Prudential uses true-life survivor story in new campaign

Prudential is taking a highly emotional route to marketing in Hong Kong, with a five-minute mini-movie titled ‘Tribute to the survivors’.

Except for the logo in the upper corner, viewers might be hard-pressed to identify the dramatic short film—which begins with a woman dejectedly returning home to an anxious partner who asks, “What did the doctor say?”—as marketing.

The work is somewhat different in tone from the latest regional brand campaign, which came out just a few months ago (see "Prudential: targeting people that 'DO' since 2019"). It also stands out from a trend toward weepy but contrived short films in the insurance sector, because it is based on a true story—that of its star, Hong Kong TV actress Mandy Lam, who faced breast cancer in 2010.

Created by Hong Kong agency Kymechow, the film has attracted more than 10,000 reactions, 300 comments, 2,500 shares and 2.42 million views on Facebook as of this writing. 

In addition to the film, the campaign also comprises outdoor and print advertising, and other online executions.

“What makes this different is that the story is real,” said Chris Kyme, the agency’s co-founder and creative director. “Once we knew the background, we were convinced it would be more so much more powerful than anything we could dream up. That Mandy Lam agreed to do it took incredible courage, not to mention the blessing of a brave client who pushed us beyond the ordinary.”

Kyme noted that the work is a continuation of the recently launched regional campaign. "It’s still about ‘People that do’, now we’re showing how they do," he said.

The campaign introduces Prudential Hong Kong’s new PRUHealth Cancer Re-Cover protection plan, which aims to give cancer survivors the opportunity to obtain cancer coverage again after having been previously diagnosed.

According to the Hong Kong Cancer Registry, the number of new cancer cases hit a record high of 31,468 in 2016, up 33% from a decade ago, and is expected to rise further by around 40% over the next decade.

Priscilla Ng, CMO of Prudential, said the film firstly pays tribute to cancer survivors and their supportive families, and added that the real-life story is more powerful than creative imagination.

“Digital is definitely one of the key factors to make this campaign a success,” Ng said. The longer form permissible on social media lent itself to the story more than a shorter TV ad would have, she indicated.

Ng said 40% of the company’s spending will go to digital in 2019, up from around 30% last year.

CREDITS

Agency: Kymechow
Creative Director: Chris Kyme
Copywriter: Martin Chau, Jayden Wong
Art director/designer: Cedric Cheung, Shuwa Tong
Production company: Ogle Production Ltd
Director: Martin Chau