Brand-side reactions to the coronavirus crisis in Asia

From aid to advice to supportive campaigns, this is a compilation of what APAC brands are doing and what CMOs are saying to help employees, customers and the public during the coronavirus crisis. This is by no means a fully comprehensive or exhaustive list. Brands and marketers who are responding to the crisis can contact our editors with feedback or tweet to us @CampaignAsia.

Campaign Asia-Pacific has been tracking brand responses to the crisis since February. This page covers May and June; earlier brand responses have been moved to an archive here. 

Grab launches Connected by Good Campaign 

Grab has launched its new brand campaign, Connected by Good, in conjunction with the release of the second edition of its annual Grab for Good: Social Impact Report. The report focuses on how COVID-19 has impacted Southeast Asia, Grab’s efforts to help curb the effects of the pandemic, and stories of everyday heroes who bravely served their communities during this period. The campaign underscores the impact of every transaction that is made on the Grab platform, and highlights stories of Grab users, painting a picture of a community of millions, connected by good.

This campaign includes the following: 

1. Unveiling the impact that users make with every Grab transaction through the Grab Personal Impact Report : From 9 June, Grab users across Southeast Asia will be able to see how many small businesses and microentrepreneurs they have personally supported through their transactions. The Personal Impact Report was also created to make Grab’s Social Impact Report more relevant to our users.The Personal Impact Report will also include Grab’s data on the most popular local restaurants, tips raised for partners, COVID-19 donations and more
2. Hear from the Grab Community: Every transaction made by Grab users creates a cycle of progress for our partners in the ecosystem. To share what this means from their partners’ perspective, Grab has created two new brand videos--In one video we meet Mr Phan, a 65 year old retiree who has found new meaning in life through his work as a GrabFood delivery partner and in the second video, we meet Norfa, a 20-year-old who took over her family fish business two years ago. She joined GrabMart when people stopped visiting the market due to COVID-19, knowing that if she didn’t go online, her business wouldn’t survive.
3. Providing approximately 6,000 local businesses in Southeast Asia with US$3.5 million in free ads through the Homegrown Heroes initiative. Grab will help create personalised ads for these small local businesses by selecting a combination of ad backgrounds, icons and images most relevant to the merchant’s business. These ads will be featured on the most prominent spaces of the Grab app for a 5-week period starting July, and on social media for selected merchants.

Gomo launches Helpful Meals to sponsor food for people in need 

Digital mobile brand, Gomo by Singtel, has launched Gomo Helpful Meals, sponsoring over 6,000 meals for people in need through Belanja Eat and Timbre Group. Until 10 August, anyone in need of a meal can head down to Timbre+ Food Park at one-north and Yishun Park Hawker Centre to get a free meal from any of the 68 participating food stalls. This program includes halal options, such as Taliwang Nasi Lemak and a variety of local delights and Asian flavours from hawkers such as Soup Scholar, Ah Lock Tofu, XLX Modern Tze Char, Hungry Thai, The Japanese Food Alley, Iskina Cebu and more. Gomo is also opening up its app and website to host free F&B listings, to offer F&B owners a fast track to gain digital presence and customers. 

MusicHelps and Likeminds strike the right note with new campaign in New Zealand 

New Zealand music industry charity MusicHelps and creative agency LIKEMINDS have teamed up to create a TV and digital campaign featuring some of New Zealand’s top music talent. Shot in the deserted interiors of two of New Zealand’s most iconic venues, The Civic and Spark Arena, leading artists such as Dave Dobbyn, P-Money, The Beths and other acts address Kiwis directly through the camera to encourage them to lend their support to the people whose livelihoods have been most affected by the shutdown of the music industry: live production crews and those behind the scenes that make live shows possible.

The campaign asks kiwis to text “MUSIC” to 2448 to donate $3 to the emergency appeal MusicHelps has established to address the crisis: MusicHelpsLive. As a result of the MusicHelpsLive appeal, the charity has already been able to extend over $200,000 in emergency support to music workers experiencing severe financial and emotional distress due to the COVID-19 crisis, with more to come. MusicHelps aims to raise $2 million dollars through the MusicHelpsLive appeal to see affected kiwi music people through the winter. All funds raised will be distributed to those music workers whose livelihoods have been shattered by the virus.

Evos makes donations in Indonesia and Thailand 

Evos Esports, an esports organisation in Southeast Asia, recently launched multiple COVID-19 charity initiatives including partnering together with the Southeast Asia esports and gaming community. 

• In Indonesia, EVOS Esports organised charity showmatches between their Indonesia and Singapore Mobile Legends: Bang Bang teams; successfully raising close to 100 Million Rupiah which was donated to various charities that are at the front line of the battle with COVID-19.
• In Thailand, EVOS Esports’ ROV (Realm of Valor) team together with EVOS Esports professional esports athlete Sandee personally cooked and delivered 3,000 boxed meals to the slum areas to help the less fortunate. EVOS Esports also encouraged the esports community in Thailand to donate to the local hospitals, thereafter fans received a free EVOS Esports jersey.

Over 50,000 masks and surgical gloves were also donated to hospitals in Indonesia and Thailand.

Experian's Asia-wide donations 

Information services company Experian has made a series of donations via its CSR program to aid various countries and charities across APAC. 

• Asia Pacific: Experian is partnering with Missing Maps, a humanitarian project, to host a #MonthofMapping Mapathon throughout May, where employees can map digitally to enable first responders and healthcare workers to deliver essential supplies to households that were not previously registered on a map. Experian’s goal is to help put 100,000 people on the map in the most vulnerable communities across the region.
• Singapore: Experian partnered with Daughters of Tomorrow, a charity that helps women with workforce and training opportunities, to donate 50 repurposed laptops to lower-income families to help children continue with online learning. The company will also provide their beneficiaries with 1:1 virtual interview skill practice sessions and help improve their CVs to be job ready. Experian also worked with Infocomm Media Development Authority to create a video with footage featuring Sachin Tendulkar, India’s cricketing legend, which was shared with more than 200,000 migrant workers to lift their spirits during this difficult time.
• Singapore & Hong Kong: Experian developed Thriving Remotely resources for employees to help them stay happy and productive whilst working from home during the pandemic. Experian is now sharing these resources on mindfulness and resilience with Aidha and Enrich, our non-profit partners in Singapore and Hong Kong respectively, who will then adapt these materials to share with foreign domestic workers in free weekly courses.
• Malaysia: Experian donated 20 repurposed laptops to SJKT Thamboosamy Pillai, a Tamil school in Kuala Lumpur, for students to learn from home.
• India: Experian employees donated to the Srujna charitable trust to help 175 families with food packages, and also supported the Voluntary Health Services Hospital in Chennai which is providing essential care for the less fortunate.
• Vietnam: Experian partnered with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce to provide 50 families with a supply of rice for life.
• Australia: Experian donated 25 repurposed laptops to McClelland College in Melbourne, company’s school partner since 2014, to help less fortunate students continue with online learning.

