Cathay Pacific scores with new Rugby Sevens spots

The annual Cathay Pacific ad for the Rugby Sevens was for some years something that Ad Nut and other ad-attuned animals tended to look forward to. Then 2016 happened. Let us not speak of it further. 

Suffice to say, it was so traumatising that Ad Nut didn't pay much attention in subsequent years and is actually not sure whether Cathay even did any advertising around its sponsorship of the tournament in 2017 or 2018.

But the brand is back at it this year, with Leo Burnett at the helm after Publicis won a pitch you may have heard something about. And Ad Nut is pleased to report that the campaign scores a solid "try". (For those not familiar, a "try" is the highest-scoring play possible in the game).

Rather than a painfully forced extravaganza or an insipid song (sorry, Ad Nut swore not to talk about it), Leo Burnett has decided to leave the over-the-top celebrating and the costumes to the crowds that actually attend the matches. Instead, it has opted for small moments of gentle humour, as rugby players enjoy elements of local culture in the locker room. They even speak Cantonese credibly. It's a concept so simple that it doesn't sound that impressive. But it works, and it bodes well for Cathay's selection of its new agency.

CREDITS

Client: Cathay Pacific
Agency: Leo Burnett, Hong Kong
Chief Creative Officer: Carol Lam
Executive Creative Director & Art Director: Sonic Choy, William Li
Group Creative Director & Copywriter: Richard Tunbridge 
Associate Creative Director & Copywriter: Jessie Fung
Agency Producer: Anita Chan, Joyce Mok
Account Management: Jessica Lim, Victor Lam
Production Company: Sweetshop Asia
Director: Nick Kelly
Producer: Catherine Law
Managing Director & Executive Producer: Laura Geagea
DOP: Patrick O’Sullivan
Art Director:  Sam Lukins
Editor: Ball Lai
Colourist: Chan Kwok Choi
Online Post Production: Touches, Hong Kong
Post Prod Executive Producer: Dilys Tam
Audio: Click Music, Hong Kong
Music Composer: Ken Chan
Sound Engineer: Eric Lo

Ad Nut is a surprisingly literate woodland creature that for unknown reasons has an unhealthy obsession with advertising. Ad Nut gathers ads from all over Asia and the world for your viewing pleasure, because Ad Nut loves you. You can also check out Ad Nut's Advertising Hall of Fame, or read about Ad Nut's strange obsession with 'murderous beasts'.