Johnnie Walker launches 12-film brand campaign featuring Chinese pioneers

The new campaign was launched on 5 January. Entitled 'Yulu' or 'Words of a Journey', the campaign uses a documentary approach to tell the stories of 12 Chinese pioneers from different walks of life - real estate businessman, artist, fashion designer and blogger - against the backdrop of modern China.

"Each film tells the unique story of one person, where they came from, how they got to where they are today and what it is that inspires them to do what it is they do. Our hope is that these stories will inspire people to reflect upon and tell their own stories," said director Jia Zhangke.

The campaign is a departure from the traditional mainstream advertising approach that most brands adopt. Taking a much longer form approach and using a strong digital media element gives the campaign more depth and breadth and aims to spark a larger conversation on behalf of the brand.

"We think it's truly unique and extremely timely for our brand in China. What could be more appropriate to a brand that is all about progress than to talk about some of China's most progressive individuals. We are excited about this campaign as it allows us to communicate with Chinese consumers in a heart to heart way and co-opt them into our brand values," said Foo Siew Ting, regional brand director of Johnnie Walker.

"Too much advertising in China is simply aspirational depictions of made up lives. We wanted to do something much more true to the authentic nature of the brand by reflecting upon real people and their real stories and do it in a radically different format," said Johnny Tan, BBH China's ECD.

To spark a nationwide cultural debate ahead of the release of the documentary series, Johnnie Walker seeded a bold social media campaign across over 40 digital platforms. Central to the success of the digital campaign was the involvement of Han Han, author of China's most popular blog and one of Time magazine's 'most influential figures'.

Chris Reitermann, president of Ogilvy & Mather Group Shanghai, said Chinese consumers today are sophisticated, digitally savvy, and crave authenticity, engagement and provocative content. "There's no better place to get people talking and sharing ideas about their real feelings than in the Chinese social media world," he said.

The campaign was launched on national television in China on January 5 with a three-minute commercial featuring the story of Mr. Pan Shiyi, CEO of SOHO International.

The other 11 documentaries were revealed on the brand website immediately after.

Targeting the 80s generation between the ages of 25 to 35, Johnnie Walker's new TVC and digital campaign will run nationwide until March 2011.

See transcript below.

Links:

Tudou: http://johnniewalker.tudou.com/yulujihua

Sina Blog: http://johnniewalker.blog.sina.com.cn/bbs.php

Sina Weibo: http://t.sina.com.cn/johnniewalkerchina

Douban: http://www.douban.com/minisite/yulujihua

Ogilvy Shanghai Credits:

360 Digital engagement planning Keen Yim, Vivian Tu, Maggie Luo, Lance Wang
PR & digital editorial Ella Chan, Vivian Tu, Lance Wang, Carrie Zhou, Juliette Hu
Creative & production Zhu Hao, Natalie Lam, Michael Chu, Kurt Deng, Lala Wang, Kama Zhang
Media planning & search marketing Charmaine Lau, Jezzebel Gu

BBH Credits:

Creative Johnny Tan, Craig Howie, Leo Zhang
Account management Adrey Low, Jasmine Huang, Joyce Hong
Planner Charles Wigley, James Sowden
Producer Jasmine Huang
Production house XstreamProduction
Directors Song Fang, Wang Zizhao, Cheng Zhiheng, Chen Tao, Wei Tie, Tan Chui Mui
Producer Zhang Dong, Eva Lam
Composer Ling Qiang
Executive producer Jia Zhangke

Transcript:

Money and wealth was very important to me since my early childhood. Had I had enough money, I could have used it to cure my mother’s illness.

I did a lot of farm work back in the Xishan countryside. I would see the trains come and go through the valley. And I thought that was the most beautiful thing.

In 1988, Hainan Island was established as a province. Seeing it as a good opportunity, I went there to look for new opportunities.

Every Spring Festival, I went back home to watch the CCTV Spring Festival Gala with my family.

In 1990, I had no money to go back home for a family reunion. I tried every means possible to scrape together enough money to buy a ticket to go back home, but in the end it just wasn’t enough.

I couldn't go home to be with my family, but I still wanted to watch the Spring Festival Gala on TV. I managed to find a hostel and asked the waitress if she was on duty that day. She said yes. Then I asked her if I could stay there to watch the Spring Festival Gala. She agreed.

But by 8 or 9 pm, half way through the show, she asked me to leave. They were closing and I couldn't stay any longer. As I walked out of the hostel alone into the streets, it was the loneliest moment in my whole life.

Material wealth is important but it is not everything. Material wealth and spiritual wealth are just like the two wings of a bird. A bird can never fly if it has only one wing.

When I first left home, my father told me “my child, don’t go looking for trouble, but if you ever are in trouble, don’t ever back down.”

My name is Pan Shiyi. I am now building houses in Beijing.