Solvil et Titus tries new paths to love

The way each person discovers new and fresh sides to love in different stages of life inspired the new campaign. The series follows three different paths in spots titled 'Time tree', 'Penguin' and 'That year'.

McCann Hong Kong has worked on the creative account for four years. The agency called all three new commercials a huge breakthrough, saying this is the first time the client and agency have told more than one story in a single campaign. 

“In the past two years, our TV ad campaigns focused heavily on the love relationship of 25- to 35-year-old women, which was the brand’s major customer target,” Irene Chan, the agency’s creative director, told Campaign Asia-Pacific.

But different age groups may all have their own love stories, so the new campaign looks beyond its traditional ‘Time is love’ storytelling to speak to other demographics, such as those evolving among teenage students and elderly couples. “This allows audiences to appreciate the brand essence of ‘what love means to us’ from different perspectives,” she added.

After a short trailer of ‘The path of love’, which aired last week, Solvil et Titus debuted its first 150-second commercial on 2 December. The ad aired simultaneously during evening primetime on TVB Jade, Pearl, J2 and Now TV.

McCann invited David Tsui, a local veteran film director who also handled the iconic Solvil et Titus ad campaigns with the late Anita Mui in the 1980s, to direct the TVCs featuring the young couple and the older couple. Tsui has also directed many of the clients’ TVCs over the past few years.

The agency also invited its ex-creative consultant, Nick Lim, to direct the version focusing on the student love story. The hope was he would bring out his own unique insights for the commercial.

The first story, “Time tree”, portrays a heartbroken man struggling to come to terms with the tragic loss of his eternal sweetheart. The other two stories in the series, “Penguin” and “That year” tell tales about setbacks and sacrifices in love.

In addition to aiming at the hearts of local audiences, the watchmaker hopes all three new commercials trigger individual viewers to recognise themselves within the stories.

Chan said the movie-style tone and manner of Solvil et Titus’s love story TVCs has become a signature ad style for the client. “We want to bring a positive message from our love stories," she added. "The TVCs have touched people on an emotional level, and the product has become a ‘love mark’ rather than just a watch,” she said.

She also noted that online distribution has amplified the impact of the ads over the past two years.

Media planning and buying is executed by local media agency Ample. The campaign will last for six months. The remaining two TVCs in the series (“Penguin” and “That year”) will be launched before Q3 in 2014. The campaign will also eventually be rolled out across other key Asian markets such as China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.

CREDITS:

The production team of “The Path of Love”:
Solvil et Titus: Joseph Wong, Vincent Lau, Stella Chow, Canice Chan, Winnie Fung
Creative: Spencer Wong, Irene Chan, Flora Tsui, James Fung, Sky Lo
Account servicing: Nancy Yau, Annie Yip, Kelvin Au, Mike Yeung
Agency producer: Wendy Ho
Directors: David Tsui (“Time Tree” & “Penguin”), Nick Lim (“That Year”)
Story: Spencer Wong, David Tsui (“Time Tree” & “Penguin”), Nick Lim (“That Year”)