Walkaroo's Footwear pledge 

Footwear brand Walkaroo has launched a #WalkForGood campaign aimed at young males, either college-going or first-jobbers, where users have to upload a picture of their step count with Walkaroo '#WalkForGood' while doing household chores, workout or any activity. For every 2,500 steps, Walkaroo will donate a pair of shoes to the country's frontline heroes fighting for our safety. 

Lalamove facilitates delivery of essentials 

Lalamove helped facilitate the delivery of over 200,000 essential items from donors, NGOs and businesses to communities in need during the COVID-19 period. The initiative, implemented over the last month in a number of markets in which the company operates, kicked off Lalamove’s long term corporate social responsibility program, Deliver Care.

Lalamove partnered with over 30 NGOs, government departments and businesses, offering free delivery to facilitate the transportation of care packages including over 125,000 face masks, 20,000 food packages, 52,000 bottles of hand sanitiser and 21,000 pieces of personal protective equipment such as gloves and face shields. In total, the items reached more than 86,000 beneficiaries, namely the underprivileged, disabled youths, schools and hospitals.

The activities were carried out in Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Manila, Cebu, Bangkok, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

Asian Paints releases new uplifting song 

Asian Paints in India is one of the key sponsors of a new anthem One Nation One Voice that was launched on Sunday 17th May. For the song titled Jayatu Jayatu Bharatam, Vasudev Kutumbakkam 200-plus singers from Indian Singers Rights Association (ISRA) have come together for a acapella rendition in 14 languages. This song was unique as each artist recorded their part from home due to the lockdown, without professional recording equipment.

Geometry's new angle for its old hygeine innovation 

Geometry, WPP’s creative commerce agency, has re-deployed its Handle on Hygiene innovation as part of the agency’s commitment to provide sustainable retail hygiene solutions amidst the current global pandemic, and for what will become the new norm post-COVID-19. Geometry’s innovation is being re-introduced to the market to provide retailers with the opportunity to implement a safe, customer-first response in the fight against the spread of COVID-19. This innovation was conceived in 2015 by Geometry MENA and Barrows, a manufacturer of physical and digital experiences for retail, in partnership with Lifebuoy, a Unilever sanitiser brand.  Deployed across more than 500 supermarkets over a two-year period, the technology instantly applies a thin layer of sanitiser liquid to any supermarket or store trolley handle – killing 99.9% of germs – with one simple swipe.  As customers touch food, swipe and then retouch the handle, their hands and handle are re-sanitised, protecting shoppers throughout their entire shopping journey. 

Mastercard's at-home entertainment plan with its ambassadors 

From acoustic sessions with Camila Cabello featuring new renditions of her hit music to two-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka serving up a family favorite recipe to a question and answer session hosted by rugby legend Bryan Habana, Mastercard is partnering with its ambassadors to craft unique experiences for at-home enjoyment. Experiences are featured on Mastercard’s experiential lifestyle hub Priceless.com, where people can enjoy acoustic musical performances, gameplay insights from the pros, private cooking lessons from celebrity chefs, training sessions with renowned fitness experts, behind-the-scenes tours of some of the world’s most famed destinations, and more. Visitors can also access additional exclusive content from celebrities, experts and ambassadors on the site.

Coca-Cola releases video mini stories 

Coca-Cola has released a series of video mini stories profiling unsung local heroes in ASEAN and around the world who are going beyond for their communities amidst the COVID-19 crisis. The seven mini stories follow the online film launched by Coca-Cola on May 1, International Workers’ Day, that offered an ode to humanity and the human spirit in these challenging times. Created in ASEAN, the “For the Human Race” film has already been viewed more than 18 million times. The new mini stories now being released shine a spotlight on local heroes amidst the current crisis. 

This series profiles: 

• Neil Delgado-Garcia, a delivery man and PWD philanthropist on wheels from the Philippines https://youtu.be/l2gDYtk6l8o

• Thu Luong, a social worker and food aid distributor from the Vietnam Red Cross Centre https://youtu.be/8kPavkjW4SE

• Aung Ko Myint, a Coca-Cola bottler employee and volunteer in the Auxiliary Fire Service Department of Pyay, Myanmar https://youtu.be/I3e_9Do2HI4

• Panchana Vatanasathien, a restaurant owner and founder of “Food for Fighters” in Thailand https://youtu.be/NfNsq-UOgq8

Updates on Pepsico India's pledge 

PepsiCo India's #GiveMealsGiveHope  program has crossed seven million meals out of the 10 million pledged, across India, the company said a statement. In addition, the company has also provided 25,000 testing kits to government labs in the country, through its NGO partner Find, it said in an update.  

Dream Cruises takes passengers on a virtual tour 

Dream Cruises has started a “Dream Cruises At Home” Facebook Live starring its crew members and performers on board as they present a series of cooking, freestyle dance and cultural performances. With two new episodes a week from May to June, travellers at home can learn freestyle dance moves from Dream Cruises’ dancer, be entertained by an exciting Japanese Taiko drum show by a highly-acclaimed drummer, sweat it out in a full body home workout with our very own fitness trainer, and even learn to make their own Merlion Sling with our on-board bartender. Dream Cruises has also lined up an array of activities, from a Bachata dance performance showcasing the popular dance style from the Dominican Republic, to the ship’s chefs and bartenders showing you how to whip up recipes and cocktails. Those looking to work their vocals can also tune into the vocal lessons conducted by a professional singer onboard

Geometry's collaborates with Indian musicians for song of hope 

Geometry Encompass has collaborated with leading singer, song-writer Ankur Tewari and music director and composer Clinton Cerejo to co-create a song called We Got This. The song was conceptualised in a two-hour session between the team at Geometry Encompass with Cerejo and Tewari. 

