Issue 3 May 2011
The cultural trends magazine from
Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific
Edited & designed by Kunal Sinha
Editorial assistant: Madhumita Bhattacharyya
Correspondents:
Naima Hamid (Dhaka)
Sabih Ahmed (Dhaka)
Donna Alcoseba (Makati City)
Tania Chan (Singapore)
Justin Chow(Singapore)
Naoko Ito (Tokyo)
Azusa Fukai (Tokyo)
Nayumi Nagase (Tokyo)
Serena Park (Seoul)
Natalie Gruis (Ho Chi Minh City)
Siddharth Roy (Colombo)
Mei Wu (Taipei)
Caryl Heah (Kuala Lumpur)
Beatrice Yong (Kuala Lumpur)
Josephine Phang (Kuala Lumpur)
Maulshree Kalothia (Mumbai)
Natasha Soonthornwiratne (Bangkok)
© Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific, 2011
Asia has been through tremendous tumult in the last
two months.
There was a tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan; and
the team from Tokyo has chronicled the touching
response to a tragedy.
The last bastion of communism in the world‘s largest
democracy just fell. One third of all Indian states are
now governed by a woman Chief Minister.
Pakistan erupted as the Americans racheted up their
war on terror.
The cricket World Cup turned into an Asian Cup;
unleashing the longest, wildest party the
subcontinent may have seen.
Amidst all this cultural and political maelstrom, fresh
content kept gushing – underlying our belief that
sometimes, the best ideas emerge during times of
great adversity.
14 countries.
20 correspondents deeply immersed in
popular and leading edge culture.
JAPAN
TAIWAN
Bring you Cultural Insights
that will make a difference to your business.
CONTENTS
Look who‘s talking:
Shop assistants in Asia
Knowing me, Knowing you:
Asian teenagers
Playing on my iPod
Rage Against
Waiting List
Special section:
Japan United
Everyone‘s talking About
The Last Book I Read
The voice of the cultural commentator
In this issue, we feature shop assistants
across Asia‘s bustling markets.
Look who’s talking …
The job of a salesman can be very tricky, dealing with
people from different backgrounds, temperaments,
attitudes and knowledge levels all through the day… A
salesman needs to be thoughtful, diplomatic, sensitive,
tactful and of course needs to possess a lot of product
knowledge. It‘s a tough job.,,perhaps that‘s why there are
only far and few good salespeople.
Croma is a chain of electronics supermarket in India.
Visiting at about 2pm on a Tuesday, I was greeted with a
wide smile (surprise #1) from Javed, a young, timid
looking man in his mid 20s. ‖I‘m looking for a 32-inch full
HD LED or LCD TV,‖ I told Javed. ―Sir, LCD and LED are
two completely different technologies. May I know exactly
what your usage be?‖ he asked (surprise # 2). I realized
that he knew what he was talking about and could help me.
I spent the next 15 minutes explaining my usage patterns
to Javed, who then took me around the section explaining
the quality differences and the pros of an LED over an LCD.
After spending a good 30 minutes pondering, watching,
fiddling and tinkering, we short-listed 2 LED TVs that were
suitable for me with almost comparable features, an LG
and a Videocon. At this stage I told him I would need some
time to think and asked him a few general questions. His
body language didn‘t suddenly become cold or
disinterested; he was still warm and willing to help
(surprise # 3).
During his time at Croma, Javed has observed that the
fastest moving products are Blackberrys, ―the latest
craze‖, the Curve in particular. Bigger electronic items are
what sell at Croma most: fridge, AC, TV. Smaller items like
kitchenware, laptops and high-end cameras are not very
fast-moving. There is a rush of people through the week,
enquiring, taking down prices, but sales happen more on
weekends and holidays. Customers come with their
families to make the final purchase.
I left Croma feeling satisfied and headed to
the Food Bazaar on the opposite side of the
mall. The store was deserted, with just two
to three customers, and the staff was
preoccupied with stock checking. My
wandering attracted the attention of a sales
manager – which was a bit of a surprise -and asked me what I was looking for. I said
that I was just looking, and asked why it
was so quiet. ―It‘s a weekday, people come
only post 6pm,‖ the sales manager rather
curtly replied. I then approached a
salesman who spoke to me while stocking.
―On weekday evenings we get a lot of
singles and young couples. On weekends
there is a rush after 4pm: families with kids
and couples come to do their weekly
shopping.‖
There is a difference in the nature of
Croma and Food Bazaar, of course, and in
all probability there is a difference in the
training they receive on customer
interaction . Whatever be the reason, I am
more likely to drop into Croma to browse
in the future than Food Bazaar!
Look who’s talking …
Xu Ming is 24 years old, but looks older than her
years. She‘s lived in Shanghai, away from her home
in Jiangsu province, for five years. ―It could be this
way or that,‖ she says. ―I could find a better job at
an office next month, or I may still be working here
arranging packs of cookies. I hope I fall into the
arms of a laowai (foreigner) from the top of this
stepladder,‖ she adds, only half jokingly.
From her vantage point, Xu Ming has a very good
sense of who comes to Carrefour at Gubei and what
they load their shopping carts with.
―When the shop gates open at 8.00am, we have all
the 60-year-olds streaming in. Many of them come
straight from the park after their exercise. They
shop not only for themselves but also for their kids‘
families. They‘re after fresh vegetables and fruits,
which are cheaper here than at the wet market;
they also get a free bus ride home. Whenever we
have discounts on cooking oil or rice, they don‘t
mind standing in queue for half an hour,‖ she
explains.
―In the evening, we find many couples dropping in
on the way back from office. Most of these folks are
quite well off. I guess their parents don‘t live with
them, which is why they must do the shopping
themselves. They buy a mix of local and foreign
brands; they may buy Bright yogurt and Huiyuan
juice, but always foreign milk and milk powder. I
think they‘re still worried about the milk scandal.
―Sometimes I see that the man and the woman go
different ways – the woman is in the foods section,
while the man may pick up items like washing
powder, batteries, light bulbs, and they meet again
at the checkout. It must be a way of optimizing
time. I‘ve found, though, that when a woman
shopper sees something new, she usually asks her
partner to take a look as well.‖
Once Xu Ming is done rearranging the cookies, she
steps off the ladder. ―Our discount displays are
very popular,‖ she tells us. ―Every month, we have
an area that is marked off for promotions. Like now,
it‘s clothes because we have to sell off our winter
overstock. Before school opens after the summer
holidays, we have a huge display of all the school
necessities.‖
Do people notice the product displays that
companies put up? ―It depends. If it is something
they need, then sure. But it is up to the people who
are in charge of the display. Some just stand there
like zombies, while others walk up to shoppers and
suggest they try out the product.‖
Look who’s talking …
Cargills Food City has been rated the most valued
retail brand in the island. Today, one transaction is
recorded every second at a Cargill‘s outlet in Sri
Lanka. It is the fastest growing retail network in the
country with over 150 outlets across 20 districts.
Being the only retail network with its own outgrower network, Cargills Food City buys from
suppliers at higher prices while aiming to deliver
high-quality goods to the consumer at the lowest
possible price.
Kaveendra Thilakratne, senior operations manager,
comes from Beligala, Kegalle district. He joined
Cargills as an executive trainee in 2001. ―Cargills
has taught me many things. One learning I really
hold close to my heart is that one can make a
mistake once but must never repeat it,‖ he says.
Women are the most the prolific shoppers, says
Kaveendra. They can be segregated to two
categories:
1. Monthly shoppers – shop as per pre-decided list;
come mostly alone in the late morning, spending
around 45 minutes to an hour. Average spend is
between LKR 8,000and 15,000.
2. Regular shoppers – shopping for daily needs,
mostly working mothers who visit the store in the
evening to buy specific goods such as vegetables,
sugar, dairy products, meat foods, with a basket
value of between LKR 1,000 and 5,000.
