MEET ME HALFWAY

Short List
TitleMEET ME HALFWAY
BrandSK-II
Product / ServiceSK-II
CategoryE04. Social Behaviour & Cultural Insight
EntrantFORSMAN & BODENFORS Singapore, SINGAPORE
Idea Creation SK-II Singapore, SINGAPORE
Idea Creation 2 FORSMAN & BODENFORS Singapore, SINGAPORE
Media Placement MANO, DENMARK
Media Placement 2 RYOT STUDIO Copenhagen, DENMARK
PR FORSMAN & BODENFORS Singapore, SINGAPORE
PR 2 MANO, DENMARK
Production TOOL OF NORTH AMERICA Los Angeles, USA
Production 2 CABIN EDITING COMPANY Santa Monica, USA

Credits

Name Company Position
Sandeep Seth SK-II Vice President
Kylene Campos SK-II Global Marketing Director
Susanna Fagring Forsman & Bodenfors Account Supervisor
My Troedsson Forsman & Bodenfors Account Supervisor
Abbe Hale Forsman & Bodenfors Account Supervisor
Hongi Luo Forsman & Bodenfors Account Manager
Patrik Danroth Forsman & Bodenfors Account Manager
John Bergdahl Forsman & Bodenfors Art Director
Joakim Labraaten Forsman & Bodenfors Copywriter
Amat Levin Forsman & Bodenfors PR-strategist
Jason Feng Forsman & Bodenfors Designer
Leo Bovaller Forsman & Bodenfors Planner
Alexander Blidner Forsman & Bodenfors Agency Producer
Floyd Russ Tool of North America Director
Andy Coverdale Tool of North America Producer
Brad Johns Tool of North America Executive Producer
Nancy Hacohen Tool of North America Executive Producer
Christophe Collette Tool of North America D.O.P.
Victor Magro Future perfect Music
Isaac Chen Tool of North America/Cabin editing company Editor
Lime Studios Lime Studios Lime Studios Sound
Thor Otar Mano Copenhagen Strategy Director
Jakob Stigler Mano Copenhagen Client lead
Liv Sørensen Mano Copenhagen Orchestration lead
Jesper Laumand Verizon Media (Ryot Studio) Account Director
Yangze Wang Verizon Media (Ryot Studio) Distribution strategy director
Mads Linnebjerg Verizon Media (Ryot Studio) Planner
Sandra Rasmussen Verizon Media (Ryot Studio) Editorial distribution
Nicklas Fjelsted Holm Verizon Media (Ryot Studio) Social distribution
Anna Taussi Verizon Media (Ryot Studio) PR Distribution
Troels Ringsted Verizon Media (Ryot Studio) Researcher
Annie Aa Verizon Media (Ryot Studio) Account Manager

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

The film stars three young single Chinese women, all following their dreams in some of China’s biggest cities. While their parents only want what’s best for their daughters, their constant questions about boyfriends, husbands and even children are unknowingly putting their daughters under pressure to get married. When we meet the women the pressure has gotten so intense that they avoid going home for family gatherings, even opting to not celebrate Chinese New Year, the country’s biggest holidays, with their families. As the film progresses the women each decide to pen a letter to their parents. With hopes to mend the relationship they ask their parents to meet them halfway, both literally and figuratively. They leave the emotional meeting with a new sense of understanding for each other.

Cultural/Context information for the jury

Even though young Chinese women are advancing like never before, educating themselves and becoming financially independent, they’re still expected to marry, settle down and become housewives before they reach 30. The fact that women’s worth is often tied to their marital status causes young single women to face enormous amounts of pressure, from society as a whole, and their families. This campaign was designed to spark a conversation about marriage pressure, and provide women with a clear way forward, by showcasing three encouraging examples of women who are taking the first steps of reaching out to their parents. This is no small feat in a country where freedom of speech is limited and the government itself has vested interest in keeping the status quo (In 2017, the Chinese government launched the term “Sheng Nu” that translates to “leftover woman” and has been used by state media to stigmatize unmarried women).

Please tell us about the social behaviour and/or cultural insights that inspired your campaign

Through research, we learned that the marriage pressure reaches its peak at Chinese New Year (CNY). When family and relatives gather, the nagging about finding a husband and starting a family culminates, and for many, becomes unbearable. The pressure is so strong that 8 out of 10 single women hesitate to travel home for CNY. A major issue driving this behavior is the lack of communication between the generations. We also learned that society and media focus on how to avoid the topic and annoying questions from relatives. We wanted to tackle the subject in a different way. A way that was unexpected and bold enough to create a new wave of interest. What if we instead of just talking about the problem could offer a solution and create real change? We decided to inspire women and parents to talk honestly with each other, and to find common ground.

Links

Case Film URL   |   Video URL