Behind the Scenes of Cathay and Publicis’ Toe-Tapping, Kinetic Ode to Movement
Harnessing the collective restlessness of humanity is no small task for advertisers, but this was the brief for the creative team behind Cathay’s “Feels Good to Move” campaign.
Working with Publicis Hong Kong, Cathay’s campaign aims to resonate with audiences globally, celebrating the universal human desire for movement and travel.
Speaking to LBB’s Tom Loudon, Edward Bell, GM of Brand, Insights, and Marketing Communications at Cathay, breaks down the campaign's journey. CCO of Publicis Groupe APAC Natalie Lam and Publicis Hong Kong ECD Christopher Lee also provide insight, breaking down how their team created a vibrant and emotionally engaging campaign that transcends cultural and geographic boundaries.
LBB> What inspired the concept of 'Feels Good to Move'? Could you share any specific experiences or insights that led to this campaign idea?
Natalie> Thanks to our brave clients at Cathay, we had a chance to rethink why airlines exist with this campaign. We realised the reason for being in the whole category is to serve humanity’s need to move. Cathay, as a category leader, should celebrate this beautiful part of being human. Sometimes, we all take this for granted; the freedom to move and progress in life is as natural as breathing, thinking, and smiling, and we wanted to take this opportunity to create a celebratory “ode to movement” platform.
Christopher> We noticed how, even in meeting rooms, we’d fidget. Then, everyone started to have their own story of restlessness. ‘Feels good to move’ is all about striking an emotional connection through playful observations about how much we humans love moving.
LBB> The campaign emphasises the innate human urge to move. How did you go about capturing and conveying this universal feeling in your creative content?
Christopher> We did a lot of ‘soul searching’ by getting everyone to think about their unique moments of restlessness. We even held workshops in different Cathay markets with their teams to get different points of view on the most relatable, unique and fresh ‘feels good to move’ moments. Once we had a list, we worked with We Are From LA to capture them and with content creators to capture their moments, as well.
LBB> Could you elaborate on the choice of Junior Senior's classic track 'Move Your Feet' for the campaign's soundtrack? How does it enhance the overall message?
Christopher> We wanted something that gets people moving, and the song and the lyrics to ‘Move Your Feet’ do just that. Because the film is more like a music video, we chose a track that drives the whole film forward, from the tempo and feeling down to the lyrics.
Natalie> We set out to make something that, after watching, the viewer would want to get up and move and plan the next trip. Picking a familiar track that feels good with a modern twist is essential.
LBB> Travel and mobility are central themes in the campaign. How does 'Feels Good to Move' align with Cathay's brand identity and mission as a premium travel lifestyle brand?
Edward> ‘Feels Good to Move’ is a new message to energise and invigorate our brand platform, Move Beyond. We aim to ride on the universal human insight that everyone needs to move and all the progress, innovation and joy that that brings to the world. As a premium travel lifestyle brand, Cathay aims to help move our customers, physically and emotionally, whether with travel or dining, hotel stays, wellness programmes or finding the right Cathay or select partner product.
LBB> The campaign's content spans various touchpoints. Could you describe how these elements combine to create a cohesive message about movement and travel?
Edward> We expect that this campaign is highly flexible and work modularly. Initially, the intent was to develop a library of energetic “move visuals” that celebrated the need to move and how good this feels. These “move visuals” tell a bigger story when combined but also work individually across different touchpoints for different audiences. In the long-form film, we want to connect emotionally with customers, differentiate ourselves from other brands, and inspire people to ‘move’. However, in outdoor and digital touchpoints, we use standalone executions highlighting fun travel moments and insights to drive consideration to fly. When used side-by-side in outdoors, we hope it creates that energising emotional connection.
LBB> What challenges did you encounter during the creative process, and how did you overcome them to bring this campaign to life?
Christopher> We had to find the right balance between craft and authenticity, so we created a diverse content ecosystem where every piece of content is an irresistible call to get moving, including user-generated content. To ensure that this campaign speaks to a global audience, not just in markets where Cathay is well known, we compiled a team of incredible creators – directors, musicians, composers, cast – from around the world.
Natalie> Since this is such a universal truth and there are infinite “feels good to move” moments, it was hard to capture all of them with our long-form film and content eco-system, but that’s also the beauty of such an infinite platform.
LBB> 'Feels Good to Move' encourages people to capture moments in Hong Kong. How does this localised aspect of the campaign connect with Cathay's global brand message?
Christopher> It’s an essential part of activating the idea in Hong Kong. The insight stemmed from how Hong Kong is not always portrayed in the best light worldwide. But to those who live here, we still feel the energy and vibrancy of the city. So, by encouraging people from Hong Kong to capture their own ‘Feels Good to Move’ moments and locally famous Instagramers and photographers, we are creating an evolving library of photos. Displayed in Hong Kong’s busiest locations, this contextual and time-sensitive digital photo gallery celebrates the city’s energy and optimism, encouraging more people to capture their own ‘feels good to move’ moments.
Natalie> Like Chris says, I’ve never been in another place that loves moving so much. HKers thrive on being restless and always on the move. When you’re here, you can’t help but soak up the collective energy; it’s beautiful, yet the world hasn’t seen much of this. For a global brand born in Hong Kong, it’s perfect to celebrate such a unique trait coming from the bottom of people’s hearts.
LBB> Can you share any interesting anecdotes or stories from the campaign's development or production that had a significant impact on the final result?
Edward> Diversity and inclusion are a priority at Cathay. This also aligns with our core brand values of being thoughtful, progressive, and having a “can-do” spirit. We wanted to include this value into our platform, from translating cultural and social nuances to helping our passengers feel at home even when they’re high above the world. Our scene and footage selection in “Feels Good To Move” is one step towards a space where everyone belongs and can genuinely be themselves, and the diversity from cast to crew bore that out.
Christopher> Some moments you see in the film and content ecosystem happened by chance! As much as we prepared thoroughly beforehand, many of the moments we loved most happened organically along the way. Sometimes, just by keeping an eye out and being flexible, we could find moments of energy that we didn’t even script.
LBB> What are your hopes and expectations for the campaign? How do you envision it resonating with Cathay's audience and the wider public?
Edward> Our ambition is to create memorability at scale with a campaign that frames our strengths in service excellence, comfort, dining and lifestyle experiences. These are what customers are looking for, and succeeding in these areas is critical to our business. While championing the joy of movement and progress will resonate with the broader public, this is only the beginning of bringing Cathay as a brand to the world. We see much more to come!
