04.15.22

“Metaverrrrrr” brings the humor: A Q&A with Sarut Yungcharoen, Group Creative Director, Leo Burnett Thailand

Leo Burnett Thailand's latest campaign for First Choice Bank is a striking parody about making a commercial in the metaverse.

The learning curve is steep for brands entering the metaverse – and for marketers working to stay ahead of the trend. So, why not take the opportunity for a laugh?

Earlier this year, Leo Burnett Thailand launched “Metaverrrrrr” for First Choice Bank, which immediately created viral buzz and drove a host of media headlines with AdWeek, Branding in Asia, Little Black Book and more. Chatter amongst jurors on the awards circuit also couldn’t be higher as “Metaverrrrrr” most recently won at the International ANDYS Awards.

We connected with Sarut Yungcharoen, Group Creative Director, and his team to learn more about the inspiration behind the work, the distinct Thai sense of humor and what comes next in the metaverse.

1. What was the inspiration behind this campaign?

Our goal was to create a unique commercial film to grab the attention of the new generation. We started with the question, “What are the trends that people are interested in these days?” The metaverse came up as an answer right away, and the fact that most of the new generation pays high attention to the emerging activity in that space.

So, we decided to jump into the metaverse and speculate on life within the virtual world.  Mimicking the process of making an ad was both relatable and funny because everyone has a client struggling to bridge this gap.

2. What about the title: why the extra “R’s” in “Metaverrrrrr”?

We wanted to create a sense of fun and craziness that grabbed youngsters’ attention right away. We decided to mimic the word “metaverse” and create a comedy of errors before the story even begins.

3. This is quite an involved commercial. Is a longer run time common for Thai television?

For the “Metaverrrrrr” film, we wanted to push the format further by combining a generational trend with the Thai sense of humor – creating a fresh take on a commercial. The film went viral overnight.

4. How did First Choice react to this concept, which is unlike most we have seen in the financial services category?

When we first presented the idea, the answer from the First Choice team was quite impressive. They seemed to love it right away but cautioned that the work should live up to the concept we pitched. First Choice is one of our bravest clients and allows space for us to develop work that engages new, younger audiences with the brand.

5. Some have called this commercial “absurd.” Do you agree?

We think the Thai sense of humor is accessible to everyone and also plays with the circumstances of daily life. By combining and amplifying these factors, the audience can enjoy our commercial nationally and globally. And after they watch the film, they share it readily with their friends and colleagues.

6. What is a key learning from this work, and how it might inform future concepts and storylines?

The key learning from this work is that just utilizing a trend is not enough in the advertising industry: we must twist it into an unexpected story. That way, the trend seems remarkable yet relatable and it will eventually make viewers want to shout out and share it with their friends. However, this is not a guarantee for the future: what is fresh now may be out of date before you know it.

For this reason, we agree that we still need to discover other techniques and a new way of communicating moving forward. Serving up freshness and fun to the audience means they appreciate and admire your brand.

7. What is next for marketers in the metaverse, and how can they best engage and educate consumers along the way?

The metaverse will spur a huge evolution in the marketing and communication industries and beyond. It reminds us of when the world used to have only TV, radio, and print advertising but now everyone runs communications on a digital platform.

Surely in the future, we will have more and more fascinating means to communicate in the metaverse. We also believe that this new frontier will allow us to identify and know our audiences better to message more effectively.