Singapore agency boss on new Tiger Beer ad: ‘How can a ‘local’ brand listen to a tune sung by a non-local agency?’
The latest Tiger Beer commercial has come in for criticism from a Singapore ad agency boss who has suggested that the new ad is the product of a non-local agency that has used questionable insights into Asian men.
On Facebook yesterday (Sunday), Aaron Koh, a former BBH Shanghai and DDB Singapore creative who is founder and creative director of notable independent agency GOVT, began a post linking to Campaign Asia’s story about the new Tiger Beer ad with the words: “Honestly, I don’t understand a thing from this spot.”
“It’s just words from a foreigner that got “insights” from some Asian dude in the non-local agency,” he said, referring to the narrative voice in the ad.
The 60-second film was created by Droga5 Sydney, which is closing down, but the account has moved with the now-defunct agency’s creative chairman David Nobay, who was just hired by Publicis Groupe to set up an Australian office of Marcel.
“Hey, why not we shoot a manifesto like film in some Asian street and show Asian chefs in a cool hipster Asian setting? Surely the client would buy that!” wrote Koh, who was posting on his personal Facebook and not on behalf of his employer.
“How can a “local” brand listen to a tune sung by a non-local agency? Honestly, I don’t understand…” he said.
The ad, which is to run globally starting in Australia and next in Asia, opens with an image of a wok, and a gravel-voiced narrator talks about the journey of molton iron into the iconic Chinese cooking pan. The narrator says: “But this ain’t no pan handler’s pan. This, dear friend, is a keeper of secrets, a maker of men.”
The ad places Tiger Beer in the context of Asia’s street food culture, and likens the creation of a wok from iron to how young men are forged into cooks. It is the latest incarnation of the brand’s global ‘Uncaged’ platform that Droga5 created in 2014.
In the comments beneath Koh’s post, Leon Lai, who runs GOVT’s Malaysian operation, said: “Tiger beer is no longer a local brand, it’s a Dutch brand [it’s now fully owned by Heineken].”
He added: “And anyway, Asian agencies, even more so Singaporean, are not creative enough, unlike a foreign non-Asian agency.”
He later commented: “From a brand that is distinctly Asian with little need to inform of our heritage, now we have turned into a brand that needs to emphasize that we are Asian and “exotic”. Ridiculous that a Singaporean brand needs to search so far overseas for affirmation.”
Tiger Beer uses Singapore-based independent The Secret Little Agency to handle it global digital activity. TSLA was behind the recent #SayItWithTiger Chinese New Year campaign.
The wisdom of Singaporean brands hiring overseas-based agencies was called into question by the boss of Formul8 a year ago, who suggested that dwindling tourism numbers were partly the result of the tourism board using J. Walter Thompson, which is headquartered in New York.
If only more Singaporean’s spoke up the way these 2 lads have! I sure as hell hope there are SOME actual Singaporean’s still working at Tiger who will be able to steer the brand out of this white person’s mad dream. Or the brand is going to die a slow, and painful death…one 2 minute TVC at a time.
Reply3 times now and don’t know what I just watched
I really can’t hear the voice over either.
ReplyThe most visited out-of-home eating category in Australia is…a Chinese restaurant.
ReplyNow…run with that thought…Chinese restaurants around the world…probably in the millions.
So the POP is…Chinese restaurants…difficult to compete in pubs with Heineken, Corona and the like…local bottled beers…and draught sales.
So…strategy spot on.
Execution could be better…but that can usually be said about any spot.
Inexcusable though is the “mouth shot”…no appetite appeal whatsoever.
So hello from the other side (other side)
ReplyI must have called a thousand times (thousand times)
Its all part of a Tiger street food campaign. Absolute shite. Won’t work in any of the SE Asian markets.
ReplyFrom 0.38, the VO goes into something that is oddly similar to Sarah Palin’s endorsement “speech” for Donald Trump… “high, rollers, low ballers…”. I found that pretty funny.
ReplyWon’t work in any SEA market? Why not. How many successful blogs, websites and TV shows in SEA are about street food? How many newspapers and magazines fill their pages with street food articles to this day? The most successful local campaign of recent years was the Gordon Ramsay street food challenge for SingTel. Street food is a huge driver of tourism across the SEA region. Coca-cola have recently run a campaign based on pairing it with street food – didn’t see anyone complaining about that. This is just sour grapes the the agency was overseas. The script is absolute nonsense but the look and feel is great and, anyway, who is it aimed at? Singaporeans? No, a global audience of foreigners…like me! Now bring on the haters!!
