Old UOB Advert

Ads are aired so many times that viewers ignore the ads or change channels to avoid watching ads. However, there is an ad which I do not mind watching again. This ad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc3KiaCjQkc) was aired during Chinese New Year of 2002 in Singapore; it lasts for one minute and a half; which tells the story of a female photographer who broke her father’s camera (when she was young) and manages to replace a replica many years later using her UOB (United Overseas Bank) credit card while working in India.

This ad focuses on the Asian collectivistic culture where family and human relations are the most important. In the ad, the photographer’s brother protects her and bears the punishment when she broke her father’s camera; in return, the photographer dedicates her book of photographs to her brother, with the message “To my brother Kiat, who always stood by me.” Here, UOB is associating itself to a family member (i.e. brother Kiat) who is always there to help the rest, touching the emotions of the viewer; and at the same time creates a “personality” or “identity” for UOB. By using the soft sell technique, UOB has managed to attract my attention and has made me remember the ad. However, I do not know if this ad will have the same effect on men, since they are generally less influenced by emotions.

After watching the ad, I feel very warm and peaceful inside, which has a positive effect for UOB. In addition, the ad was aired during the week of Chinese New Year, which is the most celebrated festival in Singapore. This is a time where family members (including extended family members) get together and enjoy each others’ accompany, and almost always the television is on; meaning that UOB will have large viewer-ship. The target audiences for this UOB ad are Singaporean working adults; although this ad portrays a Chinese family, Singapore citizens (Malays, Indians and Chinese) are mostly family oriented.

In addition to all the focus on Asian values, UOB also manages to show its viewers that its credit card is recognized in other parts of the world and can be used online too (as a part of the ad showed the photographer purchasing online with her UOB card). So UOB is both traditional and modern, catering to all customers.