There are also male shoppers, who come in the
evening to pick up goods that they have been
instructed to bring on their way home (bread,
vegetables, dairy products, soft drinks, medicine).
Some come to pay their phone, credit card or bank
dues. They might also pick up alcohol and snacks.
Family shopping is seen on weekends: husband
and wife with children and sometimes even
grandparents. They spend an hour or so shopping.
Some parents leave the kids at home as it gets quite
difficult to shop while controlling them. This is a
relief for the staff as they too need to be always on
the look out when kids are around.
Weekdays witnesses the heaviest traffic to the
store, while it also fills up on Tuesdays, Thursdays
and Fridays between 6pm and 9.30pm when
working people visit the supermarket on their way
home. Sundays are most crowded over the
weekend, especially from 9am to noon and 5pm to
9pm.
The new products to have caught shopper interest
are Bairaha pre-cooked chicken products, which
had advertised on TV during the ICC CWC 2011
matches. Surf Excel and Sunlight detergent
powders have also been in demand following
promotional offers run by Unilever (bundle offer,
buy-1-get-1). Promotions can also lead customers
to try new products, such as Dettol Hand Sanitizer
launched in the supermarket through in-store
promotion/trial.
Look who’s talking …
Mr Foo is the store manager of Village Grocer
supermarket in Kuala Lumpur. He has managed
and run the daily operation there since it started in
2004. Situated in Bangsar, a wealthy residential
suburb on the outskirts of the city, Village Grocer
mainly draws a middle-aged crowd of affluent
Malaysians and expatriates. Both men and women
are spotted shopping on a weekly basis, with their
kids and maids in tow. They typically spend 30
minutes to one hour in the store. Traffic on Fridays
to Sundays is bumper-to-bumper through the day.
Mondays are also a popular shopping day, as this is
the only day wet markets are closed. An average
transaction in Village Grocer is RM 200 (US$ 66) -approximately double the amount spent per
transaction in an average Malaysian supermarket.
Shoppers at Village Grocer are not swayed by
discounts and promotions. In fact, these are likely
to have the opposite effect, as discounted products
are believed to be defective and low quality goods
that the store wants to get rid of. Customers prefer
high quality products that have health benefits -such as low sugar and salt foods. An organic
section opened four months ago to better serve
these health-conscious customers. Village Grocer
is also the only supermarket in Selangor that does
not carry plastic bags.
Best-selling categories are imported products such
as drinks and cereals. Many shoppers buy foreign
branded water by the carton as the water quality in
Malaysia is not high.
The shopping behavior of Village Grocer patrons
is very different compared to the average
Malaysian. As most Malaysians have low to
middle income, price plays a huge part in their
purchase
decisions.
Therefore,
most
supermarkets and hypermarkets compete on
‗value‘, meaning price-offs and promotions. The
size of the shopping basket is also proportionate
to money in the bank: bigger baskets are seen
once salaries are paid and smaller basket are
seen around the end of the month.
There are also differences in shopping behavior
when it comes to the Malays and the Chinese.
Malays buy what they can afford when they can
afford it, so stores that offer payment by
installments or credit are popular amongst this
group. The typical Chinese shopper looks for
opportunity. If an item is on sale, they will stock
up regardless of the amount they need. They also
tend to purchase in bigger volumes to bring down
price per unit.
Look who’s talking …
Anne is a sales supervisor in the Metro Manila
supermarket. The heavy shopper traffic is on the
weekends, most customers coming in after lunch.
On a shopping trip, customers may also stop for a
meal or drop by the kids‘ play area and
drugstores. Children and husbands usually come
along, though they mainly linger in particular
aisles.
Children
like
the
juice,
snacks,
confectionery, baby care and hair products
sections. Husbands check out deodorants,
fragrances and hair styling products.
Products you are most likely to see in shopping
baskets
are:
Toothpaste,
shampoo/hair
conditioner, body and laundry soaps, milk and
coffee. Feminine hygiene products are common
purchases, as are toilet cleaners, insecticides and
other household care products.
In Singapore‘s markets, the peak shopping days
are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. At
around 10am, the housewives arrive, followed by
the working crowd at about 2pm. From 7pm, the
after-work crowd comes in. Singapore has also
seen a rise in the number of 24-hour supermarkets
like Cold Storage over the past year to cater to the
burgeoning number of working adults who have no
choice but to pick up their groceries after they are
done with work.
It is mostly the women of the house who do the
shopping in supermarkets. Even when maids
come, more often than not, their ma‘am is there too.
In some shops, you might even see some unusual
products: square watermelons, black garlic that
costs $60.
Look who’s talking …
Meet three supermarket managers in Taiwan:
Huang Qi-xin, with 19 years of experience in
the business, and Yang De-feng, with 10 years
of experience, both employees of PX Mart,
which has 500 stores in Taiwan. And Peng
Yong-tian, a veteran of 20 years, who works at
Matsusei supermarket, which owns 100 stores
in Taiwan.
We spoke to a sales person at a very well known
supermarket of Bangladesh (who did not wish to
be named) to learn more about the sales, peak
shopping times and nature of the clientele.
Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays are the peak
days for shoppers. Within the day, most footfalls
occur between 11am and 12.30pm. That is when
stay-at-home moms and housewives are the main
customers. After office hours, people come with
their families. Most people choose to come by
themselves and would not send their domestic
helpers, as they might to the country‘s traditional
markets.
A new booth from BRAC Agro selling cacti,
orchids and bonsai has been attracting many
customers at the store. It is the first dedicated
space for plants to have opened in a supermarket.
Other products that are attracting interest are
newly-launched baby diapers and toiletries.
Shoppers with children who spend a long time in
the store might also visit the food corner to buy
their kids a treat.
Bangladesh got its first supermarket in 2001 with
Rahimafrooz Superstores Ltd launching its chain
Agora. Now there are four more large players in
the market. The superstores are open from 9am to
8pm every day. The customer rush is seen mostly
in the mornings and evenings. Most of the
employees in these stores are young and welleducated, some with masters and business
management degrees.
The main customers at the supermarkets are
married women, aged 30 to 50. From 10am to
noon, customers in the 55-plus bracket come to
buy fresh food and commodities. Between noon
and 2pm, office workers purchase drinks and
snacks. From 4pm to 7pm, high school students
come in for after-school snacks and single
office workers come in for instant noodles,
snacks, and drinks, or to buy provisions for
dinner. From 9pm to 10pm, the night shift
workers arrive, along with students from
tutorial centers.
Working women mostly visit on Mondays to
buy drinks and snacks for office. Families come
in over the weekends. Couples, older and
younger, mainly buy household commodities
and fresh food for the next two to three days.
With higher consumption, they stay longer in
the store.
Those aged 55 and above are the new customer
base. ―They come to buy something in the
morning after exercise or in the evening, they
purchase a small amount of food,‖ said Peng.
More people in this category are now living
alone, and also have their own preferences of
product and brand. To target this segment,
many companies have set up counters in the
supermarket, even those buying back old gold.
Another new segment is married men from 30
to 45 years. ―They often come to the
supermarket after work and buy commodities
or fresh foods, and sometimes have a shopping
list with them written by their wives,‖ said
Yang.
Look who’s talking …
To reach the consumer, new modes for selling
merchandise have emerged. Some supermarkets
in Taiwan provide free membership with the aim
to retain and gain new customers. Members get
10 percent discounts on weekly days for members
(top left). Cards accumulate points to offset cash
purchases. Home and office delivery is also
catching on. "Many people are too busy to shop,
and elderly people are unable to lift heavy goods.
If they order over the phone or come to the store
to purchase directly, we will send things to their
home,‖ explained Peng.
Single-pack and loose products are also gaining
ground with the increase in Taiwan‘s single
population and small families.
Teenagers also come on their own sometimes.
―They don‘t necessarily like to eat what their
mothers buy, so they come with friends after
school,‖ Peng explained.
