Why is this work relevant for Entertainment?

For his new and highly anticipated short film project, Huawei sent local superstar director Nawapol T. with over 1 million followers online on a trip to Japan, Thailand's favourite destination. He recorded special moments on his phone, only to mail them back in USB drives as souvenirs to his mates.

Background

Huawei Mate 20 was the brand's most advanced phone at the time, but as the name "Mate" implies, the model was made to be more than a power tool but a true companion in all your treasured moments. To declare that there was more to this AI-enhanced phone than its specs, the brand needed a campaign that brings a human heart to the cerebral machine.

Describe the creative idea

Smartphones have made the world as small as the palms of your hands. Much of distance and time is no longer felt nor longed for anymore. But sometimes, it's not just about how fast or how many of life's moments you can keep in your phone, but how much time and care was captured in each of them. Huawei sent famed director Nawapol T. on a trip to Japan, Thailand's favourite destination, to record special moments on his phone and mail them back in USB drives as souvenirs for his mates. The footage shot on the most cutting-edge phone at the time was physically mailed overseas and over time – From Mate to Mate.

Describe the strategy

Although Huawei was building its reputation in Thailand as a producer of quality phones, the brand's image still lacked emotional relevance to the recreational lifestyle of 20-35 premium phone users. So even though Huawei Mate 20 Series was the brand's most advanced phone at the time, the model was meant to be more than a power tool but a true companion in all your treasured moments. To declare that there was more to the phone than its specs, the brand needed content that felt more human than machine.

Describe the execution

For a new short film project, Huawei sent superstar director Nawapol T. with over 1 million followers online on a trip to Japan, Thailand's favourite destination. He recorded special moments on his phone, only to mail them back in USB drives as souvenirs to his mates. But on the release date, the film was nowhere to be found. Instead, the director posted pictures of 6 envelopes on his social media. He had mailed exclusive cinematic souvenirs to 6 of his mates who were the only ones who got to watch their unique souvenirs from Japan. As anticipation for his short film built amongst his fans, the director's cut was then mailed to the press for public release along with the launch of a microsite that let users send bonus scenes from the shoot as mini magic moments to their own mates.

Describe the outcome

The public version of the film received over 8 million views combined across online channels. The biggest achievement of this campaign, however, is that Huawei is finally seen by Thai consumers as being more than a phone factory, but a brand that is emotionally relevant to their lives.