Carlsberg Malaysia wants you to 'adopt a keg' to help F&B outlets 

To get consumers back into their favourite hangouts and help businesses get back on their feet,
Carlsberg Malaysia has introduced Adopt a Keg – an initiative that rewards consumers who have
purchased Carlsberg for home consumption with free draught beer they can redeem at local F&B
outlets when the MCO restrictions are lifted. Adopt a Keg allows beer lovers to fill their own virtual beer keg at adoptakeg.carlsberg.com.my by simply scanning the receipt and barcodes from their purchases of Carlsberg Danish Pilsner and Carlsberg Smooth Draught cans and bottles whether from convenience stores, online retailers, supermarkets or hypermarkets. Once the keg is full, consumers will be rewarded with two free beers from Carlsberg Malaysia which can be redeemed via a QR code at participating F&B outlets when they reopen. Outlets offering redemptions will be reimbursed by Carlsberg Malaysia, helping with their operating expenses while building up customer patronage.

Sany's donation to India's Maharastra state

Sany, a manufacturer of construction, mining & material handling equipment, heavy machinery and renewable energy solutions donated 100,000 N95 masks and 500,000 three-ply masks to the Government of Maharashtra  in India, through the government agency MIDC. Sany has also donated masks & PPE kits to various hospitals and people who have been working at construction sites and provided groceries and food supplies to families who were affected due by the lockdown in India.

Getty Images launches new Creatives in Quarantine bursary 

Getty Images has launched its latest Creative Bursary, designed to support the worldwide creative community as they grapple with challenges posed by COVID-19. Titled ‘Creatives in Quarantine,’ the Bursary will award 10 grants of US$2,000. Submissions will be judged by a panel of judges, after which 10 recipients will be awarded $2,000 each for moving, entertaining or ground-breaking creative projects created while in quarantine. Recipients will also have the opportunity to license appropriate winning work on the Getty Images and iStock websites at a 100 percent royalty rate. To apply  portfolio of work should be submitted alongside a one-page document describing the creative individual, their sources of inspiration and the thinking behind their work. Submissions are open now and will close on Monday, June 8 at midnight EST. Visit https://wherewestand.gettyimages.com/grants to learn more. 

Bigo Live raises $100,000 for WHO

Bigo Live, a live streaming platform, has raised a total of $100,000 in donations through its inaugural ‘Global BIGOer One World Together’ campaign. All proceeds raised will be donated to the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Solidarity Response Fund by BIGO Technology, the parent company of Bigo Live. This campaign saw over 3.7 million viewers across the globe tuning into Bigo Live’s music live house and participate in the fundraising. The live house featured performances by close to 100 broadcasters in over 20 countries. Besides the live musical performances, the event also featured a #UnitedatBIGO, where  tributes were paid to healthcare professionals and frontline workers who have led the fight against COVID-19. A specially commissioned music video with over 100 Bigo Live broadcasters performing a cover of the Michael Jackson hit “We are the world” was also released as part of the campaign.

Lionsgate India, Facebook in movie straming collaboration to prompt donations 

Content studio, Lionsgate India, has launched an initiative to bring the community experience of watching movies in movie theatres to live streaming, in partnership with Facebook India. Lionsgate Live! A Night at the Movies is a month-long campaign featuring four Fridays of complimentary movies streaming LIVE on Facebook. While the campaign was conceptualised by Lionsgate US, Havas Creative Mumbai will be executing the India communication. These screenings will raise raise funds for GiveIndia, a consolidated NGO platform working towards the rehabilitation of COVID-19 victims. People will be able to donate via Facebook Fundraisers tool while watching their favourite movie. Further, Twilight series starrer, Peter Facinelli and Now You See Me franchise's Jesse Eisenberg have shared video messages to extend their support to Lionsgate India. Also, on board are Bollywood celebrities including Ananya Pandey, Anil Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra and Raveena Tandon. 

Tune in on the link below at 8 pm every Friday, hit the donate button before, during or after the screening. 

Donation Link: https://bit.ly/LionsgateIndiaFundraiser

Shopee and Unilever Food Solutions team up to help local F&B businesses

Shopee joined hands with Unilever Food Solutions, to connect local F&B businesses to hungry consumers at no additional cost. Aside from removing sign-up fees and keeping transaction fees low, Shopee aims to facilitate the transition online by providing these value-added services:

• A dedicated account manager
• Added homepage exposure
• Free advertising credits for sellers to utilise at their discretion 

Shopee’s involvement will be in addition to the ongoing #UFSunitesFnB movement by Unilever Food Solutions. #UFSunitesFnB aims to empower the local F&B community by connecting them to the optimal online platform and auxiliary services to facilitate their transition online. Suki-Ya, Bangkok Jam, and Lao Huo Tang are among several household F&B names who have since joined this campaign.

TikTok's S$350,000 donation to aid Singapore's fight against COVID-19

TikTok has donated over S$350,000 (US$255,000) to support Singapore’s Community Chest, the fundraising and engagement arm of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS), and local non-profit groups HealthServe and ItsRainingRaincoats (IRR) to help communities affected by the pandemic. The donation comprises cash contributions and in-kind donations that will directly benefit local medical frontliners, vulnerable groups and the local migrant worker community.