ReplyWhat a joke spot. Cheesy, corny, contrived. Just what the expat agency ordered. Anyone who has ever ordered a Tiger knows exactly why one likes it and what it stands for. This whole “Uncaged” bs and god-awful VO and art direction is so 1995 John Woo (where are the doves dude?!) meets D-grade director. Who writes this shit anyway? You’ve got to love a client who signs off on this drivel. Remind me to pitch a mega $$$ tvc script to them because they’ll obviously buy anything! And just to clarify – Chinese restaurants that locals frequent are vastly different to those frequented by tourists. The people behind this spot obviously don’t drink Tiger, it shows in the work.
ReplyThe key here is…Tiger is NOT a Singaporean beer.
ReplyIt is a global beer…BTW…I had my first Corona in Los Angeles in 1985…that’s right a MEXICAN global beer…who woulda thunk it?
I haven’t seen the ad, but it seems that the creative concept is similar to the failed “San Miguel Street” campaign from the 1990s in Hong Kong which resulted in a big drop off in San Miguel sales
ReplyAnd what about Carlsberg eh? Assuming some men like football, women and a good night out. I’m so offended. What exactly is authentically Danish about that anyway? Nothing, because their agency were probably some dirty foreigners who were able to offer a global perspective rather than a parochial one that would only appeal to locals. Bastards!
@ Pls cage the agency – please describe, precisely, why I like Tiger and what I think it stands off if its universal and obvious.
@ Greg Warner – lovin’ your work
ReplyIf Tiger is so hell bent in being a “GLOBAL” brand then why hark back to the contrived “Singapore/Asia” “of the people” imagery and storyline (circa 1960)? Then make it look international. Global perspective indeed. NOT.
Reply@neal moore:
*it’s
Reply@ police – glad to see YOUR keeping YOUR eye on the big picture (I hope that drives you insane!)
ReplyI like the tagline “Uncage” though.
ReplyYes the GOVT guys are absolutely correct in slagging it off for not being local enough. Think of the heights Tiger could’ve reached with a quality local production like there Nescafe spot. Class. https://vimeo.com/150765240
ReplyWhat is it with Asians these days? They all seem to be harping on similar themes.
Don’t come to our cities (unless you’re a tourist), Don’t work on our brands. Don’t take our jobs. Don’t do this or that.
Haven’t these folks heard of globalisation? Nobody stops them from working on McDonalds or Coke, which are not Asian brands?
What a weird argument by Aaron Koh!
This ad is not focused on saying tiger is asian and exotic….it’s forging a link between street food culture and linking Tiger to the experience. It’s trying to give some attitude to street food.
It’s not the greatest ad (I find the VO a bit pretentious) but I do have my doubts that Aaron Koh would turn this into something altogether better.
ReplyThanks Neal : )
OK here’s the bottom line…if cooked in wok and chilli hot only an icy cold beer hits the spot…if cooked in saucepan…drink wine…major factor here…beer is losing out to white wine sales worldwide…back in 1979 when I went to Newton Circus to eat I would take a bottle of white wine and drink it with ice in the “tumbler”…as the wine writer for Singapore Diners’ Club Magazine at the time I was doing the “wine thing”…now I’ll pop a Bintang or two…unless there’s a good gewurztraminer on the menu minum…
ReplyIs this whole argument really about a lack of cultural insight? Or if we’re just being honest here – are we just taking issue with brands not using local agencies and we’re a bit sore about that?
I don’t think name and shaming brands and how they do their business is the way to go.
If you don’t like what the brand has produced regardless of agency – then don’t buy the brand. For god sake, don’t cry about it like a child. Show the world how you can do better work locally – you bullying a brand is not going to get you anywhere.
Good luck with that.
ReplyThe idea on the whole is not too bad – linking Tiger with street food is strategically sound and insightful.
The execution, on the other hand, is cringe worthy. VO hardly makes any sense, the gravelly read is nauseating and trying way too hard to sound emotive, and the scenes in the visuals are a hit and miss. Wok drum set, really? Wok pendulum, seriously?
