BRAND:
LG
AWARD CATEGORY:
The Best Social Media Campaign
CAMPAIGN TIME RANGE:
27/06/2023 - 08/07/2023
CREDITS:
Mekong Communications, Đẹp Magazine
CASE STUDY VIDEO
STRATEGY
In the vibrant landscape of Vietnamese football, the journey of the national teams reflects a stark contrast in resources, support, and opportunities between genders. While the men's national team basks in the limelight of prestigious tournaments and lucrative sponsorships, the women's national team faces many challenges on its path to recognition and success.
Despite the stark disparities in resources, the women's national team, with their undeniable potential, continues to strive for excellence, unwavering spirit and dedication. According to Vietnam Football Federation 2022, only 20% of women's football clubs in Vietnam have access to adequate training facilities, contrasting with 80% of men's clubs. Beyond financial and infrastructural support, societal attitudes toward women in sports present another significant obstacle (AFC 2022). As a result, the prevailing image among female footballers in Vietnam is one of intense competition amidst low salaries, limited sponsorship, substandard living conditions and training facilities, and premature retirement.
What if our Golden Girls showcase in "unconventional" images, stepping out of their football jerseys and appearing in elegant clothes?
On the magnificent milestone of the Asian qualifier in the World Cup, LG- a pioneer and innovative home appliances and electronics who always encourages customers to approach life with optimism, has partnered with Dep Magazine to present an unprecedented beautiful perspective of three Vietnamese female footballers and showcase them in elegant and feminine attires alongside LG Styler products.
With more than 3,000,000 million reach and 100% positive comments at the end of the campaign, LG believes that all Vietnamese women, including our talented athletes, want to look beautiful and feel confident in public. LG Styler empowered them to achieve this and more. By embracing their beauty and confidence, female athletes can grasp more chances to gain massive recognition of sponsorship and enhance their lives.
INSIGHT
Coach Mai Duc Chung of the Vietnam women's national football team once shared: "As the hard as men's football fight, the more complex as women's football face off. For example, female players must wash their hair twice daily after training sessions. Ordinary girls like to dress nicely to be admired by boys. My female athletes train hard under the scorching sun, often unable to even go out. Frankly, men prefer to admire beautiful women, not female footballers. I sympathize deeply with my players, and I hope everyone understands the unique challenges of women's football (CAND, 2020)". In contrast, far from the glamorous, masculine and shiny images of male footballers frequently occur on all channels, such as TV/ Video commercials, Public Television, and Billboard advertisements that help them earn colossal money (TuoiTre 2022).
Are these factors contributing to framing the "miserable" and "pitiful" image of female footballers?
With all heartfelt appreciation for the efforts and enthusiasm toward the achievements of the Vietnamese team, LG Styler would go beyond that athlete imagery by unveiling the extraordinary of women's footballer beauty, ability and fashion rather than the ordinary images in the media.
CREATIVE IDEA
How LG Styler changes the look and Shows different sides of Vietnam women's football?
Taking advantage of the World Cup fever, LG Styler and Dep Magazine worked together to explore the multifaceted beauty of femininity in a range of ensembles through the eyes of three Vietnamese football players. LG Styler will then subtly integrate into the game as a friend and supporter of the players in the upcoming World Cup match.
The big concept of photoshoot that collaborated with Dep Magazine named Wonder Women. Huynh Nhu, the captain of the Vietnamese women's team, Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha, the forward, and Hoang Loan, the defender, were all dressed stylishly in the pictures.
With this photo session, Dep Magazine and LG Styler presented an unusual viewpoint on Vietnamese female football players with the concept of "WONDER WOMEN." Not only were they 'wonder women' on the pitch, but they were also stunning, radiant women dressed stylishly, radiating femininity and a special aura that set them apart from the typical jerseys and shorts. The photo album showcased the beauty of three female football players while preserving their individuality and was a breath of fresh air in the fashion industry. The "Wonder Women" photo album effectively showcased a blend of femininity and strength through long dresses paired with sports shoes and stockings. This allowed the audience to see the players' multifaceted beauty, which could easily rival any celebrity. Additionally, the photo album emphasized LG's role and its product, encouraging people to use LG Styler, their dependable assistant, to "live to the fullest and dress authentically" - "Sống hết mình, mặc đúng chất." LG Styler wants to ensure that everyone can look their best whenever they want to shine and express themselves, and they hope to do so through this album. The three girls' photos served as the basis for the "Dream High" theme of Dep Magazine's 275th issue, published in June 2023 and focused on young people with lofty goals who were never afraid to take risks, overcome setbacks, and realize their aspirations.
CONNECTION PLAN
Given that Huynh Như, Hoang Loan, and Thanh Nha are the faces of this photo album, LG Styler decided to use these three female football players' influence as real Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), much like how male players have historically been used and idolized on social media. Together with two close sisters who have battled on the pitch, they participated in this stylish and professional photo shoot and shared their feelings and thoughts.
Additionally, the campaign broadened its focus to include three main community groups to increase the photo album's audience reach. These were intended to provide the target customer segments with unique and inspirational images of LG and female football players. LG Styler has chosen the subsequent community organizations:
(1) Fashion Community: LG Styler identified the "Maybe We Should Talk 'Bout Fashion" community, which is well-known for its frequent discussions and strong interest in fashion within maybe.vn's extensive ecosystem to target the audience with a taste for fashion.
(2) Entertainment Community: With a focus on large audiences, LG Styler selected nine entertainment communities (Bí mật Showbiz, Kênh 14, Hóng Hớt Showbiz, Chuyện của Hà Nội, Đài Phát Thanh, Tôi là người Sài Gòn, Sài Gòn của tôi, Điều nhỏ xíu xiu, Sài Gòn Nghen), and one entertainment community group within the maybe.vn ecosystem (Maybe You Missed This F***king News).
(3) Sports & Football Community: To reach a wider audience of football fans, LG Styler chose four sizable sports communities (Sport5, Thể thao 247, Fandom Owker, and Vlog Minh Hải) to enhance the photo series' exposure.
Additionally, the three female football players' distinctive behind-the-scenes photos were shared on LG Global's fan page to give fans a better understanding of the players' personalities, beauty, and natural features on the set. Ultimately, they presented a high-caliber and distinguished photo series that accurately reflected their actual status, allowing the audience to witness their efforts and enjoyment during the shoot and presenting them as women passionate about beauty and fashion.
OBJECTIVE-BASE KPI
The photo shoot has garnered thousands of attention from media agencies, with 25,000 editions praising the beauty and demeanor of the female football team, likening them to KOLs or famous models.
In addition, the photo series has also garnered attention and discussion, organic spreading from (Earned Media):
- Major mainstream media outlets such as VTV Thể Thao và VTV24
- Football and creative community platforms and media outlets: Giấc mơ vô địch, ADsangtao, Báo Thể thao & Văn hoá Website Báo Thể thao & Văn hoá Fanpage, Next Sports, Đọc báo
At the same time, the brand also increased its brand love among the public, receiving:
- 95% positive feedback and comments from social media users for both the female players and LG Styler.
- Top 10 Top Hashtags: Post interaction rate: #cathangmacdepcungstyler
- And the majority of users expressed appreciation for LG Styler's sponsorship and support for the female players (comprising over 60% of comments).