• Community Chest - The Invictus Fund: TikTok is working with Community Chest to match up to S$200,000 via an in-app challenge, #CareForSG, launching on 14 May. Through the challenge, users are encouraged to use the specially-created #CareForSG video effect to create fun and positive videos from home to be shared on TikTok. TikTok will donate $1 to The Invictus Fund for every video uploaded, and users can create up to 5 videos per account. All donations will enable over 80 social service agencies supported by Community Chest to continue providing critical social services amidst COVID-19. One hundred percent of the funds raised will go towards providing critical services to various vulnerable groups, including children with special needs and youth-at-risk, adults with disabilities, families in need, vulnerable seniors and persons with mental health conditions. Users can access the landing page here for more information.
• HealthServe: TikTok is also contributing S$50,000 in cash donations to HealthServe, a non-profit organisation that has been providing assistance to migrant workers for the last 14 years through medical and dental care, casework services, food, financial aid, education and advocacy as well as mental health services. 
• ItsRainingRaincoats: To help improve the quality of living for local migrant workers, TikTok is contributing S$118,000 to procure and provide workers living in dormitories with rechargeable fans and daily essentials, in partnership with ItsRainingRaincoats. IRR aims to support migrant workers facing difficulties obtaining their salaries and has been supporting those living in dormitories on life essentials and other needs.

New World Development in long-term mask pledge 

Further to its announcement in February to set up production lines locally to produce medical face masks, New World Development (NWD) has commenced distributution of 10 million of them free of charge from the end of April. In addition, the Group has partnered with eight non-governmental organisations to install “Mask To Go ” dispensers at designated centres. These dispensers will be operational towards the end of May. The NGOs will provide contactless smart redemption cards to pre-registered low-income families and disadvantaged groups. These individuals can exchange a pack of five masks produced by NWD from the dispensers every week. The Group will continue to install a total of 35 “Mask To Go” dispensers at designated NGO centres to distribute medical face masks for 10 consecutive weeks until early July and expects the initiative to benefi over 40,000 people. To support these plans, NWD has launched a PR and social media-centric #lovewithoutborders campaign. 

RedDoorz launches Hope Hotline to boost mental wellbeing 

Reddoorz, an online hotel management and booking platform has launched “Hope Hotline” as part of its regional CSR initiative. The new program acknowledges the different psychological challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and offers to support the mental wellbeing of its employees, hotel partners and their staff by providing online counselling sessions through RedDoorz’s partner counsellors and psychologists. RedDoorz has partnered with certified counsellors and psychologists across the region to conduct free counselling sessions remotely through online platforms for all RedDoorz employees and its hotel partners’ staff. RedDoorz is partnering with KALM, a Jakarta-based online mental health platform, to make the programme available in Indonesia. In the Philippines, the company works with individual psychologists to provide video counselling sessions. 

BBDO Bangkok and Flare Studio devise video for Ramathibodi Foundation 

Suthisak Sucharittanonta, creative chairman at BBDO Bangkok, has created a charitable television commercial called ‘Warriors in White’ with Flare Studio Bangkok. The commercial was made to help fundraise for the Ramathibodi Foundation, to help buy medical supplies to aid the fight against COVID-19 in Thailand. Sucharittanonta was unable to go to hospitals and film the video himself due to the lockdown and social distancing regulations and restrictions in Thailand. He created a 60-second film by using photos and footage shot by doctors who Sucharittanonta had briefed. Using this raw footage, the images were retouched, the copy was added and the entire video was edited and finalised, all at home.

HappyFresh's CEO to run half-marathon at home to raise funds 

Guillem Segarra, HappyFresh's CEO will be running a half-marathon (21km) at home this Sunday (May 17) at 5 pm (JKT & BKK) and 6 pm (KUL & SIN) on a live stream YouTube video. He hopes to raise funds, which will be equally distributed to three organisations in the countries the company operates in: 

• Indonesia - Aksi Cepat Tanggap (ACT)
• Malaysia - Mums4mums
• Thailand - The Mirror Foundation

The official donation website: http://bit.ly/run-in-unity

The live stream : https://bit.ly/run-in-unity-livestream

Fashion Farm Foundation expands programs to aid battered industry

Fashion Farm Foundation, a non-profit organisation with a mission to promote Hong Kong fashion designs globally by synergising local fashion designers, cultural practitioners, industry experts and retailers in Hong Kong, is expanding its focus to help an industry ravaged by COVID-19. FFF’s FFFriday campaign provides a platform to bring the community together to celebrate the talents of Hong Kong-based fashion designers. This year’s “very FFF” edition of FFFRIDAY will integrate both online and offline activations for the first time. The new format will allow the public to support the local fashion industry during this ‘stay at home’ period. 

Online and offline activations include:

• FFFRIDAY Pop-up Store – available to the public to shop online and in person, the pop-up will showcase 20 local fashion labels including ANAÏS JOURDEN, CYNTHIA & XIAO and KA WA KEY.
• FFFRIDAY Presentation - the presentation will shake up the traditional fashion presentation format by moving it online. Five local fashion labels, including Feaston, KA WA KEY, Ponder.er, SFZ & SON and YMDH, will present their collections through video format.
• FFFRIDAY Gig - Showcasing the collaboration of Hong Kong fashion and local street music, the gig includes seven local music artists who will wear Hong Kong fashion designs during the performance to highlight the exceptional talents and collaborative nature of the creative industries in Hong Kong.

P&G Safeguard Philippines launches BayaniHands Project to inspire communal unity

Safeguard Philippines teamed up with the Philippine Red Cross to create Safeguard’s BayaniHands Project. Coined from the Filipino term ‘bayanihan’—defined as the communal unity of working together to achieve a common goal—the campaign encourages Filipinos to become everyday heroes by doing what they can to keep the nation safe.

The campaign encourages people to donate to the Red Cross through the e-commerce platform Lazada. The video above, by Saatchi & Saatchi, was shot during lockdown while adhering to Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) protocols.

PropertyGuru Group helps find temporary homes through #LoveHome initiative

LoveHome, according to PropertyGuru, is a Southeast Asia-wide initiative to make available a wide array of resources and support for homeowners and home seekers. The initiative includes #LendASpace and #NeedASpace, which aim to help people displaced by the pandemic to find temporary homes across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia.

The brand posted the above video to underscore the importance of home as a safe, cherished space during this challenging time. 

The brand's efforts include:

• Dedicated content hubs in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam to help current homeowners make the best of their time at home and home seekers to confidently navigate the property market in these uncertain times.
• Innovative tech solutions to bring the property viewing experience right to a home seeker’s fingertips.
• AskGuru and advisory by our seasoned financial experts to help homeowners who wish to reassess and realise their property aspirations through refinancing their existing home loans, for instance.

