term.

So where does the hard part factor in? It boils down to direction and process.

In terms of direction, the more it is narrowed down, the writing becomes easier, flowing almost organically. This is if one writes for the general market audience. Once other cultures come into play, the ballgame changes entirely. Even the expression, “the ballgame changes entirely” will no longer be culturally relevant translated to the Chinese, Korean or Filipino corridors. This means that as an Asian American advertising copywriter, you are even more specialized.  You are not only writing ad copy, you are trans-creating or culturally adapting an ad copy.  It has to suit the ethnic market it is targeting.  So when people ask me why I don’t argue my point about a certain headline, it’s because I am aware that if I am writing for a different ethnic segment, there may be a cultural nuance I am missing.  I learned this from being a journalist (read: trained skeptic).

The ratio of your input as a copywriter, though,  is 20%, more or less. One must understand it is a collaborative process. Once you are finished with the ad copy, it goes through an approval process, the second hard part about this profession, although some would also argue its merits; that’s an off-tangent angle best written elsewhere.

For approval, an ad copy can pass through as many as 20 people–from the agency’s departmental team to the entire agency (assigned to the account) to the client and its legal department. You must be aware that when you pound the keyboard, it will go through a legal team.  And that revising the ad copy is common. But I agree. As E.B. White would say, “The best writing is rewriting.” But it doesn’t stop there.

In journalism as in ad copywriting, there’s selling involved. If you cannot sell it to the client or your agency, what more to your audience?

Mom puts note to remind daughter not to lock door.

Dare we laugh at the antics of Serena and Teresa Wu? The blog creators of mymomisafob.com poke fun at Asian mothers who are, to quote them, “painfully nosy, unintentionally hilarious, and endearingly fobby.”

In their site bio, Serena and Teresa Wu claim they are students at UC Berkeley and UC San Diego, respectively, are underground geeks and not sisters. Started in October 2008, Serena designs and maintains the site, while Teresa mostly laughs hysterically….”

Like them, second-gen Asians I know find humor, wickedly good, tongue-in-cheek humor in Asian elders’ English grammar slip-ups. What makes the site effective is the bite-size presentation of  stories and the flair for the auspicious set-up before one hilarious unraveling after another. Jokes can be racy, too.  Sample below:

“Mom: I don’t feel like going to work today. I want to play hooker.
Me: You mean, HOOKEY?!”

What we would like to know, though, is if their real mothers are a) the source of inspiration; b) they are just exaggerating, or c) they are making it up as they go along? If it’s the latter, I tip my hat off to them. But would first and 1.5 gen Asians find this just as funny? Or would your mother tip you off the ship for finding humor in it?

Note.  Just in case you don’t know, FOB means Fresh Off the Boat

The Wong Fu Productions trio–Philip Wang, Wesley Chan and Ted Fu–can take pride in having been featured by CNN. They deserve it. The trio has been making their movies since 2003, starting with music videos before they embarked on making their own movies and became an Internet phenomenon.

The trio gives more accurate representations of young Asian Americans than Hollywood. In the video here, “Yellow Fever,” a young Asian guy (played by Wang) wonders why Asian women seem to be attracted more to white guys. The lame reason, purportedly lack of confidence, is laid out before us. But it seems to have been merely inserted to keep the video lighthearted, so as not to antagonize general market viewers. The ending, though, is a gem.

But where do they get money to produce their movies? Merchandising and events/tours.

As an Asian American advertising agency, we should be able to find a good reason to work with Wong Fu Productions.

Flash mob=a large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual action for a brief time, then quickly disperse.

These two words (not one word) caused such an early-morning ruckus at the office.

Are flash mobs passé, beginning to reach critical mass, or on its way out? I remember when Twitter quietly launched in 2006, managing to keep it up until this year when the brand just exploded into people’s consciousness, reaching what Malcolm Gladwell would call the “tipping point,” becoming a media and advertising sensation while the founders have yet to find out how best to monetize it.

