Eshin Direct

Here’s a great story for those of you who aren’t in Hong Kong. Cialis, a competitor to Viagra, did this great marketing activity yesterday that should be a classic text book study on creativity and consumer insight.

On Monday, my colleague, who shall remain nameless, approached my desk and told me that they were handing out these little boxes of Cialis. She thought it was hilarious that they were handing out what appeared to be small sample boxes of this new viagra clone. Well, I thought it was quite a bold move. I saw it on the desk of some other people in my office too…all unopened. Apparently too, there was something on the radio too about the fact that Cialis was handing out free samples (either paid or editorial comment, not sure what it was though). So it had already generated the buzz. I mean who the hell hands out free sex-enhancing drugs for free to Hong Kongers on a Monday morning?

But here’s where the consumer insight kicked in.

Firstly, in the case of my colleague, the packet remained unopened until she got home. I think for many people this might have been the case. For most Hong Kongers, sex is still not really talked about too openly, especially on a personal level. So hence, they would talk about the product but they wouldn’t get right into the nuts and bolts of it or if it bordered on the too personal.

Secondly, I think for a lot of people they were tempted to try it discreetly and get it home to their partners intact. It’s that sort of drug that if they are going to be bold enough to hand it out, there is no harm in trying it. If they’ve been handing them out on the MTR, you can bet that there’s at least a handful of people in your office right now that would have tried it. So if everyone’s doing it, it’s socially acceptable. Even so, you still might not want to talk about it. Anyway, I think a lot of people openly laughed at the idea yet discreetly pocketed the box for later home use.

So here’s the execution.

Imagine a nation getting to bed say, and let’s be conservative, around 2230 all holding their little sample packets of Cialis and a glass of water. Imagine their looks of anticipation, excitement, and sexual expectation. Imagine the slow opening of the paper box that the sample came in, perhaps with the foolish look of a child playing with matches for the first. Imagine lifting out the tissues that protect the precious pills from damage during transit. Imagine lifting some more tissues out, thinking it’s well protected but this is really getting excessive. Imagine your sheepishness when it suddenly dawns on you…the sample box was a box of tissues, not containing the wonder drug. But it drove home the point that you wanted to try it, didn’t it?

Well, it was a great take on the handing out of branded pocket tissues that is quite rampant in Hong Kong. It cut through the noise and was memorably delivered. And it made you think…what if it was a real sample. I suspect some couples will be out to try the real thing. You can’t just tease people like that and not come to a conclusion on it.

Tags: Random Thoughts