It’s hard to take the brand seriously with a narration that sounds like pure shite. Badly written, amateurish copy.
ReplyThe truth hurts, and every comment in defense of this silly, indulgent spot is failing badly.
at best tthis is a spot no one really gets or cares for. At worst this is putting many people off eating hawker food and drinking a beer they so love by adding all this necessary shimmer to it.
Nobby should be held accountable for this crap, and any singaporean working at Tiger or at Tiger’s agencies should be up in arms about what he continues to do to our beer brand.
ReplyThe argument shouldn’t be about how the ad isn’t done by Singaporeans. It should be about how bad it is, regardless of who or which agency did it. And this ad, is terrible on all accounts.
Reply@expatricide – ouch! 🙂
ReplyI thought modern advertising was supposed to be driven by data and insights, all I see here are a bunch of unfounded, largely prejudiced opinions. Where’s your proof people? No one can definitively say this is a good or bad ad until the results are in.
ReplyThe problem with all the criticism here is that for the last decade or more Tiger beer advertising has been laughably bad, apart from the enjoy winning (undressing) spot. This, on the other hand, is a great looking film that will hit the right buttons in many markets. You lot need to get over yourselves.
ReplyHaters gonna hate the haters
ReplyNot that this will mean anything, but that VO was by Shigga Shay (SG rapper) and the whole thing smacks of a bad poetry reading IMHO. Shitty way for this brand to evolve (and to think their SG50 campaign was oh-so-good just a year ago)
Reply@Orson Welles: sure, this spot hits the spots overseas, but couldn’t they have gone with something other than this for SG and MY?
ReplyThis is my all-time favourite Tiger Beer ad:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYYwaqKYgTo
Produced by an ‘expat’ agency. Based on a predominantly Asian belief (reincarnation). But more importantly, it didn’t take itself too seriously.
Because it understands: it’s just beer.
ReplyHmm, perhaps the client had some involvement…don’t think that the agency came up with the idea without some involvement from the client!!
Reply@ Cheese. 1. I don’t like the words, but I admire the fact that they are trying to support local artists and are unafraid to use the Singaporean accent. 2. If they had used this ad globally (which, by the way, includes SG & MY) and done something different for the locals everyone on this stream would be accusing them of a different crime; that of condescending to locals with a cheaper, less worldly ad.
ReplyBiggest problem is this ad was constructed with an angmoh lens. Fine by me if tiger wants to make a global ad and genericfy Asia. A singapore beer, this is not.
ReplyHmm
I think this is a ground breaking spot that a lot of people obviously put a lot of time and work, and have a very brave client who obviously hopes this local beer can some how become a world beater. Id be proud to have a beer in my country do such fantastic alluring work.. Here’s to Tiger.. hmm feeling a bit thirsty!!
Cheers
Reply@tiger without the bite – lovely summary, totally spot on. Local / foreign / international / sgp beer – who cares, it’s just bad. End of story.
ReplyDon’t get what the fuss is about. Its a clever spot that plays to the core truth that woks have a flavor that gets passed down from the generation before it. (Anyone whose grandma makes a decent char bee hoon would understand this).
They then overlay the tension of how the flavor of an ice cold tiger hasn’t changed through the generations. This positions tiger as the “constant through your progress”, while simultaneously taking ownership of the usage occasion of eating street / hawker food.
It is a clever, multi layered, and elegant story I find completely relatable as a local. A metaphor for how each generation improves the next. How the work of your previous generation resulted in the opportunities you have now. The opportunities you should embrace – i.e the whole basis of the uncaged platform.
You know what annoys me? The lack of elegance and actually intellectual thought, as well as the layers of local privilege in these comments and in Aaron’s initial posts. Don’t be those guys who cry over how much of a better job you could have done. Actually go do a better job.
This comment made me heated, maybe I’ll go cool off with some bak kut teh and an ice cold tiger. In NYC. Oh guess what Tiger is like in every bar here. It is an international brand. It’s in frickin’ momofuku for christ’s sake.
ReplyIs the GOVT little boss really the one to comment here? Just had a look at some GOVT work, I don’t think those kids are even close to handing Tiger any better than Droga5. Try and make headlines another way GOVT.
