Who hasn’t faked it a little to feel part of something they know nothing about and avoid that feeling of FOMO? Cathay’s latest campaign touches the funny-bone of every viewer while it promotes the upcoming Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens by showing how a little harmless fakery can come undone so embarrassingly.
Cathay’s latest campaign promotes the idea that anyone who misses out on attending next year’s Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens will feel FOMO.
The campaign film, Nothing Beats Being There, stars Johnny, a rugby afficionado wannabe who pretends to be a fanatical rugby fan to impress his boss and potentially snag a trip with colleagues to Hong Kong. He is ultimately exposed by his own web of lies, and his dreams of attending the 2025 Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens are unfulfilled. Note the wonderful little hint when he refers to a try as a touchdown before his final moment of humiliation.
“We’ve all been there, pretending to know more about something than we actually do for fear of missing out. When Cathay challenged us to show that nothing beats being at the Sevens in person, we couldn’t resist tapping into that FOMO feeling to show that nobody does rugby like Hong Kong,” stated Christopher Lee, chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe Hong Kong.
Next year will be a pivotal year for the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, held for the first time in the world-class Kai Tak Sports Park, that hopes to cement Hong Kong’s status as a premier destination for major international events.
Edward Bell, general manager of brand, insights, marketing at Cathay, explained, “Cathay has been a proud sponsor of the Hong Kong Sevens for over 40 years, and the move to Kai Tak Sports Park from Hong Kong Stadium is especially meaningful as Kai Tak was Cathay’s home for more than 40 years. Everyone becomes fanatical about fun during the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, an event that attracts everyone from die-hard rugby fans to revellers enjoying the party atmosphere. Bigger than rugby, it is an all-consuming festival that no fun-loving person would want to miss, so we have created a campaign that shows nothing beats being there in person.”
Nothing Beats Being There builds on Cathay’s long-running Nobody Does Rugby like Hong Kong platform. The launch film will be supported with social and in-stadium activations and giveaways in Hong Kong and globally – and supports the airline’s ticket, flight and accommodation deals – in the lead up to the next Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.
Credits:
Client: Cathay
General Manager, Brand, Insights and Marketing Communications, Cathay: Edward Bell
Head of Marketing Communications, Cathay: Vivian Chan
Marketing Manager, Events, Cathay: Angel Wong
Assistant Marketing Manager, Events, Cathay: Esther Guevara
Agency: Publicis Groupe Hong Kong
Chief Creative Officer: Christopher Lee
Group Creative Director: Halo Cheng
Creative Director: Miriam Yip
Senior Art Director: Tom Tsang
Copywriter: Abbie Chan
Chief Strategy Officer: Martin Smith
Strategy Director HK: Garron Chiu
Managing Partner HK: Dennis Yeung
Group Account Director: Carrie Chan
Senior Account Manager: Esther Cheung
Senior Account Executive: Zenia Leung
Producer: Armelle Sudron @ Prodigious
Production Company: Kitchen
Director: James Robert Lane