In addition to the #LoveHome movement, PropertyGuru has separately introduced COVID-19 relief initiatives for its Singapore agent partners, including:

• 60 days extension of account credits for all agents with active agent and corporate accounts.
• Lowering of ad credits required for listings activities, until June 30.

Dutch Lady Milk Industries and Entropia Blanc create WhatsApp camp for Malaysian kids

Malaysian dairy company Dutch Lady Milk Industries teamed up with marketing consultancy Entropia Blanc to unveil a “Summer Home Camp” to keep Malaysian children meaningfully occupied at home during the Movement Control Order and Restricted Movement Control Order.

'Buat Baik 30 Hari Ramadan Di Rumah' ('A Good 30 Days of Ramadan at Home') aims to provide children with meaningful activities to teach them life skills while easing the physical and mental burden Malaysian mothers must be feeling at this point in time, according to the company. Parents were invited to register via Facebook and then directed to WhatsApp to participate in the two-week programme, which offered activities each Tuesday and Friday, designed for children between 3 and 6 years old.

Based on data showing the biggest barrier to any adoption is the friction of learning to use a new platform, the team settled on WhatsApp as the most frictionless channel and worked to bring this campaign to life from the ground up in a compressed duration of 10 days.

SG United and Moving Bits release video to help Singapore stay the course

'Sarah & The Lion', a video released by SG United, is believed the be the first commercial in Singapore that was conceived, produced, directed, and filmed during the city's 'circuit breaker' period. No rules or laws were broken to create the film, which asks residents to maintain their resolve. Most of the footage is original, with only a few stock shots, according to Moving Bits.

90 Seconds draws interactive global map of production status

Global video production platform 90 Seconds has created an interactive map showing brands and agencies where and how they can (and can't) shoot video content at the moment. The map draws on information from the company's network of more than 12,000 video creators across 900 cities in 160 countries. 

Asian economies benefit from Mastercard’s expanded aid package

Mastercard has expanded its worldwide commitment to financial inclusion by pledging to bring a total of 1 billion people and 50 million micro and small businesses into the digital economy by 2025. As part of this effort, there will be a direct focus on providing 25 million women entrepreneurs with solutions that can help them grow their businesses.

Here's how Mastercard is helping: 

Bangladesh and Cambodia: Mastercard partnered with the apparel industry to digitise supply chains by introducing a combination of digital payrolls and an educational tool. The Digital Wages Toolkit has been tested in Bangladesh with more than 10,000 women garment workers and has been adapted and translated for use in Cambodia.

Indonesia: Mastercard launched its first flagship skilling program – Mastercard Academy 2.0 – that is designed to engage and impart essential digital knowledge to different segments of the population. By 2022, the program will equip 100,000 schoolchildren, young adults, entrepreneurs and mid-career professionals with the digital skills they need to thrive and actively participate in Indonesia’s digital transformation journey.

Vietnam: Mastercard is working with CARE International to assist banks and fintechs to tailor financial services and products to bring women into the financial system and catalyze business growth.

Tourism Australia's virtual tour for event planners 

Tourism Australia has invited event planners around for a curated program of live virtual travel experiences on the weekend of May 16 and 17. The initiative from Australia’s national tourism agency called Live from Aus will deliver over 24 hours of content across the two days, with new material debuting each hour from 5AM SGT until 7PM on Saturday and from 4AM to 7PM on Sunday. The weekend will include a range of travel experiences, highlighting the country’s culture, natural beauty, food and drink and wildlife. From wine tasting and cheese making to the waters of the Great Barrier Reef, the shores of Kangaroo Island, the doors of MONA and evenings at Uluru and the Sydney Opera House, alongside a dinner party with Matt Moran and friends, the program of live events kicks off from 5AM SGT on Saturday 16 May 2020.

Etiqa Insurance extends COVID-19 relief to annual travel insurance and private car customers

Etiqa customers holding or who have held annual travel insurance policies that expire between 1 March to 31 December 2020 will automatically receive a six-month policy extension, to help cover the opportunity cost of being unable to travel due to COVID-19. This lengthens each eligible policy coverage period to 18 months in total instead of 12 months, at no additional cost, providing coverage for travel plans beyond this period of the global crisis. Eligible plans include Tiq Travel Insurance and ePROTECT travel.

In addtion, private car insurance customers will receive S$36 in Etiqa dollars (Etiqa$) per plan, credited directly into their personal e-wallets in their TiqConnect accounts by the end of this month. Valid till the end of 2021, these goodwill credits can be used to offset their private car premiums upon renewal. If otherwise unspent, the credits may also be used to purchase other products, such as two months of the recently enhanced ePROTECT safety, a personal accident insurance plan from S$18 a month which comes with complimentary coverage against COVID-19 for a limited time.

Dentsu Grant Group, Sri Lanka ties up with Swarnavahini for positive news bulletin

Dentsu Grant Group, Sri Lanka (the local Dentsu Aegis Network office and largest integrated communication group in the country) has tied up with local TV channel Swarnavahini on Live@8 (their main news bulletin) to counter this negativity by disrupting local Covid-19 news stories with stories of positivity and hope. They launched ‘Happy News’, a special two-minute news segment that broadcasted stories of optimism to the face of the viewers during their newscast. This innovation has been crafted to counterbalance the surge of negative stories related to the ongoing global pandemic and encourage Sri Lankans to share their positive moments at home, with the rest of the country. Some of Sri Lanka’s biggest celebrities and influencers were featured on this two-minute segment which was aired for the first time on April 25th. A stripped back look into these personalities' lives were featured on national television along with  their views on how to stay positive during the lockdown, with some writing songs of their experiences, while others introducing their own media-shy family members to the public. 

