A CAMPAIGN showcasing a non-existent band of beer has collected three major trophies, including the Best of the Best, at the Media magazine 1993 Asian Advertising Awards.
''Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) was concerned that mass-market products such as washing powders or beer were being advertised only on television,'' said Ken McKenzie, publisher of Media .
''So, they commissioned Neil French, regional creative director for Ogilvy and Mather, to design a campaign to prove the effectiveness of print advertising.'' ''Neil came up with the idea of a fictitious premium-strength beer called XO,'' Mr McKenzie explained.
The campaign was timed to launch on April Fool's Day and contained a strong element of fun.
''The core message was 'one beer and you're history' and it really caught on,'' Mr McKenzie added.
Proof that the advertising generated demand was that people began asking for the beer in pubs and clubs all over Singapore.
''And the astonishing pay-off to the campaign was that, later, a local 'micro-brewery' actually began producing a strong beer called XO,'' said Mr McKenzie.