With the number of foreign workers brought in as
domestic help on the rise, many of them come in
with shopping lists written by their employers.
―They ask us to prepare the shopping for them,‖
said Huang.
There has also been a change in shopping habits.
Buyers pay attention to product details. The milk
scandal in China in 2008 and health problems due
to stress and the change in eating habits have
affected consumption. Consumers look at the
origin of the product, country of manufacture;
composition, calorie content, authentication mark.
They may even ask staff to help them learn more.
In addition to cheapness, customers also require
quality. Taiwanese shop in supermarkets because
of lower prices, so a sense of trust in the quality is
important. "Cheap prices are the most basic need
for consumers, but they prefer to buy products of
well-known brands at good prices,‖ Huang said.
Popular products are:
* Health food: Sugar-free tea, green tea and
herbal tea, oatmeal, high-protein snacks like
small dried fish and nuts.
* Organic and natural products: Married women
especially pay attention to the safety of food and
commodities. Whole grains, organic certified
vegetables are catching on.
* Cleaners made of natural ingredients.
Exhibitions are also organized to promote
products. Taiwan consumers have a high
acceptance of foods from Japan (below, top),
South Korea and the US. "We hold two to three
international food exhibitions a year,‖ said Peng.
Then there are special displays for particular
products, such as chocolate (below, bottom)
where there is a high concentration of working
women.
Intimate profiles of one group whose
lives & opinions we believe matter.
Knowing me, Knowing You
Nizrah, Singapore
In Singapore, the education system is such that
children are told from a very young age whether
they are ‗normal‘, ‗special‘ or ‗gifted‘. The system
basically divides children at the tender age of nine
based on academic aptitude. Unfortunately, that
leaves some kids to believe they are inferior and as
they grow into teenagers, more often than not this
becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
We met Nizrah, 16, when he attended a focus group
discussion for a government client. He goes to ITE,
a tertiary institute at the bottom of Singapore‘s
educational ladder. He smokes a pack of cigarettes
a day and has been smoking since he was 10. He
picked up his first cigarette because he wanted to
copy his dad. He thinks he‘s ―overweight‖ though
he‘s clearly skinny because in his mind, being
healthy equals being muscular and tall.
He uses Facebook to find young girls his age. They
meet, hook up and then go their separate ways.
He‘s also slept with prostitutes but never used a
condom till one of his schoolmates contracted an
STD. Once, he even landed up in bed with a
transgender person.
He knows that society frowns on him, his
upbringing and his environment. Every day, he
changes out of his uniform as soon as he can to
distance himself from an institute that pigeonholes
him.
His one wish? To be born again. A new life with
new options.
As we wrapped up the group, Nizrah turned to the
moderator and asked, ―What did you think of me
when I first walked into the room? Did you think I
was normal?‖
Isn‘t it quite obvious why Nizrah didn‘t want himself
photographed?
Salman, Karachi
Salman wakes up at 7am to get ready for school,
and leaves home around 7:45. In school, he and
his friends meet and discuss current events
related to their interests, such as cricket, or they
talk about their teachers. While they wait for
their cars to pick them up on the way home, they
talk about studies, school issues like recent
fights. He is home by 2.30pm, after which he
changes and watches TV, usually a movie or a
cricket match. ―I eat lunch while watching TV
and say my prayers after that. I play Playstation
in my free time or text my friends.‖
He likes playing and watching soccer. He spends
some time on Facebook. He likes eating
chocolate and his favorite drink is Coke.
―I don‘t like it when someone yells at me,‖ says
Salman. ―I don‘t ever listen to my teachers if they
yell at me. I don‘t like my tutors because I never
wanted tutors. I like math as a subject and I hate
chemistry.‖
Salman chooses his own clothes and usually buys
them from a local mall. ―I always save something
from my pocket money. I would also like to have
a collection of watches.‖
Knowing me, Knowing You
Antriksh Garg, Pune
His Facebook profile has 1,579 friends, 860
photographs, status updates every hour. For
Antriksh, as for most teenagers, more is good,
more is better, more is cooler. How many of these
1,579 friends does he really know? At best about
15.
Antriksh Garg is an 18-year-old guy doing his
bachelors degree in commerce from Mahindra
International College in Pune, an educational hub
in India. He is a Punjabi from Delhi and has studied
at the elite Shri Ram School. He has just recently
moved to Pune. What does he love most about the
city? ―The hot women. And oh yeah, the weather
too!‖
Antriksh is stylish, flamboyant and tech savvy. If
you glance through the ‗info‘ section on his
Facebook page, you will notice how candid he is
about his life, choices and preferences. Interested
in: Women. Relationship status: Single. About me:
I‘m available on BB Pin…. Religious views: For
racists and hypocrites. Political views: Very
Liberal.
Antriksh likes to party (prefers house parties),
drink and socialize. He says he has one unusual
hobby: unconventional travel; or traveling by
uncommon modes of transport to offbeat
destinations and staying in unconventional places.
He says his most recent trip was to a small village
called Satara and he got there by asking a truck
driver for a lift. ―It‘s fascinating to meet these
people and talk to them. What‘s surprising is how
friendly and warm they actually are,‖ says
Antriksh.
But as we chatted, it gradually emerged that this
was his first such trip, and it just happened and was
completely unplanned. He was drunk and he
hitched a ride. It seemed as though for him, this
was a cool thing to do, to say, to put up on his
Facebook status: ―Back from a truck trip on the
highway.‖
The last question to Antriksh: ―What do you want to
be when you grow up?‖His answer: ―Who knows?‖
Knowing me, Knowing You
Li Yu, Shanghai
Lively and talkative, it is hard not to instantly like
Li Yu. A keen trombonist (from the age of 9) and
sportsman, Li Yu is the kind of person who will be
out and about more often than not. He plays for
the school orchestra and a marching band. He
loves the team spirit, and has reaped the rewards,
having already won the regional championships.
Social networking sites and the Internet are also
key to showcasing his identity and keeping in
touch with friends. ―We use the easiest ways to
connect…. Everybody has Renren.‖ Even if the
'GFW' (Great Firewall) didn't block Facebook, he
says people still wouldn't use it, as they would
choose Renren. And instead of Skype and MSN,
QQ is king.
To relax, he practices his skills as a goalkeeper
and basketball player with his friends, watches TV
(Lie To Me is his favorite), plays Call of Duty (an
immensely popular shooting game) and listens to
music. He listens to some jazz and marching band
music, but rock is where it's at. His iShuffle
(―Apple is cool‖) has plenty of English and
Chinese music, and his favorite band is Mayday.
He also listens to a whole spectrum of rock: Sum
41, Linkin Park, Avril Lavigne, Metallica, Muse.
Li Yu feels kids of 90s prefer Renren.com, while
the 80s generation uses kaixin001.com. Chinese
youth are always keen on highlighting the
difference between themselves and those older
than them. They want to open up China and see
more interaction with other countries. ―We can
change ourselves and maybe the next
generation.‖
Li Yu would buy an iPhone if he had the money.
―People in China are crazy about the iPhone.‖
Instead he has a Motorola CLIQ. This is all part of
crafting a new identity for himself, and
appearance is one way to do this. Some of his
friends would even ―spend 1,000 RMB on a single
piece of clothing‖, says Li Yu, though he is less
extravagant and shops at H&M, Uniqlo and Zara.
Knowing me, Knowing You
Tracy Mcshane, Colombo
Tracy (far right) is 18 years old. A ‗typical
international school girl‘ is how most Colombo
youngsters would tag Tracy. She is currently
finishing her A-levels at Colombo International
School, after which she desperately wants to get
out of Colombo to pursue her studies. Her dream
is to join Monash University, Australia. ―There
aren‘t too many good colleges here,‖ she says.
―You need very good grades to get into Colombo
University. Plus, there are more and better job
opportunities outside Sri Lanka.‖
She lives in the Battaramulla suburb, which has a
large
expat
community.
