Durex Hong Kong tries to arouse interest in 'Performan'

The 'Performan' campaign puts a 12-minute micro-movie in the limelight, supported by a TVC and outdoor. PHD and Kitchen are the creative forces behind the campaign.

PHD associate director Rex Tang told Campaign Asia-Pacific that the campaign includes a movie trailer on YouTube, an MTR trackside video which ran in mid-July, and an interactive component that will launch in August, all of which lead to the 12-minute online film.

“To tap into the popularity of superhero movies, we want  to generate curiosity and make people wonder if it is a new superhero movie,” said Tang.

A 45-second TVC aired on TVB on 25 July, supported by an extensive media buy in front-page print ads, MTR ads, outdoor TV and online media such as Yahoo's movie homepage as well as TVB's MyTV.

The story depicts a sociology student who is researching the stressful and fast-paced lives of Hong Kong men. He finds out that an evil businessman has hatched a plan to increase his employees' productivity and thus his profits. In the end a ‘future angel’ rescues the student with a ‘magic ring’ to make him 'prolong the fight'. The film ends with a symbolic ring covering the IFC Building.

A spokesperson for Kitchen, which is working on the Durex account for the first time, said Durex’s previous TV campaigns used a heavy dose of humour. "Instead of explicit sexual images and hardcore selling of condoms, we want to follow in that tradition, but by using a superhero movie instead."