Samsung and Leo Burnett set out to build a 28 million strong Olympic Team Malaysia

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Samsung_LB1.jpgSamsung Malaysia Electronics is showing support for the Malaysian Olympians who will be taking part in the coming London 2012 Olympic Games in a new campaign out of Leo Burnett Malaysia. Created around the idea that the Malaysian Olympic contingent consists of not only the 29 Olympians who will be taking part in London 2012, the “Samsung Believes in Malaysia” campaign calls for citizens to join Team Malaysia.

“Team Malaysia is more than the athletes we’re sending, it consists of every single person who believes in the athletes and supports them, no matter the outcome. It’s not just a Malaysian contingent of 29, Team Malaysia is 28 million strong,” said Leo Burnett Executive Creative Director Eric Cruz.

The campaign launched with an ‘anthemic’ TVC and Print that aims to generate national pride amongst Malaysians. Leo Burnett recruited London/Los Angeles based director Gerard De Thame for the campaign’s ’28 Million Strong’ TVC.

SamsungOlympics_02_Lela.jpg“We knew we had the right man for the job when Gerard opened the conversation by saying, ‘Belief is the conquering of failure’,” said Cruz. “We wanted someone who could communicate our story in a powerful way and Gerard’s track record with Nike speaks for itself.”

Starring Malaysian Olympians Azizulhasni Awang (cycling), Pandelela Rinong (diving), and Datuk Lee Chong Wei (badminton) who is one of Samsung Malaysia’s brand ambassadors, the TVC highlights the importance of people’s belief in the Olympians.

“The film is a story about belief, an inner conviction that starts from within, to belief from others around you, your inner circle of support, which escalates to a national level of faith” states Leo Burnett Copywriter Ben Chen. “In the end, belief is the only thing that will carry you through every moment of challenge.”

“As strong, brave or talented a person is, we get to where we need to go because of those around us. People who push us to do better even when we feel we’ve reached our limit, or those who are simply there for us, no matter the occasion,” explained Adam Chan, Leo Burnett’s Samsung Creative Group Head.

The TVC was shot in Malaysia and will air in the country’s three main spoken languages: Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin and English.

For the print advertisements featuring the same three Olympians, Leo Burnett engaged Japanese photographer Satoshi Minakawa who has photographed athletes worldwide for sports brands like Nike, Le Coq Sportif and Onitsuka Tiger.

SamsungOlympics_site_01.jpgSamsungOlympics_MAPP.jpgThe campaign is anchored around www.jointeammalaysia.com, a microsite that allows Malaysians to join and become part of Team Malaysia by simply picking a sport avatar and mapping their profile photo onto it. Their avatar is then added to a nation of athletes, a visually stunning representation of the ‘true’ Malaysian contingent. The site also enables people to show their words of support for the nation’s Olympians via the “Support” section, Twitter and Facebook.

“We designed it in such a way that as the messages pour in, the words help ‘raise’ and ‘elevate’ our athletes by pledging your belief in them.” explained Leo Burnett Creative Adzam Bahrin.

During the games, the campaign will feature a mobile app which notifies people of each athlete’s score, play and win, big or small, via a sound reactive visual equalizer, as well as on ground engagement activities targeted at colleges and universities to rally people for Team Malaysia and to generate hype for the Olympics.

CREDITS

ECD: Eric Cruz

Creative Director: Eric Cruz, Adam Chan

Senior Account Director : Ngian Yuchun

Associate Account Director : Liew Wai Sim

Account Executive : Jasmine Loh

TVC

Production Company : Believe Media

Director : Gerard de Thame

Producer : Fabyan Daw

Writer : Ben Chen, Ravi Costa

Art Director : Eric Cruz

Agency Producer : Rasydan Ahmad Faiz

WEBSITE

Production Company : Leo Burnett / Arc Worldwide

Chief Technology & Production: Ken Chin

Art Director : Adzam Bahrin

Designer : Adzam Bahrin, Khairul Shazwan

Technologist : Ng Soo How

Project Manager : Chan Lik Win

PRINT

Photographer : Minakawa Satoshi

Production Support : Image ROM

Producer : Ivan Ooi

Art Director : Khairul Shazwan, +cruz

Designer : Khairul Shazwan

Writer : Adam Chan, Ravi Costa