Some
of
the
neighbourhood kids are already in Australia and
whenever they come down on vacation and share
their stories, Tracy‘s desire to join them increases.
Her parents are supportive of her plans – they just
want her to do well in her ‗A‘ Levels so she can get
a good scholarship.
Tracy‘s life in Colombo is fairly routine. School,
tuition classes and study assignments govern her
weekdays. Her only ‗me time‘ is dinner with the
family, after which she‘s on Facebook and on the
phone texting her friends to make weekend plans.
Weekends are quite ―action-packed‖ for Tracy:
shopping at Crescat and Odel, a quick bite at
Coffee Bean or KFC, a movie at Majestic City. And
hitting the Amuseum dance floor on Saturday
night is a must.
Tracy loves to dance. She ―digs‖ hip-hop and
Usher is her favorite. When she was out partying
with friends, she was introduced to Nilantha, a
professional dancer. He commented on her
natural ability to move and convinced her to
attend their weekend sessions. She went for it,
thoroughly enjoyed herself and has decided to
join them to learn hip-hop. ―I‘m doing it ‘cos I just
love dancing. I know a lot of people take it up as a
full-time profession, but I don‘t think I wanna do
that. There aren‘t many opportunities here and my
parents won‘t approve of it.‖
Jin Ling, Taipei
Jin Ling (above right, flashing V-sign)), 17, is a
first-year student in nursing school. Her father
owns a small mobile phone shop. Her parents
wanted her to go to college, get a degree and
work at a big company. But Jin insisted that it is
more important to have expertise than academic
qualifications. ―I heard on TV that many people
don‘t know what to do after graduating from
college, so I think finding a job I am interested in
is more important than studies. Nurses can help
many people, so I hope that I am a good nurse,‖
said Jin.
While she was growing up, Jin witnessed the
economic downturn during which her father
worked very hard. She feels she is being practical
and hopes to be independent as soon as possible.
―I work part-time three nights a week in a
restaurant. Though the income is not much, it lets
me buy clothes I like and go to the movies with
friends. I don‘t have to take money from my
father,‖ she explained.
Jin likes to go shopping. Luo Zhi-Xiang is her
favorite singer because he is handsome and has a
cheerful personality. ―I hope I am as lively and
cheerful as he is and have a lot of friends.‖
Knowing me, Knowing You
Gia Macrohon, Cebu City
―I‘m a teenager. I go gaga over anything cute,
useful, useless, cheap, expensive, pretty, classic,
fattening, slimming, completes my closet, feeds my
hunger, conceals my imperfections, and… yogurt.‖
Seventeen-year-old Gia Macrohon is a freshman at
University of San Carlos, Cebu City. For her, the
proper start to any day is a long shower with music
turned up loud, and coffee to accompany
everything that needs to be done.
This year, she is determined to save her allowance
to make a nice nest egg for when she starts
working and is likely to get a salary even smaller
than her allowance. Her challenge lies in
continuing to feed the real loves of her life –
photography, food and painting -- which do not
come cheap but are a form of therapy for hectic
days in school.
This teenager thinks she‘s lucky because of the
many ways she can find solace. ―I think I‘m pretty
good at dealing with stuff. It helps that I have a lot
of ways to process and vent. And I have a support
system everywhere – my family, my friends, my
classmates – and I can get in touch with them
through text, chat, Facebook, email.‖
Gia thinks of life situations in terms of music. Thus,
the running soundtrack of her life was born. ―As
every day happens, many songs get added to this
list. It‘s just a fun way to kind of reflect and think
about my life.‖
Amid the load of schoolwork and her other duties,
Gia is thinking of ways to make this summer
―epic‖. With a little help from her friends, the close
proximity to Cebu City‘s many beaches, and
camera in hand, she thinks this summer is going to
be one for the books.
Angelyna Lee, Kuala Lumpur
Angelyna Lee is a 16-year-old high school
student from Kuala Lumpur. She‘s never snuck
out of the house before, but would like to for the
thrill of it. She used to blog but doesn't see the
point these days, as she feels only people who
are bored blog. She doesn‘t much care about
being popular.
She plans to marry around the age of 28-32 and
only wants to start a family when she‘s earning a
fixed salary. She speaks four languages fluently:
Malay, English, Chinese and Japanese. She
believes education is important in getting
somewhere in life, and standing out in this
competitive world.
She‘s most proud that she placed third in a
mental math competition, beating participants
who were more than twice her age. She aims to
study an average of three hours a day, hoping to
get the grades to score her a scholarship to study
in Australia.
Angelyna has taken on the responsible role as
the eldest of three siblings, spending the
weekends babysitting. She can really relate to
the book My Sisters Keeper. She puts family first,
above school, friends and her own interests. She
is intensely private about her family problems.
Angelyna‘s hero is her father. She admires his
success and devotion to the family - something
she feels not many parents have.
Knowing me, Knowing You
Farifta Nawsheen, Dhaka
Farifta is studying for her ‗A‘ Levels at Maple Leaf International School. She loves
fancy accessories. She carries a Sony Ericsson phone, uses JLo Live perfume
which she finds ―trendy and fresh‖. As her skin is dry, she likes using Dove
products for face, body and hair. Her everyday footwear is flip-flops or
Converse, and she loves Chanel, Jimmy Choo and Louis Vuitton handbags. She
admires Hollywood star Megan Fox, and her dream is to be rich and famous.
Natalie S., Bangkok
Natalie S (above). just turned 19. She thinks that
she‘s ‗different‘ from typical Thai girls. She studied
abroad seven years ago and is fluent in Thai and
English. She flaunts the ‗I don‘t care‘ attitude, and
believes that she is an adult who should be allowed
or do what she wants. Her girlfriends are dating but
she is yet to have a boyfriend. She spends more than
half of her waking time either in front of her laptop
or chatting on her cellphone. She likes to read book,
but hasn‘t made the switch to ebooks yet as she
doesn‘t have an iPad or a Kindle.
Playing on my iPod*
* or at my favorite
KTV parlor
Singapore
Taipei
Kaskade
Singapore singer Yan-zi Sun
“Dynasty”
“It’s Time”
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=pgdgaDdNgwo
http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=VUjdiDeJ0xg
John Mayer
“Heartbreak Warfare”
from the album Battle
Studies
http://www.youtube.com/w
atch?v=jErySliSYBc
Matzka, a Taiwanese reggae band
“I love you nohaha ”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u
r0P-e20-I
Kuala Lumpur
Colombo
http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=KQ6zr6kCPj8
Bruno Mars
Iraj Weeraratne
“Lion Nation”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=LlLdJO9gZRQ
“Grenade (The Hooligan
Remix)”
http://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=arCkRl_kGj4&feature=rela
ted
Playing on my iPod*
Shanghai
Dhaka
F.I.R.
Justin Bieber, ft. Ludacris
“Rang Ai Chongsheng”
“Baby”
http://v.youku.com/v_show/i
d_XMjYwMDE2Mzc2.html
ml
http://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=kffacxfA7G4
Pitbull
Xu Song
“I Know You Want Me”
“Weibo Kong”
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id
_XMjU5ODM4MjA4.html
Karachi
http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=E2tMV96x
ULk
Bangkok
Ali Zafar
“Jhoom”
http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=nVtlzJ9I244
Original Sound Track of
Suckseed
Toom Yu Nai Jai
http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=K_x3lE
C01wc
Singular
Manila
“One”
From ‗Glee‘
“Get It Right”
http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=1_LBp1CFlM4
http://www.yout
ube.com/watch?
v=rvAoD8boyYI
Playing on my iPod*
India’s indie musicians
Young, talented Sneha Khanwalkar makes music on the
road, finds folk references across India and has worked
with some of the best names in Bollywood. Music runs in
her genes – her family trained in the Gwalior gharana
(school) of Hindustani classical music; and she is one of the
rare female composers in the film industry.
