Prime Video launches SEA brand campaign with local celebs as 'tour guides'

Prime Video has launched its second Southeast Asian brand campaign in Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand with creative support from creative agency Superson. This time the campaign features  local ‘tour guides’ such as Thai actor ‘Pae’ Arak Amornsupasiri, Indonesian comedian Dustin Tiffani, and YouTube content creator Mimiyuuuh, from the Philippines. The local celebrity ‘tour guides’ were each cast for their personality and influence in their respective markets.

The campaign consists of three master films, 30-second TVC versions, and 12 standalone 15-second pieces directed by Ray Pakpahan and production house Baliprod.

Each standalone piece will give viewers a different glimpse into the world of Prime Video, which has recently doubled down in its efforts to provide an array of Korean drama, anime, international content, and local originals on its platform.

“There is so much to see on Prime Video – whether you’re a Hollywood movie fan, local film buff, an anime fan or a K-drama enthusiast – there is truly something for everyone. We capitalised on Prime Video’s promise of delivering top-notch content and saw that there’s no better way to convey that than to take people on tour inside the service,” said Antti Toivonen, the managing partner and executive creative director at Superson.

He added that the idea really came to life through collaboration with creative teams from around the region. “An approach that works for the Thai audience would not necessarily fly with the Filipino viewers. Being local is everything. That’s why it’s so important to work with market-specific creative directors who understand the many nuances embodied in a culture, so that our videos truly resonate with the audience,” he said.

The campaign features one plot and story that was adopted into the different markets. "There was a one universal idea, the Prime Video Tour, to introduce the key content pillars of the streaming service. However, to create that for three very different markets in a way that resonates requires a considered approach," said Toivonen when MARKETING-INTERACTIVE reached out. "The campaign idea is market agnostic so it made sense to focus on executing the tour beautifully once in one location as each scene requires a fair amount of craft. Building something like it in three different ways would not add value locally. Instead, we focused on making the work relatable for each market by casting and performance."

"In this case, it is the big personalities from each market that really make the work special. Just having the films in the local language with colloquial expressions makes it more natural and fun for each market. Also, generally speaking, Southeast Asian celebrities tend to be influential in their respective markets, but their context is not known in others. So our recommendation for pretty much any Southeast Asian campaign would be to cast local personalities with a local following, if the intention is to lead with talent. There are many ways to do it, this is just one example." he continued.

The campaign comes about just shortly after Amazon announced that it was planning to increase its customers in Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. According to the company, it is now going to be creating a localised content slate and user experience on Prime Video and the Prime Video app.

Moreover, there are currently local productions with film houses underway in both Indonesia and Thailand. Understanding the regions obsession with K-content, Prime Video has also inked deals to license top Korean titles.

“We’re delighted to be increasing our investment in Prime Video for customers in Southeast Asia, making it a truly localised experience—from local content specifically sourced for our customers, to a localised user experience, and the first full-scale local marketing campaign,” said Josh McIvor, director of international expansion, Prime Video in August last year.

“Our support of local production companies in Southeast Asia is a significant step towards our broader international expansion plans and our ambition to become the most local of global streaming services.”

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