Malaysian Media Awards Winners Showcase





2012 | |

Ghostly Outdoors- Dead-Walkers Vs. Dinosaurs And Snakes

Advertiser: The News Straits Times Press (M) Berhad
Brand: Harian Metro
Creative Agency: -
Credits: -

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Challenge
Harian Metro is the largest and the only growing newspaper in Malaysia. It is known for its catchy headlines and unique journalism, however with newspaper wars moving into Malay arena and other brands trying to copy Harian Metro’s style, the brand needed to stamp its authority and reinforce its uniqueness.

Solution
Harian Metro has the knack of evoking a “Biar Betul”(equivalent of “Holy Cow!”) response from the readers by its shocking and bizzare headlines. And this is loved by the readers irrespective of affluence or age. We decided to sensationalize the sensationalism which HM stood for, by creating “Biar-Betul” moments across the nation. Teasing, shocking and surprising consumers with out-of-the-world paranormal experiences and make it an unforgettable experience in true Harian Metro, the numero uno, style.

Execution
Ghostly apparitions were sighted across the city, catching people by surprise. Ghost like walking billboards started a flurry of conversation and brought to life Harian Metro’s proposition. While consumers were overcoming this shock they saw Buses & LRT’s gobbled up by Snakes. Dinosaurs roamed the streets and destroyed billboards. ‘Biar Betul’ exclamation spread like widlfire across the country with news channels getting hold of the story and showcasing the unqiue campaign across Malaysia.

Results
The campaign generated huge talkability and HM topped the unaided awareness scores amongst all titles. Readership increase by a whopping 29% YoY with Ad revenues growing by 57%. Loyalist of HM increased by 11.3% and 94.2% agreed that they will stick to Harian Metro as the first choice amongst newspapers.