Shanghai-based boutique agency F5 launches new campaign for MIDEA in the Middle East

Posted on 2021 Aug,23 | By ArabAd's staff

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Shanghai-based boutique agency F5 launches new campaign for MIDEA in the Middle East

Making of interview - Midea Aircon’s 'Love That Protects' Campaign with F5’s Creative Group Head, Kelvin Co

The light-hearted ad shows Midea's beloved polar bear brand mascot and the new Midea Xtreme ProTECH, an innovate antibacterial air conditioner, working together to save a boy’s birthday party from ruin.

F5 produced this timely tale for consumers in the Middle East who are still in a state of hyper vigilance when making sure loved ones have clean, germ-free air at home.

The agency produced this film remotely, and communicated that the new product and polar bear ‘beat dirty air’ to keep loved ones happy and healthy.

Adams Fan, Chief Creative Officer of F5, remarked, “As a messenger of product information and features to localities, we’ve been introducing Midea’s top-of-mind antibacterial air conditioner to the Middle Eastern market.”

“With this film, we're cementing polar bear’s image as the Midea icon and ambassador in people's mind, heralding joy and warmth to families there in such trying times.” added Fan.

ArabAd caught up with F5’s Creative Group Head, Kelvin Co—one of the most awarded creatives from APAC — to learn further about the creative and strategic insights harnessed for Midea Aircon’s ‘Love That Protects' campaign as well as why Midea chose to enter the MENA market.

Could you step back a little and trace the evolution of Midea Aircon in the region?

In 2020, the Midea polar bear mascot was first introduced to KSA, UAE, Oman, and more Middle Eastern countries with more than one billion impressions. The introduction of the brand mascot was such a success, it increased the awareness and likability of Midea that summer.

Polar bear is the perfect mascot to represent a caring air treatment brand, so in 2021 we stuck with the same mascot strategy and aimed to build a stronger connection between the brand and consumers in the Middle East.

Specifically, how has the AC category done for the brand considering there are heavyweights already active in the region?

In developing this campaign, our focus has always been to provide top creative insights and innovative use of technology to help the market cope with harsh climates.

How does the current brand campaign fit into the brand-world and help take the narrative forward?

We produced this timely tale that talks about how to keep the air in your home clean and germ-free. Something that’s very important to the Middle East target market right now. Not only does the Midea Xtreme ProTECH antibacterial air-conditioner cool your surroundings, it cleans and disinfects it too.

Why has the expectation from this new launch pivoted around a rather unique proposition, especially in an age where all ACs seem to be doing the same job – of cooling - and there is not much differentiation...

For our campaign this year, we had to ensure that not only would the campaign communicate the new Xtreme ProTECH antibacterial air-conditioner, it also had to cement polar bear’s position as the Midea icon and ambassador that brings innovative Midea ACs to ME consumers every year.

The campaign seems to bet big on the humour and technology aspect. Can you talk some more about taking this route? Tech-led messaging can be boring and get lost in a sea of sameness. How has the brand managed to fight that battle?

The product features amazing technology but when it came to communicating this, we used humor for an unexpected twist. We partnered with our overseas supplier to bring the communication materials to life. The live shoot was done remotely, and because this was a CG-heavy project, we had a separate motion capture shoot (also done remotely) to record the motions of the polar bear.

How has the pandemic impacted the brand? What kind of consumer trends have been seen post pandemic, since 2020?

The pandemic has fundamentally changed the world as we know it. People live differently, purchase differently, and in many ways, think differently. Consumers are more mindful of what they’re buying. So we need to explore more ways on how to better connect with the people, whether that’s by highlighting local practices, customizing products for local needs, or other ways of engaging in locally relevant ways.

Anything about the making of the campaign that is interesting/fun etc?

Because of the times, things were done remotely — from pre-prod, shoot, and post-production. Everything was done overseas, so clear communication was crucial. The shoots were also something everyone enjoyed. It’s not everyday you get to see a man in a green suit, or an actor in a motion capture suit doing stunts for a chubby, lovable, protective polar bear.