In late 2016 and early 2017, Vietnamese youth were abuzz with Biti's "Journey to Return" campaign, marking the spectacular comeback of Biti's under its subsidiary brand, Biti's Hunter. This campaign originated from a controversial product placement in the viral music video "Lạc trôi" by Sơn Tùng M-TP, sparking debates between #teamdi (team go) and #teamtrove (team return) on social media. The official response came with the release of the music video "Đi để trở về," featuring the rising young artist Soobin Hoàng Sơn. Season 1 of the campaign made a significant impact for Biti's in the highly competitive Tet (Lunar New Year) communication scene, typically dominated by big brands. In early 2018, Biti's continued with Season 2, featuring "Đi để trở về 2," also performed by Soobin Hoàng Sơn.
Context
Biti's conducted a survey revealing over 87,000 social media discussions around the theme of "going or returning." Particularly during the Tet holiday, conversations about traveling or returning home garnered significant attention and debate among young people.
As a local brand with a limited budget and several years of relative silence, Biti's Hunter faced numerous challenges in embracing the Tet communication battleground. However, it managed to overcome these challenges by embracing the spirit of "going and experiencing," resonating with the aspirations of young individuals: "Go to return."
Objectives
As a local brand making its debut in Tet communications, Biti's set ambitious goals to create a buzz within the community and revitalize its brand. Furthermore, the subsidiary brand Biti's Hunter had been introduced a few months earlier but remained relatively unknown. Therefore, when crafting this Tet communication campaign, Biti's aimed to enhance consumer awareness (Brand Awareness).
In Season 2, Biti's aimed to reinforce the brand positioning of "Go and experience" for Biti's Hunter, along with the message "Go to return," which had become synonymous with the brand's image after the success of Season 1.
Insight
The valuable insight Biti's gathered was: "You need to go to return. Travel far, explore, grow, and cherish the return journey. Go far to return!" This insight was not just a campaign insight but was considered a platform insight, consistent throughout Season 1, Season 2, and subsequent Biti's Hunter campaigns.
In Season 2, the insight focused on the idea that young people have many trips throughout the year, but the most meaningful and anticipated one is the journey back home.
Strategy
While many brands were concerned about the risk of "putting all their eggs in one basket," Biti's believed that spreading the budget thin was a trap many fell into. In the information-saturated era of today, customers prefer not to follow lengthy campaigns. Therefore, the brand concentrated on building and reinforcing the "Go to return" message using two main music videos: "Đi để trở về" and "Đi để trở về 2," both performed by Soobin Hoàng Sơn.
Creative Idea
Based on the familiar Tet theme of "Homing," Biti's chose to approach the story from a new angle. While most brands focused on the return journey on Tet day, Biti's told the story of the departure. However, this had to be a story related to the brand's spirit and convey a meaningful message. The idea of "Go far to return" clearly provided a fresh perspective on "Homing," aligning with the youth's existing aspirations.
Execution
In Season 1, the entire "Journey to Return" campaign consisted of three phases:
Creating a debate with #teamđi (team go) and #teamtrởvề (team return) through KOLs within four days.
Releasing the music videos "Đi để trở về" by Soobin Hoàng Sơn and "Lạc trôi" by Sơn Tùng MTP within two days.
Focusing all PR and media efforts on Kenh14 for one day.
Season 2 of the campaign was also swiftly executed, with the release of "Đi để trở về 2" music video at the beginning of the year, accompanied by PR activities in collaboration with Kenh14 and the "Share your most meaningful trip" contest, marking the start of the return journey with Biti's Hunter.
Results
Season 1:
Both music videos stayed in YouTube Trending for 21 consecutive days.
"Đi để trở về" music video by Soobin Hoàng Sơn remained in Zing's top charts for six months.
Achieved 1.7 million social media interactions, with brand mentions accounting for over 10%.
Exceeded the sales target by 300% in just seven days.
Ranked first in YouTube Ads Leaderboard for Tet 2017.
Won the Silver Award for Best Campaign in Asia and the Gold Award for Best Use of Video at PR Asia Awards 2017.
Season 2:
"Đi để trở về 2" music video garnered over 38 million views within a month.
Stayed in YouTube Trending for 18 consecutive days.
Ranked third in the top 10 outstanding Tet 2018 social media campaigns (YouNet Media).
Achieved over 3.5 million interactions and nearly 300,000 mentions on social media (YouNet Media).
Achieved a sales growth of 250% compared to Tet 2017, surpassing the target by 60%.
Ranked first in YouTube Ads Leaderboard for Tet 2018.
Through two seasons of the "Journey to Return" campaign and its associated "Go far to return" message, Biti's Hunter has deepened its connection with consumers, delivering a meaningful message: Travel far to explore, grow, and cherish the journey back home.
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