I think a brand, product or service can incubate that long before it reaches critical mass.

Back at the office, some strong arguments pointed to it being a thing of the past. Since I instigated the early morning viewing, I was asked about it and said that it’s now part of our viral culture and depending on your objective, you can do your own flash mob of your own, if you choose to do so.

But would we recommend it to a client looking to do Asian American advertising? I don’t believe there is black-and-white answer to that. There are so many marketing approaches now that if you give a blanket yes answer, you should be able to explain why, how and what will work. Without sufficient, verifiable and unquestionable data, I never give an outright, no-holds-barred yes.

Being a published journalist (out of this country, anyway) and being surrounded by lawyers half of my life and simply because I can really be fussy, I just said I do have to learn more about it. David Foster Wallace would have been proud.

Now think about this: Youtube was born in 2005. At the time, a friend of mine, like the rest of the world anyway, was thinking of launching their own general public video site. Back then, I would go to ifilm.com (not in existence anymore?) because it had high-res videos (which may have been the source of its demise, while Youtube invited anyone to upload their videos, even if it’s pixielized beyond recognition)

Now also think about this: The flash mob was introduced by Bill Wasik of Harper’s Magazine in 2003, two years earlier than Youtube. So the flash mob existed basically without a viral medium like Youtube. Think of it as having a burger without the bun, or for that matter, without the lettuce, tomato and other condiments; it’s not complete.

But with Youtube, the flash mob has found a home—and huge crowds are doing it either as a marketing tool or simply for kicks. All on Youtube: T-Mobile did one last January. Last week, IFC had a Bollywood thing going at Times Square to promote its mini-series “Bollywood Hero.” Beyond marketing, I have seen Stockholm and Paris pay their respects to Michael Jackson by dancing to “Beat It” recently.

So far, I have a particular fondness for what Belgium did this March. A flash mob to the tune of a Sound of Music song. You see kids, young adults, old people just having fun. If flash mobs remain a performance art, it might not become as popular but it would have retained the purity of its cause or non-cause. I’m all for that.

“(500) Days of Summer” is refreshingly good. It’s an intelligently written anti-love story, as the movie labels itself.
The story: Boy meets girl but girl this time is the commitment-phobic.
The movie is a delicate balancing act. We’re made to believe it’s the girl who doesn’t want emotional commitment.
This is not a movie review, though, so let’s point out why this movie is posted here.
In a scene at Ikea, boy and girl are fooling around on the bed, when the boy says, “Darling, don’t look now, but there’s a Chinese family in our bathroom.”
It’s played as a visual gag, but Asians I know who saw it said it was yet another stereotype by Hollywood. It’s not outright derogatory; it’s just a subtle dig that the screenwriters can get away with. Asians are just portrayed as uncool people most of the time. But don’t we have any cool southeast Asian in movies? Do you remember any? Even in the Harold & Kumar movies, it’s Harold who’s geekier, although in real life, the two actors say they’re the opposite of their characters; the actor who plays Kumar says he’s the geek in real life.
Anyway, the scene lasts for only about 3 seconds. The video from the movie here shows the couple looking awkwardly at the Chinese family.
The Chinese family shows the grandmother, parents and children. Except for the grandmother and her disapproving look, the rest of the family looks at them blankly, seemingly without expression, as if to emphasize yet again, as in so many TV shows and feature films, that many Asians are humorless beings.
C’mon, could the filmmakers at least made the kids smile? The joke would have worked differently, without the nervous laughter from the audience.

Admerasians:

Tommy encourages you to visit an Asian “coded” store to show your support to our client and enjoy a delicious summer treat: Free McDonald’s McCafe Mocha (hot or cold) every Monday from 7am to 7pm until Aug. 3, 2009. 

Closest McDonald’s stores: 972 6th Avenue (between 35 and 36 Streets) and 151 W 34th Street (between 6 and 7th Avenues). 

You can also visit stores in Chinatown, Flushing, and 8th Avenue Brooklyn.