Campari Australia's initiative to support the hospitality industry

Campari Australia in partnership with Eleven, Apparent and Wavemaker have launched a national COVID-19 response initiative, Shaken Not Broken, to support the Australian hospitality industry during this time. The initiative was developed to support neighbourhood bars and venues as they adapt and stay connected to their communities, by facilitating access to a bottled cocktail delivery or pick-up service via a partnership with online ordering platform HungryHungry. Since launch, over 200 venues have registered for the initiative’s Response Package, which includes donated Campari Group product, cocktail delivery supplies and marketing tools to help drive widespread awareness about venues’ individual contactless cocktail offering. As part of the initiative, a dedicated website was developed to list and promote all registered venues, which allows customers to search for their nearest bar or venue.

Mariott's helping hand for women medical personnel 

In an initiative that kicked off on May 8, Marriott International launched its “Mother’s Day Giveback Campaign”, which celebrates healthcare professionals and essential services workers, especially women. To show appreciation for their work and sacrifice during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the campaign sees participating hotels in Asia Pacific donating hotel meals and special Mother’s Day treats throughout the month of May, expressing their appreciation for these medical personnel in their communities.

JAL celebrates International Nurses Day 

To celebrate International Nurses Day on May 12, Japan Airlines (JAL) is bringing together staff and social community to form a Senbazuru, a group of 1,000 paper cranes. The crane is not only a key element of JAL's logo but it also symbolises hope and healing in Japan. Each paper crane received will be used to form a digital mosaic of the Senbazuru and will be be shared with nurses and health care workers on May 12 as a gesture of gratitude. JAL has also created an instructional video on how to fold a paper crane.

R/GA Singapore launches grocery delivery initiative for seniors

R/GA has started a service that connects seniors who need groceries with people around their neighbourhood who are willing and able to do the shopping and deliver. Called ‘I Go For You’ / ‘让我来’, the service is accessible to all seniors, who call a hotline to make a request in their mother tongue. Requests will be matched with volunteers, who can accept nearby requests using the ‘I Go For You’ chatbot on Telegram. They will be provided with the senior’s contact number so that the two can discuss the shopping list, delivery address, and payment.

Initially, the hotline will operate in Mandarin, with English, Malay, and Tamil becoming available in the coming weeks, the agency said.

Dorothy Peng, MD, R/GA Singapore:

Covid-19 has impacted lives in many ways unimaginable before. We wanted to make a difference to the community we live in and to demonstrate real impact. The future of humanity is what drives us as a group of thinkers and makers, so we wanted to create something that helps one of the most vulnerable groups in the community.

Interested volunteers should download the Telegram app and search ‘IGoForYou’.

Impossible Foods helps restaurants and distributors sell their stock directly to consumers

Following a successful program in the US, Impossible Foods is helping restaurants and distributors in Singapore sell 2.27 kg bricks of its plant-based meat directly to consumers. 

"From our experience in the US, we know that selling Impossible inventory can be a valuable means of supporting our partners’ businesses," Nick Halla, senior vice president of international at Impossible Foods, said in a release. "We hope that this will provide further assistance to our valued restaurant partners during this period. We’re also very excited to give Singapore customers an opportunity to cook Impossible in their own homes.”

The bulk package of Impossible Burger is now available from distribution partner Classic Fine Foods and these local restaurants:

• Fatboy’s (Order online for pickup or delivery)
• Park Bench Deli (Order online for pickup or delivery)
• Rubato Italian Kitchen & Bar - Order online for pick-up or delivery
• Straits Chinese Order online for pick-up or delivery
• The Goodburger food truck (Purchase in-store outside Coronation Plaza)

Royal Brothers offers discount on one-way motorcycle rental for stranded Indians

Royal Brothers, a motorbike rental service in India, is aiming to help people stranded in various states return to their homes. The company announced that its fleet motorbikes will be available for intercity travel at a reduced rate, allowing peopkle to rent a motorcycle in one city and return it in another. Sanitised bikes and helmets will be delivered to the rider through contactless delivery within a radius of 10 km from the selected pickup location.

Deliveroo and HK NGO The Nesbitt Centre crowdfund cakes and biscuits for frontline hospital staff

Deliveroo joined forces with a local Hong Kong NGO, The Nesbitt Centre, to provide cakes and biscuits to more than 150 medical staff in Hong Kong hospitals.

The Nesbitt Centre operates three social enterprises—The Nest Bakery, The Nest Coffee Shops and Café 8—that provide job opportunities for adults with learning difficulties. All three businesses are live and taking orders on Deliveroo.

The crowdfunded campaign “Cake for heroes, baked by heroes” was started by Greg March of The Nesbitt Centre. It received HK$38,000 (US$4900) in donations over three weeks, allowing The Nest Bakery to prepare more than 150 boxes of cakes and biscuits. In addition, learners at The Nesbitt Centre created thank-you cards with hand-drawn illustrations. Deliveroo's Catering Team delivered the boxes to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, Hong Kong Adventist Hospital and Ruttonjee Hospital between 29 April and 8 May.

Crowdfunding for the effort is continuing through May, with every HK$380 in donations triggering the baking of another cake for hospital staff.

Rantau Golin donates headlamps to Royal Malaysian Police 

Malaysian PR agency Rantau Golin has donated over 1,700 sets of Energizer headlamps and LED armbands and other products from Energizer to the Royal Malaysian Police to help them with their duties. The contribution, made in collaboration with Energizer Malaysia, was valued at more than RM108,000. 

Mandarin Oriental's cookie donation to Singapore General Hospital 

As part of Mandarin Oriental Singapore’s ‘Doing More’ CSR initiative for the healthcare heroes, 2,000 packs of cookies were delivered to the healthcare professionals at Singapore General Hospital on 20 and 21 February 2020. 

Six Senses' home video tutorials

As travel bans and social distancing measures continue, Six Senses, a spa in Thailand, has rolled out At Home with Six Senses, offering some positivity to support everyone’s well-being during this time. Since the start of April, the video tutorials have been taking place on Facebook Live, featuring short videos such as yoga and stretching, drum journey meditation, and a cold brew coffee demonstration by Six Senses’ senior team and staff. The videos are made available online on www.facebook.com/SixSenses and www.facebook.com/SixSensesSpas.

Nestlé Vietnam donates more than US$515,000 in products and cash

Nestlé Vietnam has provided food, nutrition drinks, and cash through Fatherland Front chapters in cities and provinces, the Vietnam Women’s Union Central Committee, and other organisations. Close to 300,000 relief packages, together with medical face masks, have been distributed to hospitals, health centres, functional forces and volunteers in some localities nationwide.