Her song Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! Is a chartbuster. Hear
her and the eponymous film‘s director here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HmwGXlIlq8
Scribe's new album Mark of Teja is packed,
stacked and ready for release! After
dragging their frozen butts from Oslo, the
boys are back to Bombay's scorching
conditions and are all set to make your
neighbour's life hell again with Indian
Hardcore Madness! A tale of power and
potatoes, Mark of Teja speaks of myths and
mysteries beyond time and dominions.
Prashant Shah – Guitars, Akshay Rajpurohit
– Guitars, Srinivas Sunderrajan - Bass,
Vishwesh
Krishnamoorthy
–
Vocals,
Virendra Kaith – Drums. Hear them here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAlenRFm8Ko
Ankur Tewari is the funky voice of Hindi pop-rock. After
performing in dingy bars in small town India, directing a few
plays in New Delhi and learning the ropes of film making, he
finally got the opportunity to record his first album, Jannat.
This all-acoustic album emphasizes good songwriting – and
earned him the Male Vocalist of the Year award at the JD Rock
Awards 2010.
Hear Ankur here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ6nwhObKTI
What‘s making people really angry,
and why?
Rage against …
Monopolies
Malfunctioning wheels
A man in Shenyang, China, was
reportedly so frustrated by his 2010 Land
Rover
Range
Rover‘s
repeated
breakdowns that he towed it to the dealer
and asked for a full refund. To add an
extra dash of insult, the angry owner had
the stricken SUV towed by a pair of
donkeys!
Apparently the man had paid ¥2 million
(about $304,000) for the vehicle in 2010.
Since the purchase, the car had
reportedly broken down six times and
eventually needed a new engine. When it
died a seventh time, the owner was
apparently at his wit's end. The dealer
was dumbfounded, but still refused to
give the customer a refund.
Teachers & parents
Many teenagers in Bangladesh harbor quiet rage
against their schoolteachers. They feel that
teachers exert unnecessary pressure on them to do
things that they don‘t need any guidance on. They
believe that some parts of their studies are better
left alone as they prefer doing them in their own
style. Teenagers also believe that they could
perform better if they were not pressurized by
teachers. And if they wanted their teachers‘ help,
they could always ask for it.
Teens in Bangladesh also nurse a little bit of anger
towards their parents. While this is probably true of
teenagers in any part of the world, in Bangladesh,
teens compare themselves with their counterparts
in other countries and aren‘t happy with their own
lot. They believe they are not given as much
freedom as teens in the West.
Rage against …
Unilateral American actions
in Pakistan
The government attempted to stay neutral,
saying that the matter was in the hands of the
judiciary. Pakistan‘s American allies sent over
Senator John Kerry to pressurize the government
to unconditionally release Davis, after
suspending trilateral talks between Pakistan,
America and Afghanistan till the matter was
resolved. Much criticism was directed at the
senator, and a federal minister was removed
from her post for speaking in favor of Davis.
On January 27, Raymond Davis, an American, was
arrested by the Pakistani police in Lahore for the
murder of two men. He shot them at close range
in
the
back,
through
his
windshield,
photographed the dead bodies and attempted to
flee. While citizens detained him, the mysterious
American called someone on his cell phone and
before the police could arrive, an SUV raced
down the wrong side of the road against the flow
of traffic, killing an innocent bystander. Upon
seeing the commotion, the SUV fled the scene.
Davis, it emerged, held a diplomatic visa and was
a consultant with Hyperion Security and worked
with the US Consulate in Lahore.
The nation was furious. Media and the public
screamed for blood. What followed set the nation
ablaze: the young wife of the innocent bystander
attempted suicide and then made a plea for
justice from her hospital bed. She did not survive.
Rumors were circulated about the men who were
shot: that they were muggers, intelligence
officials, ordinary boys riding their motorcycle. It
was later learned that they were both ISI
members and had been tailing a CIA operative
who was talking to terrorist elements in the
troubled Pakistani tribal district.
The families of the victims received threats and
the uncle of the girl that committed suicide was
allegedly forced to consume a poisoned pill by
two men who had broken into his home, but
were then chased away by agitated and
concerned neighbors. The threats against the
families continued till March 16, when the
bereaved families suddenly invoked Shariah
Law and pardoned Davis after receiving over Rs
25 million in blood money, each.
Social networks and media outlets were
immediately aflame, but there was little they
could do about it as Davis was already on a
plane to Bagram Airbase by the time the news
broke.
If that was the trailer, the dramatic capture
and killing of Osama Bin Laden, right under
the noses of the Pakistan Army – in what was
ostensibly one of the most heavily guarded
parts of Pakistan, has infuriated people and
the army alike. The people believe that they
have been shamed by their leaders and
protectors – by someone who they believed
was their ally. It is the loss of trust that many
Pakistanis find most infuriating.
Rage against …
Insensitive politicians & media
Malaysia made global headlines again -- for all
the wrong reasons. Malay-language daily Berita
Harian sparked controversy when it published a
cartoon of the recent Japanese tsunami, which
has claimed tens of thousands of lives. Then,
First Lady Rosmah Mansor came under fire for
saying that the tragedy in Japan was a result of
carelessness in implementing environmentallyfriendly planning and development in the
country.
The Other Woman
In The Fierce Wife, a Taiwanese TV drama, a
happy marriage is rocked when the husband
cheats on his wife with her cousin. The show is
being widely discussed, with the audience
increasingly annoyed with the mistress. It
seems to have touched a nerve with the
audience because it highlights the deepest
worries of many women and the problems with
marital infidelity. This is also seen in the ―antimistress league‖ that has formed on Facebook,
attracting over 4,000 members. Many people
have been sharing their feelings about how
they have suffered due to an extramarital
affair.
Here are some of tweets that followed:
―Congrats, Malaysia – we‘re officially
dumbasses. Thanks, Rosmah!‖
―Thousands of lives destroyed in horrific watery
graves. And FLOM (First Lady of Malaysia) puts
her foot in her mouth. Sigh. Malaysia Boleh
(Malaysia Can).‖
Here are a few lines from The Fierce Wife:
• ―The one who is not loved is the outsider in a
three-person relationship.‖
• ―As a woman, you must love yourself more
because another woman will spend your
money, live in your home, take care of your
kids, and sleep with your husband when you
burn out.‖
• ―There are three things that terrify a wife:
being hit by a car, encountering a ghost, and
seeing a mistress.‖
Malaysians are sick of key public figures
putting their foot in their mouth, making
Malaysians look ignorant in the eyes of the
world.
Rage against …
Delay in tackling corruption
It took a 73-year-old Gandhian, Anna Hazare, to
shake India out of its collective slumber in the
face of corruption. Hazare started a hunger strike
to persuade the government to draft an effective
Lokpal Bill, a legislation that has the capacity to
hold public office accountable, including that of
the Prime Minister, and he had the whole nation
rallying behind him and his effort.
Corruption has percolated to all the levels of civil
society in India and although there have been
protests in the past, they never took the shape of
a mass movement. This time, not only was there
strong participation from social activists and
celebrities, the common Indian joined in as well.
Jantar Mantar, a monument with a royal legacy,
became the new battlefield for the citizen of India
to raise his voice against corruption. Countless
people sat with Hazare for four days on hunger
strike till finally the government agreed to their
demands. Although it‘s a small beginning, Hazare
has become part of a nation‘s consciousness and
has shone a new ray of hope in the fight against
corruption.
Capital punishment
Three Filipinos convicted of drug trafficking in
China were executed on March 31, prompting
grief and outrage among Filipinos. The
Philippines government insisted it did all it
could to save the lives of the three. In pleas for
clemency in the months leading up to the
executions, the government said that the trio,
who are among 227 Filipinos jailed in China
for drug offenses, were from poor families and
had been duped by international crime
syndicates into becoming drug couriers.
