Everyone Connects and Through My Window is a TM campaign
Funnily enough, there wasn’t much hype about Through My Window today. After all, it is the day that the people behind Everyone Connects (www.everyoneconnects.net) and the mystery song Through My Window have promised to “unveil the long-awaited mystery”.
But perhaps I am getting ahead of myself. Here’s a brief background to those of you who don’t know what I’m going on about:
A few days ago, members of the media received a CD in unmarked envelopes which consist of the song Through My Window. The radio stations having been playing it, and talking about this “mysterious” band. The Star also wrote about it.
Everyone started talking about it – wondering what it was all about. The song is also quite catchy, if I may say. Twitter and blogs have been going off about it, with people trying to speculate what it is. No one really know: is it a new band? Or is this part of a new campaign? Which company is behind it?
There were lots of guesses. My suspicion was that it was an 8TV campaign featuring Bunkface. The colours matched, and well, the music sounds a bit like Bunkface. Others thought it might be a foreign band like Boys Like Girls (although I was skeptical because it appears to be a very Malaysian-centric campaign). Someone even dared suggest that it was Mawi (who knows?). Grey Review, by my friend Lim, monitored it.
The people behind it have been revealing bit by bit, the last was pixelised pictures of four people – presumably the band who sang the song. But you never know with these things.
Well, all was supposed to be revealed tonight on its website at 8pm. That is, until I was listening to Hitz.fm while driving and after the song played, there was mention about it being “Powered by TM”. Then it hit me! Doh! I had heard a while ago that TM was planning to infiltrate Malaysia with a catchy, iconic song. How did I not put two and two together?
I have to give credit to the people who came up with this idea. It is brilliant – putting together traditional media, new media and social media to drive a campaign, playing on the natural trait of humans – curiosity.
While I am not sure who the actual singer is (One Buck Short’s Rahul denies it’s his band – although OBS was one of the suspects – and suggests that it is sung by regular jingles/voice over talents), there has been a post to declare that it is indeed Mawi! Whether the post is real or satire, I’m not really sure (I tweeted Josh to ask, but he hasn’t replied) but I suppose you can’t be too surprised if it was?
Well, it was a job well done – so many people, myself included, fell for it. Or did they?
This whole campaign is proving to be a brilliant marketing strategy. I have also found out that the clients had paid for mentions on the broadcast media – which means that it is possible that the mentions on radio and TV talking about this mysterious envelope might have been in on the campaign all along. I also heard that some bloggers are part of the campaign, but I’m not sure in what capacity.
Which leads me to declaring, right here, that I am writing this out of my own interest. I am not part of the campaign.
This is most interesting, I think, because it does bring to light the question of declaring interest. This follows some hype about the United States and Singapore both mulling over regulation to force bloggers to declare if they have been given gifts or are being paid for their posts.
For me, it doesn’t matter if it’s paid or it isn’t. What I am most interested in is this campaign as a case study. This has proven how powerful a campaign can be if they put combine the power of new media, social media and traditional media. As someone who is a huge advocate of the technological tools we have, but come from a traditional background, this is all very exciting.
Still, I am really curious to know what was paid – the media mentions, blog posts and Tweets – and what wasn’t … just to see find out how it all works.
Bravo to the TM team and their agency!
p/s I still like the song very much! I will be on the plane at 8pm when they are due to unveil everything so I’ll miss the hype. I wonder who the band is? I’m placing my bets on Bunkface though!
4.15pm Malaysian time (+8 GMT)
Yes.. indeed it is a very good marketing strategy!
Well, I guess now we know it’s not Mawi! lol
PS: I know which were po$ts and which were organic. Hehe!
yeah the song is quite nice.. but what’s with this hype? i dont understand.. what’s with that song gotta do with TM? hmm..
Kinda guess either a new upcoming band or it’s a form of viral marketing – “everyone connects” kinda give a hint its some telco stuff.
am interested in knowing whose the band behind it, was guessing one buck short or bunkface. and please, oh please, it cannot be Mawi la
The song is nice and the short video clip is so cute
Pls see this,
http://www.bornoncloud9.be/oneshow2009/axion/the-banner-concerts-innovation/
what a shame.. this is a copy cat work! wtf…..
bringing the concept from Europe to Malaysia , damn neat man
@Along – think it is the concept which matters not copying . I am thinking about the surge of indie bands in malaysia due to this . Look at the exposure to bukface man !!! love it
plagiarism. If only malaysian ad agencies were more original.
flamingo: bringing in the concept and copying the concept is two different things.
i know the song n who the singer….just email me if u want to know…..onstop@yahoo.com
@along
it is like saying making a TVC is not original and is a copying the first guy who made a TVC ever in the world ha ha
copying is somethign without giving credit , here i see that they dont claim to be first in the world !!
Flamingo: School days..exam..not allowed to copy…why?…because wrong…need to prove we are smart…this=copy
agency always copy, like my boss.
dia nampak, dia suka, dia copy.
when i give suggestion, boss say not original enuf. copy ppl enuf. then what is original?
Interesting post thanks Niki. I like the song too but one thing I don’t understand about the campaign: what’s the objective? To promote a song? This is too much money to spend for that I suppose. If it is to sell TM, nope I don’t think this is a good strategy.
What really pissed me off is that this is not a EVERYONE CONNECTS CAMPAIGN.
ITS A “EVERYONES IDEA CAMPAIGN†and just change the logo?
CONCERT IN A BANNER?
http://vodpod.com/watch/1806509-cannes-cyber-2009-axion-banner-concert-with-a-brand
AND MASS SINGING? COME ON.
T-MOBILE’S 2nd campaign!
http://cube1986.blogspot.com/2009/05/mass-karaoke-t-mobile-production.html
Im really disappointed with the creative team that did it.
The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. – Albert Einstein
its a catchy song..i like it..
@along & @Jarrod:
i agree with flamingo. ideas are supposed to be different. because you can’t copy ideas. because different people have different ways of thinking. but concepts are different. speaking from experience, concepts are usually derived from references and those are simply just references used to make the campaigns.
besides, i don’t see you promoting any guerilla campaigns that both of you have done that’s at least as good as everyone connects. c’mon people, more action. less talk. you can’t prove anything by just talking. at least these people did something even if the concept is not original. but which concept is??
[...] are on social media tools, I suppose). So I guess you wouldn’t really count Bunkface’s Through My Window social media campaign a success as [...]