StarHub CableTV's "Almanac" wins "The Family Television Commercial of the Year Award" at the Singapore Advertising Hall of Fame Awards 2004
Singapore, 25 November 2004 –StarHub, Singapore’s leading info-communications provider, was honoured with “The Family Television Commercial of the Year” award at this year’s Singapore Advertising Hall of Fame Awards for its funny and heart-warming Cable TV commercial “Almanac”. Results were announced yesterday at the presentation and Gala Dinner held at The Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel in Singapore.
Produced by Bateyredcell, the 30-second TV commercial “Almanac” overcame competition from other shortlisted contenders such as NTUC Fairprice, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Wall’s Ice Cream, as well as StarHub MaxOnline’s TV commercial “Fight”, to secure top place in the Family Matters Award Category. The category was supported by Singapore’s Ministry of Community Development and Sports, as well as *Family Matters! Singapore. Winners in this category were recognised for commercial advertising that best promotes family formation and the building of strong, stable and resilient families.
Organised by The Singapore Institute of Advertising for the sixth year running, the Singapore Advertising Hall of Fame Awards salutes and recognises excellent and outstanding achievements in Singapore’s advertising industry. A total of 126 entries were entered in this year’s awards in Singapore.
“We are indeed honoured to have our TV commercial strike a chord in the hearts of not just our audience, but also our peers in the advertising industry”, said Ms Tham Loke Kheng, Senior Vice President of Consumer Marketing at StarHub. “Through such TV commercials, we hope to convey not only how StarHub CableTV’s suite of channels are an integral part of our customers’ daily lives, but also to reflect the strong Asian family values that are of the highest priority to them”, added Ms Tham.
For “The Family Television Commercial of the Year” award, judges were on the look-out for entries that could stimulate strong emotions, inspire its target audiences and convey an emphasis on strong and positive family relationships. The judging criteria included the strategic execution of the campaign, creativity, message clarity and how memorable the campaign was to its audience.
The “Almanac” TV commercial
Drawing on the strong power and appeal of StarHub CableTV’s Mandarin channels, the TV commercial employed a humorous and witty approach to promote interaction and communication between two different generations in an Asian family. The TV commercial showcases the younger generation’s respect for traditional values, as well as respect for elders when it comes to matters of importance in their lives, such as marriage.
Campaign Strategy and Execution
The TV commercial shows a young couple seeking the advice of their elderly mother to decide the date of their wedding ceremony. The mother supposedly consults the Chinese almanac (which is a popular traditional Chinese calendar) but is in actual fact reviewing Telescope - StarHub CableTV’s programme guidebook, to decide an appropriate date to hold the wedding so that she can still catch her favourite cable TV programmes.
Leveraging the popularity and strong appeal of StarHub CableTV’s Mandarin channels, the television commercial employed a clever twist at the end to highlight local traditions and interplay between two generations within a family. The key factor to the success of this television commercial is the loving tribute to our Mandarin-drama viewers’ intense viewing habits.
Aimed at bringing a smile to our viewers’ faces, the TV commercial highlighted an experience which many local viewers can relate to, given they may have engaged a similar practice themselves. Consulting the Chinese Almanac is a tradition that many young Singaporeans still practise to obtain auspicious dates despite the advent of technology, education and exposure to Western cultures. The television commercial highlights the dichotomy faced by the younger generation – how to balance Asian traditions which include filial piety, with the desire for a modern Western lifestyle.
The win for “Almanac” this year clearly shows that it has struck a chord with many StarHub CableTV viewers. This is testament to the importance that a large number of Singaporeans currently place upon family values and traditions.
*Family Matters! Singapore is a people-movement committee aimed at promoting the importance of marriage and family in Singapore.