The execution of Sally Ordinario-Villanueva
was the hardest to accept as there is evidence
that she may have been set up by the
recruiting agency that hired her. Recruiter Tita
Cacayan — who it turns out has of string of
cases pending against her — had allegedly
duped Sally into bringing a bag to Xiamen that
was lined with 4,110g of heroin. She told Sally
to give it to her new boss, as he had left the
bag in Manila on his last trip there.
Rage against …
Coconuts & cricket
Racial profiling
An interesting drama has been unfolding in
Singapore since the end of March. A woman
by the name of Samantha called into a radio
show
and
criticised
HDB
(Housing
Development Board) heartlanders for being
―uncultured‖ and asked them to ―stay away‖
from her neighbourhood – the upmarket
Holland Village.
The backlash was huge, occupying headlines
of blogs and news portals the island over. All
this culminated in a protest on April 9 after
disgruntled video game developer Gerald
Tock created a Facebook event entitled ‗1,000
peeps to Holland V in Singlets, Shorts and
Slippers Day‘ (clothes Samantha had criticized
in her phone call).
Gerald did not come close to bringing in the
1,000 people he had hoped for, but a sizable
number did turn up in neon singlets and
rubber flip flops. A few came with placards
that read ―Samantha for Holland V MP!‖ But
most came with friends and family to take a
closer look at all the hype surround Samantha
from Holland Village.
The very mention of the word ‗island‘ conjures
up images of a coconut-tree fringed coastline.
It‘s no different in Sri Lanka where coconuts
are ubiquitous. Drinking coconut water from a
freshly cut ‗thambili‘ (king coconut) is perhaps
one of the most refreshing experiences.
Coconut is also intrinsic to Sri Lankan cuisine.
However, coconuts are becoming a rarity in
Sri Lanka now, mainly due to infection
affecting local plantations. As a result, not only
have coconut prices skyrocketed, the
government is contemplating imports that will
further raise prices. There has been a great
deal of dissatisfaction over this issue. An antigovernment newspaper mentioned in jest that
the real reason for the sudden disappearance
of coconuts is due to opposition supporters
offering copious quantities of them at temples
to appease the gods and bring about a change
in government.
And then, of course, there was cricket. On
March 26, Sri Lanka faced Pakistan during a
World Cup Cricket league match. Sri Lanka
was the favorite, yet it lost by 11 runs. Mahela
Jayawardene – the vice captain of the team, a
player of immense repute -- scored a measly
two runs.
That led to a popular TV channel (ITN)
accusing Mahela of accepting a bribe to throw
his wicket. Public uproar followed, demanding
an official apology from the channel and the
reporter.
So, what were people
queuing up for?
Very different things, really.
"Have you bought any salt yet?" became a
common form of greeting. As the Japanese
queued at supermarkets that imposed rations
on purchases of daily goods due to shortages
in post-quake Japan, the Chinese engaged in
ridiculous panic buying of salt, resulting in
supermarkets in some major Chinese cities to
run out.
A few days after a 9-magnitude earthquake
rocked Japan, triggered a tsunami and later a
nuclear crisis, rumors circulated across China
via internet forums, micro blogs, mobile text
messages, and words of mouth that intake of
salt, which contains iodine, could prevent
sickness from nuclear radiation exposure.
There were also rumors about the radiation
leaks from Japan nuclear power plants could
contaminate sea salt production, and could
possibly lead to salt shortage and price hike in
the near future.
The panic buying not only left supermarkets
void of salt, it also drove up stock prices of
companies in the salt industry. Some
unscrupulous businesses upped salt prices –
selling boxes of salt (which contains 40 to 50
packets) for between 400 and 600 yuan- up
from the original 40 to 60 yuan.
Waiting list
Singapore has been eagerly awaiting more
concerts. The live music scene in Singapore
has blossomed in the past couple of years,
thanks mostly to strong support from
organizers in securing renowned acts at
venues like the Singapore Indoor Stadium and
the Esplanade. Coldplay, Maroon 5 and
Michael Buble are just three A-list artistes that
have performed, or will perform, in Singapore
in recent times. And demand for tickets has
kept pace. Heavy metal band Iron Maiden, for
example, saw their tickets sell out in a matter
of hours.
Now the question is: With people willing to
pay $200 and above for concert tickets, are
there enough tickets to go around? Current
sales channels like online merchant SISTIC
experience ultra high traffic within hours of
releasing tickets to large events, and often sell
out way in advance. Not surprisingly, the
black market for concert tickets has grown
substantially over the past two years. These
tickets are sold openly over online portals and
discussion rooms, and some estimates place
the black market quota for sold-out concerts at
over 20 percent. That‘s something organizers
might want to take a closer look at.
Waiting list
Malaysians young and old have been in a state
of breakfast frenzy, queuing up to get free
breakfasts courtesy McDonald‘s. The madness
started ever since the fast food giant
announced that it would be giving away two
million Big Breakfast coupons for two weeks in
March as a gesture of appreciation for being
Malaysia‘s favourite restaurant and as part of
the campaign to get Malaysians to love
American-style breakfasts.
People have been lining up as early as 4am
and queues have been so long that senior
citizens have requested a separate counter.
People have waited in line for more than an
hour just to get their meals, and have come
back several days in a row.
After the Big Breakfast giveaway, McDonald‘s
started their Sausage McMuffin giveaway.
Housing prices in Taipei have risen to more
than 11 times the average income of city
residents. The Taiwan government‘s plan is
that properties that are not the primary
residence of the owner will be subject to a 15
percent tax if sold within one year of
purchase. If the property is sold in the second
year of ownership, a 10 percent tax will be
levied. The result has been a softening of
prices in some areas, and residents hope that
the surcharge will cause the housing prices to
fall to more reasonable levels.
Here‘s a picture of a family protesting against
the high price of housing:
Waiting list
Summer has just come to Pakistan and
with it comes ‗lawn‘ season. Lawn is a
form of cotton clothing, specifically for
women, which is sold unstitched. The
big textile manufacturers have been
rolling out collections in this category for
the past two years, and it has been the
impetus for the creation of specific
designer fabrics.
Spring 2011 saw an explosion of
designers, models and actresses come
out with their own lawn lines. Prices start
at about Rs 800 ($10) per suit, while
designer variations begin at Rs 2,000
($25), going as high as Rs 6,000 ($70). In
a country where the average household
income is $ 180, that is quite a lot to shell
out!
Nevertheless, customers flocked to these
exhibitions, designers minted money
and salesmen showed off arms with
scratches on them caused by eager
women snatching up their favorite
designs.
Waiting list
Life came to a halt for a billion Indians as the
country was swept away by Cricket World
Cup fever. Everyone was waiting for the
moment when the first ball would be bowled,
after which people just couldn‘t get their fill.
The tension was palpable, the anxiety was
overwhelming, and the only thing that could
help was a World Cup victory for Team India.
Fans, predictably, did not want to miss the
action: following unprecedented frenzy for
stadium seats, ticket prices broke all records,
going for as much as $10,000 on the black
market. Some apparently went as far as to
spend their life‘s savings or offer to swap their
kidney for a ticket.
Deserted streets, markets and offices were a
routine scene around the country as the Cup
unfolded. Fans did all they could to cheer the
boys in blue -- some offered prayers, some
flew Tricolor kites in the sky; one beautiful
woman even promised to bare it all if Team
India won! Cricket may be just another sport
(though no one would dare say that in India),
but once again it proved to be the glue that
unites India like no other.
For the other World Cup finalists, too, it was all
about cricket, and the gear that goes with it. Tshirts, caps masks, wigs, face painting... Sri
Lanka too saw a clamor for tickets and passes
at the stadium and sports clubs around town.
While the lowest ticket price was around $3,
black-market prices were often more than 10
times that amount. But even that did not deter
the cricket-crazy Sri Lankans from thronging
the venues and cheering on their team.