The company also launched the #LuonKhoeLuonTichCuc (aka #StayHealthyStayOptimistic) campaign on Facebook, encouraging local communities to pursue a healthy lifestyle and join hands to overcome the pandemic.

In coordination with La Vie company, a subsidiary of Nestlé Group, Nestlé has implemented a wide range of activities to support doctors, nurses, public security and military forces, and volunteers.

Malaysia property site iProperty introduces relief measures for agents

iProperty.com.my introduced a set of measures intended to help property agents. These include:

• A 25% discount on subscriptions to iProperty PRO, the company's newly updated mobile tool for agents.
• 90-day payment holiday for new iProperty PRO subscriptions.
• 30-day complimentary account subscription extension for already active subscribers.
• Up to a 50% discount on property listing upgrades during May and June.

“We want to support the livelihood and careers of thousands of independent property agents in Malaysia who are impacted by COVID-19 to return stronger than before over the coming months," said Sean Liew, GM for agent and developer sales. "We are making an investment in the market to enable this to happen. Our investment into new proptech tools and data together with the support and packages offered during COVID-19 demonstrates our commitment to the Malaysia property market. We hope this partnership with our property agent clients will leave a positive impact to the Malaysia property market and broader economy."

Lenovo launches online education platform in India

Lenovo has launched the SmarterEd education platform in collaboration with eVidyaloka, a not-for-profit organisation that focuses on transforming the educational landscape of India. This new, free online platform matches learners with volunteer educators in one-on-one online learning sessions. Challenges to India's education system have been exacerbated by restrictions due to COVID-19, especially for those from poorer backgrounds or in remote areas. The Lenovo SmarterEd platform allows students from classes V to XII to choose their teachers, select the subject they would like to learn, and take out time to learn as per their convenience. It has links to different syllabi and offers a chat engine for student-teacher communication. This platform supports multiple languages, including English, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu.

#TGIFRANK by FRANK by OCBC to help deal with Singapore's circuit breaker period 

In Singapore's circuit breaker period, Instagram users are turning to making and/or participating in templates that are being shared via Instagram Stories, as a way to pass time. Frank by OCBC saw the opportunity to leverage this format and platform to engage with its customers, and bring back the TGIF Happy Hour vibes (virtually) to allow people to celebrate Fridays with colleagues and friends. To help support local businesses during this period, Frank by OCBC has also partnered with 10 local F&B establishment for this activation. Participants will stand a chance to win a round of drinks on FRANK, delivered to them on a Friday evening. They need nominate five friends that they would like to celebrate #TGIFRANK with and the restaurant/bar they would like to support via the #TGIFRANK Instagram Story template. Five lucky winners will be selected each week, and these winners and their five friends will win a round of drinks (and food) on FRANK. This activation will run across the month of May, over four Fridays (8 May, 15 May, 22 May, 29 May), and is only eligible for FRANK by OCBC customers.

ASICS spreads the cheer with motivational videos 

ASICS' #PassYourSmile is an initiative to spread cheer amid the anxiety and isolation caused by the pandemic. This campaign started on May 5 with a video featuring personalities, athletes and celebrities passing their smiles to one another from the comfort of their own homes. Celebrities and media personalities featured in the video include members of South Korean pop band KARD, Singapore actors Zong Zijie, Ayden Sng and Chantalle Ng, Malaysian television and radio host Aishah Sinclair, host Dyan Castillejo and actress Kris Bernal from the Philippines, Thai actors Toey Pongsakorn, Sarin Ronnakiat and Cooper (Patpasit Na Songkhla), and Indonesian actor Angga Aldi Yunanda. Athletes such as national Olympian Mary Joy Tabal from the Philippines, tennis player Christian Chin from Malaysia, Tony Payne from Thailand, and Singapore Netball captain Charmaine Soh were also featured in the campaign video.

Xiaomi announces donations in Singapore 

Xiaomi has announced that the first batch of donations to Singapore, including 100,000 masks has been delivered to the National Council of Social Service (NCSS), in an effort to help
counter the COVID-19 pandemic. The supplies, jointly donated by Xiaomi Foundation and Singapore-based distributor partner, Raduga have been received by the NCSS, a government body that serves as a coordinator in supporting and providing relief supplies to citizens and families, including healthcare workers, frontline workers and volunteers during the pandemic.

MullenLowe Singapore and Unilever’s CLEAR launch #comebackstronger campaign 

MullenLowe Singapore and Unilever’s CLEAR, an anti-dandruff hair care brand have launched #comebackstronger, an expert-led, content-driven digital campaign designed to help young people build resilience during the COVID-19 crisis. #comebackstronger was announced on 28th April, via a video created by the agency and broadcast across all major social media channels. From 1st May, a new video will go live every day for 14 days, hosted by experts and featuring interviews with special guests, discussing topics such as building your support network, establishing routines and remembering your strengths. The videos, accompanying resilience hacks and additional resources form a 14day resilience challenge, free to access and hosted on www.clearhaircare.com. To develop the 14-day resilience challenge, CLEAR worked in partnership with Dr Michael Ungar and Dr Phillip Jeffries at the Resilience Research Centre (RRC) at Dalhousie University and Silja Litvin, CEO & founder of PsycApps, Ph.D. candidate, honorary Research Associate at UCL in London & clinical psychologist.

NTUC First Campus provides aid to employees, working families and low-income families

NTUC First Campus (NFC), a Singapore pre-school provider, has taken a series of actions to support its employees and students of its more than 160 pre-schools and afterschool programmes.

The company is sending more than 4,500 'Gratitude Grocery Bags', consisting of food items such as biscuits, oats and bread spread to its employees.

Meanwhile, NFC’s SEED Institute developed an online portal, KidzMatters, which provides a curated collection of home-based learning resources from five partners including NFC’s My First Skool (MFS), E-bridge, MY World, PCF Sparkletots, Skool4kidz and MOE kindergarten, with inputs from the Early Childhood Development Agency. The portal delivers new content on a daily basis, categorised according to age group. NFC’s MFS is also sharing interactive learning resources on its YouTube channel and published a bilingual, interactive e-book that teaches good hygiene practices.

