Why Singapore Needs More ‘Creative with Character’
If you are an agency creative working in Singapore looking for a face to front your next nationwide campaign, here’s some food for thought: Why not consider a fictional character instead of your typical artiste or international superstar?
Last year, Born Licensing shared results from a UK survey with IPSOS MORI that compared audience preferences and found that 38% of adults said they would ‘most like’ to see fictional characters in advertisements while only 22% said celebrities, 18% said sport stars and 22% said musicians*
Fictional characters were consistently the most popular choice across all demographic segments – from age group, gender, education background, income levels, and more.
And yet, the advertising landscape worldwide, it would seem Singapore included, does not accurately reflect these preferences.
We considered three reasons why having iconic and well-loved characters in Singapore ads is a great opportunity for advertisers:
1. Fictional Characters Invoke Strong Positive Memories
Many of us grew up watching TV, developing strong emotional attachments to characters in shows and films.
The presence of a well-chosen fictional character can easily help set the tone for the advertisement without any more bells and whistles.
One great example is Shopee’s 2020 campaign which fronted cultural icon Phua Chu Kang (PCK), Singapore’s favourite local TV contractor as their ambassador to help resonate with the local audience.
2. Fictional Characters Could Have Larger Fan Base
An analysis of Google Trends queries shows that the frequency of searches for fictional characters (e.g. Harry Potter) versus the celebrity who played them (e.g. Daniel Radcliffe) is usually higher.
This suggests that even having a character alone could be strong enough, without needing to hire the celebrity known for playing that character.
One most recent example of a brand that leveraged a fictional character’s large fan base is the Singapore Tourism Board’s campaign with the iconic Pinkfong characters to promote Singapore as a destination for families.
3. Fictional Characters offer very little risk, if any
One of the most compelling reasons for fictional characters is their lack of controversy compared to their celebrity counterparts.
The last thing your brand wants is to have its name dragged through the mud when your celebrity ambassador is embroiled in scandal – just think of the text scandal of Ian Fang and Carrie Wong, or maybe don’t think about it…
You won’t ever have to worry about a paparazzi photo published of a fictional character drinking Coke, when they signed a deal with Pepsi. They won’t turn up late to their shoot either, especially characters in the 2D world.
Born Licensing are offering a series of workshops for Advertising Agencies in Singapore, that will provide the tools needed for agencies to incorporate famous fictional characters more confidently in their work. The team have already presented to Singapore agencies such as DDB, R/GA, Wunderman Thompson and McCann.
If you’d like a complimentary creative or production workshop, reach out to Steph here.