Teenagers in Bangladesh can‘t wait for their
exams to get over so they can get on with their
lives. After spending months daydreaming about
their post-exam plans, now it is time to turn them
into reality. Especially the kids sitting for their
SSC board exams or ‗O‘ levels know that once
they are through, three months of vacation awaits
them. Plans vary from traveling to discover
Bangladesh, hanging out with friends or just
relaxing and having fun.
If in Bangladesh it was teens who were anxious
for holidays to start, in Thailand everyone was
excited! The Songkran holiday (April 12 to 15),
or Thai New Year, is the country‘s longest
holiday. People travel all over the country
usually by bus, even though they are packed at
this time, as it is the cheapest and best way to get
around.
Japan United
The team from Japan shares its insights into
how creative, concerned citizens have
mobilized to help victims of the earthquake
and tsunami
There have been three critical components of
the spontaneous response in aid of the victims
of the devastating earthquake and tsunami:
social networking sites (SNS), creative people
and artists, and companies. Each of these
components has played a critical role in the
ongoing effort to deliver relief to those who
need it most.
The Smile Project
The well-known Manga creator, Takehiko
Inoue, drew more than 100 illustrations of the
human smile to deliver a non-verbal message
of hope to the millions affected by the disaster.
@loop99’s Operation Yashima
Operation Yashima started at 10.30am on
March 12 with one tweet from @loop99. The
name of the initiative is a reference to the
famous anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, in
which Evangelion wins a battle by using a rifle
that saps Japan‘s power grid. It calls on citizens
to save energy, as the power situation has
emerged as a major cause for concern in
quake-hit Japan.
With over 500 followers now, the movement
gained momentum through retweets and
reproduction of images. Pictures calling for a
lights out and continuous conservation of
energy marked the campaign. Though the
name was borrowed unofficially, in view of the
campaign‘s positive results, @loop99 received
permission from the rights holder and
‗#yashimasakusen‘
became
an
official
operation code on Twitter.
The images were distributed through Twitter
amongst his followers – who have been rapidly
growing in number since the start of the
project -- to spread a message of happiness.
The project has been expanded to include
wallpapers and printed T-shirt for relief
donation, a YouTube film (over 700,000 plays,
as of March 31) and micro-blogs by companies
and individuals.
Japan United
Charity web shop
PrayforJapan.jp is a mash-up summary website,
extracting tweets on #prayforjapan, collecting
memorable, heart-warming tweets from Japan
and messages of support and encouragement
from other countries.
The site was developed by a Japanese university
student in one of the Tochigi evacuation centers
on March 12. It quickly spread through Japan and
to other countries, with over 250,000 retweets
and one million unique visitors daily from over
125 countries within a week of its launch.
It has been translated into 11 languages and has
been featured on the news in Korea, the US,
France and other countries. Its Facebook fan
page became the sixth biggest in Japan within
five days.
Filipino immigrants after voting
The website
http://www.cafepress.com/tomodachicalling
is selling designs, the proceeds from which
will go to the Red Cross. One of our Ogilvy
colleagues has contributed, too. He has
created a T-shirt with the help of his friends
which is now up for sale on the website.
Japan United
Saving electricity has been the major
theme of posters created for public
awareness by artists.
Play For Japan, a fundraising campaign by the
gaming industry, is raising money through online
auctions of gaming products. It raised over
$100,000 within a month of launching on March 16.
Filipino immigrants after voting
Japan United
Japan United
Run for Japan
Cycle for Japan
A bicycling group organised a charity ride
named ―Rapha Rides For Tohoku‖, collecting
1,000 yen as a participation fee from each
rider. The collections will be donated to
Japan Red Cross.
Inspired by Japan's great runners, Run For
Japan (http://runforjapan.com/about.php) is
about bringing together the global running
community and showing solidarity and support
through dedicated runs around the world to
help the people of Japan. The challenge is to
cover 24,901 miles (the circumference of
Earth) in 28 days. To achieve this, runners are
being asked to dedicate just one run to the
people of Japan and donate at least one unit of
their home currency per mile run.
Japan United
Sport for Japan
Ryo Ishikawa, a 19-year-old golf pro, announced
that he would send his entire tournament
winnings for this season to the relief effort — plus
100,000 yen (about $1,200) for every birdie he
makes. Based on his 2010 performance, that total
could exceed $2.2 million.
Filipino immigrants after voting
On March 29, Japan‘s Blue Samurai national
team, including 12 players based in Europe,
played a charity match against the J-League
All-Star team to raise funds for earthquake
and tsunami relief. The total profit was over
22 million yen. This game was held in the
Osaka area, so as not to use power from the
Kanto and Tohoku area.
Japan United
Musicians for Japan
The music industry has also stepped forward.
At http://japan.downloadtodonate.org/tracks/,
you can download songs to show your support
for those affected.
A charity album, Songs of Love – with 79 songs
by 79 famous Japanese musicians from
Universal Music – is being sold for 3,000 yen.
The money will be donated to Japan Red Cross
Society.
Japan United
Art for Japan
Artwork collected from all over the world is being sold
on http://matome.naver.jp/odai/2130102610658263101.
Most of the profits from sales are being donated to
Doctors Without Borders, Japan Red Cross Society and
other earthquake and disaster relief efforts.
Filipino immigrants after voting
Campaigns & brands generating buzz
Everyone’s talking about …
Coffee and sporty style, in China
Coffee and Sporty Style in China
National pride in Bangladesh
The campaign for the new instant coffee from
Starbucks:
"Enjoy Starbucks VIA" (in cooperation with the
location-based site Jiepang)
Minisite link here:
http://www.starbucks.com.cn/via/index.aspx
When much of the country was getting teary
eyed about the ICC World Cup opening
ceremony, the campaign for Bangladesh tourism
was also touching hearts. Adding to the festive
air of Dhaka at this time was this campaign called
‗The School of Life‘, which showed the new face
of Bangladesh to the world. A Grey campaign,
the ad was directed by Gazi Shubro for Tourism
Board of Bangladesh, and has become one of
most watched advertisements in Bangladesh. It
reflects the spirit, bravery, talent, playfulness,
celebration,
happiness,
hope,
mysticism,
freedom, adventure, togetherness, art and love
of beautiful Bangladesh to the world. Watch
here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sQd4f76iF0
The online shopping portal Vancl's first sports
image TVC. Watch it here:
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMjYxNTgwOT
Ey.html
Everyone’s talking about …
Songs with speed in Singapore
Everyone in Singapore is talking about the
world's fastest band. In line with their
support for Jamaican track athletes, Puma
recently launched a range of running
footwear, Faas, in collaboration with the
World's Fastest Band (yes, that is their
name).
Sweet dreams in Taiwan and Malaysia
The same campaign has got people talking in
Taiwan and Malaysia. It‘s the ‗Dream Rangers‘
commercial created by Ogilvy Taiwan for the
Taiwanese TC Bank, which has garnered over two
million online views so far. Based on a true story,
the commercial tells the story of five elderly men,
with an average of over 80, who decide to go on a
13-day motorcycle ride through Taiwan.
The TVC asks, ―What do people live for?‖ The
men have been friends since their youth. Each has
his own problems – one has lost a loved one, some
have heart disease, and all have degenerative
arthritis. But when one in their group passes away,
the remaining five decide to relive their younger
days spent riding bicycles by taking a road trip
around Taiwan.
Displaying the transformation of these older
gentlemen from hopelessness to joy, this inspiring
TVC reminded viewers to live their dream, no
matter what their age.
Watch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vksdBSVAM6g
Featuring the talents of members Flex,
Rocker and Groove, this trio takes unique
to the next level, performing while running
at breakneck speed. And they don't just
sing -- instruments like shakers and even a
guitar are featured in both their
advertisements for Puma. Talk about multitasking!