In addition, NFC has initiated additional support and assistance for students from low-income families during the crisis. This includes a 100% fee offset for eligible families. 

Finally, in April, NFC distributed about 400 care packs to low-income MFS families. These included a placemat with information on hygiene, hand soap, baby bath wash, baby shampoo and children’s toothpaste.

AS Watson Group launches HK-made masks

Watsons has converted a cleanroom formerly used for producing bottled water into an automated manufacturing facility for protective masks. The Watsons-branded masks will be available at online and physical stores from mid-May.

Starting in March, 20 engineers have worked "around the clock" to convert the facility in Tai Po, which now includes six automated production lines, according to the company. The plant will be closed one day a week for UV light disinfection.

The group plans to gradually increase production to 10 million masks per month. Boxes of 30 will retail for HK$79.90 (US$10.30), with an exclusive price of HK$69.90 (US$9) for MoneyBack members. Both prices are well below those seen on the streets of Hong Kong for masks of questionable provenance.

Hyatt announces global cleanliness commitment

Hyatt has announced what it calls a Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment, which will include an accreditation process by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) at all hotels around the world, training and support for staff, and input from a cross-functional advisory group of medical experts and industry professionals.

“The world as we knew it has been fundamentally changed by COVID-19 and when we are all ready to travel again, we want to make sure that every Hyatt colleague and guest feels confident that each aspect of our commitment is designed with their safety in mind, and that we’re putting their wellbeing first,” Mark Hoplamazian, president and CEO, said in a press release. “To do this, we must critically examine the hotel experience from every vantage point—from our rooms and our lobbies to our spas and dining—bringing in the latest research, technology and innovation to make that happen."

The GBAC accreditation process, a first in the industry according to Hyatt, will begin this month. GBAC is a division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, and is composed of leaders in the area of microbial-pathogenic threat analysis and mitigation. The effort will include detailed training at more than 900 Hyatt hotels worldwide, buttressed with regular internal and third-party auditing.

By September, every Hyatt hotel will have at least one person on the property trained as Hygiene Manager, who will be responsible for adherance to guidance and protocols. 

Cadbury Dairy Milk replaces logo with 'Thank You' in India

In a unique move, Mondelez India has created limited-edition Cadbury Dairy Milk ‘Thank You’ bars in India "in recognition of the generous spirit of the country’s unsung heroes during these difficult times."  This is the first time in the brand's 70-year history in India that it has replaced its logo. Priced at Rs 40 for 50 grams, Mondelez India is committing partial proceeds from sales towards health insurance policies of the daily wage earners, via a partnership with the NGO Nirmana.

To celebrate the linguistic diversity across India, these bars are being launched in eight different languages - English, Hindi/Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. 

Huggies donates medical supplies to 40 maternity hospitals in Vietnam

Kimberly-Clark Vietnam has donated more than 2 billion VND (US$85,000) in medical supplies to 40 maternity hospitals to support COVID-19 prevention efforts. Items include automatic handwash machines, antibacterial hand sanitizer, medical protective gears and Huggies wet tissues - practical gifts for doctors and nurses to care for pregnant women and babies. During the pandemic, Huggies in Vietnam has also maintained production to continue to supply essentials to consumers.

Namita Katre, marketing director of Kimberly-Clark Vietnam, sponsors medical supplies to support epidemic prevention for Dr. Nguyen Ba My Nhi, deputy director of Tu Du Hospital, HCMC.

To date, Kimberly-Clark Group and its charitable Foundation have donated a total of more than US$8 million to support the COVID-19 epidemic recovery and prevention efforts worldwide.
This includes $2.5 million to UNICEF programs and another $2.5 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.  Programs include providing hygiene and medical kits to schools and health facilities, as well as efforts to increase children's access to health,
education and social services.

Singpost launches #HereWithYou campaign on Labour Day

On May 1st, SingPost launched a new campaign, #HereWithYou, to pay tribute to all postal workers working throughout the COVID-19 outbreak to deliver needed letters and parcels. Singapore residents are asked to craft a simple message, post it on Facebook and/or Instagram using the hashtag #HereWithYou and tagging SingPost to share messages with workers.

In other COVID-19 initiatives, SingPost has partnered the People’s Association (PA) on 'Masks Sewn With Love', whereby members of the public place their hand-woven masks into blank envelopes with the initiative name, and place them in any posting box islandwide. SingPost has also partnered with National Healthcare Group in providing medicine delivery to patients at home, with deliveries made from National University Hospital, as well as Geylang, Toa Payoh and Hougang Polyclinics.

In February, SingPost offered assistance to ItsRainingRaincoats, a community initiative
for migrant workers in Singapore and it has also joined hands with Temasek Foundation in the multi-lateral community effort to distribute hand sanitisers to all 1.5 million households. 

Havas Ortega turns idle metro Manila billboards into support for frontline superheroes

Filipino media and creative agency Havas Ortega has transformed digital billboards all over metro Manila otherwise idled by the lockdown into messages of strength, featuring frontliners as superheroes.  Characters from this 'Frontline Heroes' campaign like Commander Doctor (doctors), Power Packners (cashier and supermarket baggers), Kidlat Rider (delivery drivers), Incredible Guard (security guards), Super Nurse (nurses) and Truth Twins (journalists and cameramen) are now being displayed along metro Manila’s main thoroughfares in Alabang, Makati, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Pasig, and Quezon City.

This campaign was developed by Havas Ortega in partnership with billboard companies HDI Admix, Inc., United Neon Advertising, Inc., Summit Outdoor Media, Luneta Advertising, Inc., Full Linkage (FULITECH) Philippines, Inc., the Out Of Home Advertising Association Of the Philippines (OHAAP) and the Outdoor Media Advocacy Group (OMAG).

You can follow 'Frontline Heroes' on Havas Ortega’s Facebook page and join it using #TuloyAngLaban and #FrontlineHeroesPH on social media.

More: See our archive of earlier brand reactions to the
crisis, covering February through April 2020.