Cannes Contenders: Purpose and Creativity Dominate in APAC Indies

Dat Bike – ReCharge

Doritos – Wash Your Mouth Out

Doritos – Bold Streaks

Booba – 6G

Canva – Make it Unbelievable

Xiaohongshu – Hundreds of Ways to Travel

Wavemaker China

Spur of the moment travel was a new phenomenon in China in 2023, and Xiaohongshu (one of China’s biggest social media sites) used this insight to create a deeply personal and reactive national campaign. They took thousands of real world user experiences from their platform and converted them to 2,168 customised ads, flipping the traditional advertising experience.

The results? Average daily usage on the site increased 53% YoY, 1.4 billion OOH impressions and 2.75 million clicks.

Julep Lin, chief client officer, Wavemaker China, said, "This case really shows us the magic of 'live-scene' marketing. By diving deep into the real experiences of consumers and staying true to the heart of marketing, ads and content can hit home harder and become much more meaningful."

 

Mercedes-AMG – Flux in Speed

Wavemaker China

Mercedes-AMG recognised that lockdown felt like ‘locked away’ for Shanghai citizens. They embarked on an AI and multimedia art exhibition at Shanghai’s Art Season which aimed to speak to a new, young and wealthy audience and challenge the traditional art gallery experience. Their activation guided citizens across the city with a digital art map, creating a luxe experience that positively provoked their senses.

Samuel Hun, head of automotive brand communication, Wavemaker China, said, “GroupM Wavemaker is a trusted ally of Mercedes-Benz, affirmed emphasising their dedication to providing consumers with tailored and innovative marketing solutions. With this campaign, Mercedes-Benz has made significant strides in integrated artistic marketing, setting a new standard for the sector.”

FOTILE – Brand Launch

Wavemaker China

FOTILE is China’s number one high end kitchen appliances brand and they partnered with Douyin (TikTok in China), gathering an unprecedented 50 million data points from the social media site. Their new tool created custom tags which deliver highly tailored FOTILE content to Douyin users, based on their own unique attributes.

Zhang Meng, director of brand and MKTG department at Fotile Group said, “Integrated cooking centres are a rare innovative category in the kitchen appliance industry. They become innovative high-end solutions that offer comprehensive designs and unified features, but they also fall into a group that requires expenses for education and cognitive resources. Douyin's expansive user base and robust data analytics offer marketers a unique chance to connect deeply with their intended audience. Through our Gravity project in collaboration with Wavemaker, we've learned that strategic message placement guarantees they reach those most inclined to make a purchase, thus magnifying our marketing effectiveness. Moreover, well-crafted content swiftly captures consumer attention, effectively conveying brand value and encouraging purchases."