The Brief

Heaven & Earth had an existing contract with local actor Pierre Png. But trial of the green tea was still low. Research showed that consumers liked the taste of Heaven & Earth green tea once they tried it. However, many were resistant to even picking it up because they just didn’t buy into celebrity endorsements. How then did we overcome the skepticism?

Creative Execution

When we extracted the truth from the actor with a lie detector, it wasn’t just a newsworthy move, it was a move to help the public overcome their skepticism. It was proof that the actor wasn’t saying good things about the drink just because we made him say it. Consumers would then become more open to trying the drink, and would even step up to take the lie detector test and recommend the green tea to their friends.

Describe the creative solution to the brief/objective.

Rather than getting the actor to act, we got him to tell the truth instead. A lie detector booth was set up in the city. Under the watchful eyes of a certified polygraph examiner, Pierre took the test and was interrogated about the taste of the green tea. A radio DJ was also present to report the ‘live’ findings back to the broadcast station. The public was then invited to take the hot seat themselves. The true responses were edited into radio and TV spots.

Results

10,000 cans were snapped up in 3 hours, as Singaporeans waited in long lines to try Heaven & Earth green tea. Word of mouth and online hype was generated. Heaven & Earth didn’t just get the thumbs-up from a celebrity, but also the man on the street. And people really believed it.