Singha: THAILAND BE STRONG

Credits & Description:

Category: Crisis and Issue Management

Advertiser: SINGHA CORPORATION

Product/Service: SPONSORSHIP OF MANCHESTER UNITED FC

Agency: THE LEO BURNETT GROUP THAILAND

Agency: LEO BURNETT & ARC WORLDWIDE THAILAND

Chief Creative Officer: Sompat Trisadikun (The Leo Burnett Group Thailand)

Executive Creative Director: Keeratie Chaimoungkalo (The Leo Burnett Group Thailand)

General Manager: Thipayachand Hasdin (The Leo Burnett Group Thailand)

Creative Director: Adulwit Chawala (The Leo Burnett Group Thailand)

Art Director: Puttisak Sanvisate (The Leo Burnett Group Thailand)

Art Director: Sompat Trisadikun (The Leo Burnett Group Thailand)

Copywriter: Fuad Ahmad (The Leo Burnett Group Thailand)

Group Account Director: Sopida Vaitayanone (The Leo Burnett Group Thailand)

Account Manager: Thanyaporn Teeraprapha (The Leo Burnett Group Thailand)

Account Manager: Veerisa Pornprerdprai (The Leo Burnett Group Thailand)

Agency Producer: Sompetch Nuntasinlapachai (The Leo Burnett Group Thailand)

Film Director: Sihabutr Xoomsai (Triton)

Director Of Cinematography: Assada Sreshthaputra (Triton)

Editor: Yingyos Somjitsakul (Triton)

Editor: Jirateep Sangsuwan (The Leo Burnett Group Thailand)

Senior Activation Creative Planner: Salawit Suviporn (The Leo Burnett Group Thailand)

Marketing Director: Chutchai Wiratyosin (Singha Corporation)

Sport Advisor: Jaturon Himathongkam (Singha Corporation)

Advertising Manager: Amornpon Lerdhirunpaiboon (Singha Corporation)

Relationship Executive: Alex Remmington (Manchester United Fc)

Media placement: Viral Clip - Online - 8 November 2011

Media placement: Tie-In Programs (6 Times) - Free TV - 12 November 2011

Media placement: TVC Spot - Free TV - 12 November 2011

Media placement: LED Digital Board Message - Broadcast Globally - 24 November 2011

Media placement: Thailand, Be Strong Auction Event - Local Event Hall - 22 December 2011

Media placement: P5. Post PR News Clipping / TV Scoop / TV / Cable - Press / Magazine - 11 December 2011



Summary of the Campaign

At the end of 2011, Thailand was overwhelmed with the worst flooding to hit the country in 50 years. The Singha Corporation wanted to encourage the Thai people to fight through the floodwaters, so the brand launched a PR campaign to raise money for flood victims, to increase international awareness of the problem, and to remind the Thai people that the world was thinking about them and hoping and praying for the best. Singha created a campaign called 'Thailand, Be Strong', and enlisted the help of one of the world’s most popular football team, Manchester United, to help convey this message.



The coach and squad members of Manchester United are hugely popular in Thailand, and so the brand asked Sir Alex Ferguson and members of the team to record video messages supporting the Thai people during the floods. The team responded immediately, and on the day the floods actually hit Bangkok, videos from Manchester United appeared online, on TV, and in places like the LED board at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester United’s home pitch.



The videos went viral, and helped show the Thai people that the world was behind them. Members of Manchester United also donated used match kits for an auction benefiting Thai flood victims, and this helped raise more money and international awareness of the flooding in Thailand. This PR campaign, pushed out across multiple communication channels, raised millions of euros for flood relief, and earned millions of euros' worth of media coverage for the issue.



The Situation

The 2011 flooding in Thailand affected 13.6m people, across 65 out of Thailand’s 77 provinces. The entire country was traumatized, and its people were in a state of shock as they tried to cope with evacuations, property damage, and the emotional toil of an overwhelming natural disaster.



News media and conflicting reports from the government increased the anxiety of the Thai people, who were already stressed out, uncertain, and afraid. The Thai people needed some positive encouragement and support, to help them keep fighting, and to remind them that no matter what, Thailand would get back on its feet.



The Goal



The Singha Corporation of Thailand wanted to create a campaign encouraging the Thai people to stay strong and keep fighting through the worst of the floods. This iconic Thai company wanted to serve its target audience by helping wherever it could. Singha quickly moved to donate bottled water to flooded communities, but the company realised that beyond its work on the ground, it needed to step up and create a positive act that helped the Thai people overcome the emotional trauma of the floods. The brand decided to promote and encourage the fighting spirit of the Thai people.



The Strategy

We began the planning for our campaign by asking ourselves who would be the ‘right influencer’ to deliver the message we wanted to give. Who is the optimal choice to encourage the Thai people to keep fighting? We needed a voice that would give the campaign scale and reach, and whose popularity would create a ripple effect globally. We reached out to Manchester United, a partner of the Singha Corporation and a football club famous for its indomitable spirit, and we asked them to help us deliver this message to the Thai people. Manchester United has 8m Thai fans across all age groups, and the club has long been popular for the way it never gives up, and always fights back against all odds.



The team was the perfect choice to express our creative idea:

'Kon-Thai-Su-Su', which means 'Thailand, Be Strong'.



Execution

• We flew to the UK to record video messages from Sir Alex Ferguson and the Manchester United team. We released these video messages on the day the floods hit Bangkok.



• The video clips were released online on November 8, 2011, and spread virally. The campaign was also featured on more than 6 tie-in TV programs, and quickly became the talk-of-the-town, as the clips were broadcast on national television for over a month.



• The message 'Thailand, Be Strong' was shown on Manchester United’s LED board at Old Trafford Stadium, and as the world watched the team compete in their home games (Newcastle on Nov.26, 2011, Crystal Palace on Nov.30, 2011 and Wolverhampton on Dec.10, 2011), Singha’s message to Thailand spread.



• The Manchester United squad helped the campaign by donating their match-worn kits for the 'Thailand, Be Strong' auction on Dec.22, 2011. The auction raised money for those affected by the flooding.



Documented Results

• The 'Thailand, Be Strong' viral clip was viewed over 100,000 times overnight upon its release.

• The LED digital board at Old Trafford Stadium reached over 100m people globally through television broadcasts, giving the campaign free media exposure valued at €2.9m.

• The 'Thailand, Be Strong' auction sponsored by Singha raised over 4m baht for flood victims.

• The campaign earned free media & PR coverage in Thailand valued at 12m Thai baht.