Reply@ Marvin Miranda – *audience stands and begins to slow clap*
ReplyTiger beer goes well with street food. The insight is spot on. The creative execution is subjective, but by no means bad. Aaron Koh’s little rant is more about a local agency not working on the brief rather than the spot itself. Here’s a word to Aaron and the’ I’m so entitled’ and Co’s. Just because you’re a local agency, it doesn’t immediately qualify you to work on Tiger. Look at the digital work from the Secret Little Agency. It is gimmicky and uses foreign celebrities. Foreign celebrities mispronouncing Chinese New Year greetings! No insight. Not local. Memeworthy at best. Why isn’t the local pride brigade up in arms about that?
ReplySomeone is sounding very sore here ….
ReplyWhatever he said in his post probably happened in that presentation room. It’s a beautiful case of ‘Nobody wants to say it, but everyone knows it’ Blowing up someone’s opinion on facebook, please….someone is sounding very sore indeed @James Holden
ReplyInsight? So what does not go well with street food? Any beer, soft drink can fit the bill.
ReplyWhite, brown, yellow, black. It doesn’t matter. Problem is, it’s a bad spot. That’s it.
ReplyGOVT is entitled to an opinion. That’s that. End of the day, it’s just advertising. That one spot ain’t going to save the brand. A better tasting beer would go a longer way.
@madmen – agree. Govt is entitled to an opinion. And others are entitled to compare that opinion with the kind of work Govt is producing. See Nescafe ad above for the kind of bar Govt is setting.
For me, people are seriously overthinking the entire thing and the local vs international debate is just embarrassing – for both sides.
Reply@Michael, the only people being embarrassed is Govt and the ‘entitled ones’ defending his bigoted rant. We are aspiring to be a global hub and should celebrate being so, not blame ‘the foreigners’ whenever we don’t get our way. Don’t like the idea or execution, can, but criticising that it was because they are foreign is just wrong.
He is in marketing and thinks global brands should only have creative done by the country the brand started? Same thinking, Govt is saying they are only competent to work on Singapore brands? Ridiculous logic.
Where is Tiger consumed here? Uncles at coffee shops, buying a case at the supermarket to drink at home, Towers in KTV’s / Thai discos, bottles in hawkers (where there is little choice anyway), and tourists spots where they want to drink our local beer.
Which of these categories is going to suffer by a globally targeted advertisement that is not ‘local’ enough? Sure can improve it, but its not the target.
@Expatricide the spot for Singapore is okay, but pedestrian (if you want interesting for the brand, check out what Nescafe + OgilvyOne did in Berlin http://www.creativeguerrillamarketing.com/guerrilla-marketing/nescafe-uses-coffee-create-instant-connections/). It’s also definitely not global campaign material.
APB used to own the distribution rights to Heineken here and they treated it as ‘the little sister’ brand, confusing the brand positioning of Heineken and Tiger for years. Heineken purchased Tiger (through APB) and as the 3rd largest beer company it is looking to give Tiger it a global identity, ‘the’ quality Asian beer (compete with the Japanese beers). Saying a foreign company is not qualified to do this does not make sense.
So I think Mr. Goh should just focus on becoming a better marketer rather then perpetuating this ‘bad foreigner’ nonsense.
@Kevin – great! And exactly, beer is about not being so serious.
ReplyHahaha what a bigoted short-sighted opinion by GOVT. The fight should always be about the BIG idea and how it’s executed. The insights of which this piece is built on is strategically sound against what the brief possibly dictates:
1. An extension of the Uncaged creative arc
2. Appeals to overseas consumers (AUS probably launch and test market)
3. Attaching the perception of heritage to Tiger, and how some good things are passed down from from generations, different setting, same flavour and takeaways
4. Polished piece of ATL with legs to other campaign mechanics, and not over-portraying SG-ness through the hyper-localisation of some SG-centric spots that plays too hard on the Asian tonality and language.
Yes, the execution might be a tad off the spot (terrible script and VO, regardless of nationality of talent), but it’s still a decent piece.
GOVT, come out of your sheltered perception, go produce a global piece (with better planning and strategy please and not merely linear inferences), and we can start comparing notes.
ReplyI surely would not have titled any book of mine if I had watched this … what is it … film school rejects’ masturbatory video?
ReplyHave your say