Watch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp1KfE
GUzZo
Everyone’s talking about …
Talented Thailand
Not a campaign but a TV show has been the small-screen
talking point in Thailand of late. Thailand’s Got Talent arrived
recently, a first for the British franchise. The show is
sponsored by Unilever Thailand and produced by Workpoint
Entertainment and has proven to be quite a success.
Cola wars in Sri Lanka
It was inevitable that the soft drinks majors would
be extremely active with their communication
during the Cricket World Cup 2011. Though Pepsi
was the official beverage sponsor, local cola
player Kik also cooked up a new campaign. Coca
Cola launched the ‗BRRRR‘ campaign, which had
already seen success in Asia Pacific and African
markets. A multi-media campaign across TV,
radio, retail, social media and activation was
rolled out. For the first time, all four Coca Cola
brand ambassadors for Sri Lanka – the musical
duo of Bathiya and Santhush and the cricketing
heroes Sanga and Mahela featured in the same
campaign.
Watch here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vksdBSVAM6g
Everyone’s talking about …
The Spice Mobile Projector Phone
(and it’s quirky TVC)
Can that product innovation story from
Nokia – where they repeated ad infinitum
– how they put a torch into a phone for the
rural consumer in India. Here‘s a new
one.
Watching movies has always been about
the giant 70 mm screen in a theatre, with a
large bucket of popcorn. However, Spice
Mobile brought the giant screen closer
through its new feature, the projector,
with the launch of its new handset.
Interestingly, the handset manufacturer
has named the new device Popkorn,
going with the positioning of the handset
as a fun gadget to watch movies.
Ogilvy‘s Delhi office‘s TVC launching the
product ups the fun quotient. Ajay
Gahlaut, executive creative director,
Ogilvy Delhi, told agencyfaqs.com, "We
figured that people would be so intrigued
by the projector in the phone that they
would want to play with it and project
pictures on various interesting surfaces.
After that, the film practically wrote
itself.―
Enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxmtR
w8HdOw
The Last Book I Read
Ogilvy’s creative team tells us …
The Last Book I Read
In The White Tiger, Aravind Adiga introduces us
to Balram Halwai -- son of a rickshaw puller,
former
tea
boy
and
self-proclaimed
entrepreneur - who rose to become a successful
businessman from the depths of poverty and
what he calls ‗the Darkness‘.
His journey to success is detailed in a series of
letters to the Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao, who
is visiting Bangalore to improve relations
between India and China and to meet
successful Indian entrepreneurs.
He writes: ―And our nation, though it has no
electricity,
sewage
system,
public
transportation, sense of hygiene, discipline,
courtesy
or
punctuality,
does
have
entrepreneurs. Thousands and thousands of
them.‖
Adiga creates a central character that is
sympathetic yet unsettling. Balram‘s love for
Urdu poetry, chandeliers and his silver
Macintosh laptop along with his wit illustrate
this tale of greed, corruption, betrayal and
murder with a developing India as a backdrop.
The White Tiger flows with a sense of engaging
frankness that makes for an excellent read.
Perhaps this is why Adiga won the Man Booker
Prize in 2008 for this debut effort.
Sadia Hussain, Creative Manager, Ogilvy &
Mather Pakistan
In Adventure Life, author Takahashi Ayumu tells
his own life story in a way that has changed my
life. Though most people live life following the
rules of society, Takahashi has not. When he
felt a connection with the cowboy in the
Marlboro ad, he daringly left for America to be
a cowboy. And when the bartender character
from a movie excited him, he opened a bar
right away. And if he wanted to tell his life
story, he set up his own publishing company!
Instead of worrying or thinking endlessly, he
does anything it takes to make his dream real.
It‘s the ‗Just Do It‘ spirit realized in life.
Thanks to Takahashi‘s true story, I came to
believe that life can be joyful even if you are
not living as others do. For people who want to
live life joyfully, I recommend this book.
SungEun Song, Copywriter, Diamond Ogilvy,
Korea
The Last Book I Read
David Nicholls‘s One Day is about Emma Morley,
an insecure left-leaning class-conscious girl who
uses a very British sort of sarcasm as her defense
mechanism. She has a degree in English and
history and has big, serious dreams. Then there
is Dexter Mayhew, a good-looking guy from a
rich family, very confident if a little complacent
and whose goal in life is to be famous. These two
people meet on the night of their graduation and
are drawn to each other but must go their
separate ways as Dexter is going away on a gap
year to travel the world.
The book charts their relationship every July 15,
which is an anniversary of sorts, through the
different directions their lives take through their
20s, 30s, till the present almost two decades
later, and all those missed opportunities –
including an 11-page letter Dexter wrote that
never made its way to Emma.
Emily Ding , Ogilvy & Mather Malaysia
What I Talk About When I Talk About
Running.
Instead of going about the usual route in
writing his memoir/autobiography, Haruki
Murakami intersperses running with his
work as a writer, both playing equal roles in
his life. For him, running and writing feed off
of each other.
Gretchen Que , Copywriter, Ogilvy &
Mather Philippines
The Last Book I Read
This book by Terry Pratchett is about nomes (not
‗g-nomes‘), a race of tiny people, four inches high,
from another world who are living hidden among
humans. Size does matter and throughout the book
the nomes struggle to survive, staying out of sight
whilst avoiding being stepped on, run over or
becoming a dog‘s breakfast.
Not only is Open a phenomenal
autobiography
illustrating
the
development of Andre Agassi into one of
the most popular and controversial tennis
players of our time, it also sheds light on
his extraordinary life experiences. This
book portrays the most terrible failures,
the most sensational victories, his
relationships, and the mistakes he has
made in his life. The readers can discover
the brightest and darkest moments in
Agassi's life in this book.
Agassi said that to face failure is the most
difficult thing, but only if you do so can
you really solve the problem.
Jennifer Hu, Executive Creative Director,
Ogilvy Taiwan.
The protagonist is a young nome called Masklin
who‘s pushed to shoulder the burden of getting the
nomes back home. Left with a bunch of aging
nomes, the going is slow and all he‘s got is this
thing called ―the thing‖ which is a black box which,
when placed near electricity, is able to
communicate with the nomes for the first time in
15,000 years.
It reveals that the nomes are from another world
entirely and that the department store they call
home is about to be demolished. So, it‘s up to
Masklin, assisted by Grimma, a granny with a
young lad‘s heart, to get them out of there. In order
to do that, however, he has to think big -- really big
-- along the lines of, say, a Mack truck.
Ransley Burrows, Creative Director, Phoenix
Ogilvy, Sri Lanka
The Last Book I Read
1988 – I want to talk with the World
Han Han is the world‘s most popular
blogger, besides being a race car driver
and founder of mainland China‘s first
private magazine, Party (the magazine was
shut down after just one issue).
This is his long awaited novel, based on his
encounters on the road.
The Phantom Tollbooth
This is a children‘s adventure novel by
Norton Juster that centers on a young boy
named Milo who‘s always bored and sees
the world as a most uninteresting place.
When he receives a mysterious tollbooth
one random afternoon, he assembles it and
drives right through it. Finding himself in a
completely different world, he has one
adventure after another in the course of
which he ends up seeing things in a new
perspective.
This is amongst the wisest and wittiest
books I‘ve read in my 21 years. It‘s packed
with literary metaphors that a kid probably
wouldn‘t pick up on the first read. What‘s
great about it is Juster‘s play on words and
the way he turns ordinary events into such
magical occurrences. The book takes on a
plethora of important themes — learning
from your mistakes, the importance of
being receptive to learning, having the
right perspective, appreciating the little
things, and believing in yourself.
Sarie Cruz, Advertising trainee, Ogilvy &
Mather Philippines
Wang Xia, Senior Art Director, Ogilvy
Advertising, Shanghai
For more information, to request a presentation on
cultural insights, or to contribute your perspectives
in your market, please write to:
kunal.sinha@ogilvy.com