Cathay‘s latest campaign “Nothing Beats Being There” is inspired by the unmistakable feeling of ‘FOMO’ that anyone who misses out on attending next year’s Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens will inevitably feel.
“Nothing Beats Being There” builds on Cathay’s long-running “Nobody Does Rugby like Hong Kong” platform. The launch film will be supported with social and in-stadium activations and giveaways, locally in Hong Kong and globally, in the lead-up to the next Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, which takes place at Kai Tak Stadium on 28-30 March 2025.
The campaign film stars Johnny, a rugby afficianado wannabe who pretends to be a fanatical rugby fan to impress his boss and potentially snag a trip with colleagues to Hong Kong. He is ultimately exposed by his web of lies, and his dreams of attending the 2025 Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens are unfulfilled.
“We’ve all been there, pretending to know more about something than we actually do for fear of missing out. When Cathay challenged us to show that nothing beats being at the Sevens in person, we couldn’t resist tapping into that FOMO feeling to show that nobody does rugby like Hong Kong,” said Christopher Lee, chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe Hong Kong.
Next year’s Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens will be held for the first time in the Kai Tak Sports Park.
“Cathay has been a proud sponsor of the Hong Kong Sevens for over 40 years, and the move to Kai Tak Sports Park from Hong Kong Stadium is especially meaningful as Kai Tak was Cathay’s home for more than 40 years. Everyone becomes fanatical about fun during the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, an event that attracts everyone from die-hard rugby fans to fans enjoying the party atmosphere. Bigger than rugby, it is an all-consuming festival that no fun-loving person would want to miss, so we have created a campaign that shows nothing beats being there in person,” said Edward Bell, general manager of brand, insights, marketing at Cathay.
Cathay is the event’s co-title sponsor and official overseas travel partner. It will offer fans a suite of flights, tickets and accommodation packages.
Client: Cathay
General Manager, Brand, Insights and Marketing Communications, Cathay: Edward Bell
Head of Marketing Communications, Cathay: Vivian Chan
Marketing Manager, Events, Cathay: Angel Wong
Assistant Marketing Manager, Events, Cathay: Esther Guevara
Agency: Publicis Groupe Hong Kong
Chief Creative Officer: Christopher Lee
Group Creative Director: Halo Cheng
Creative Director: Miriam Yip
Sr Art Director: Tom Tsang
Copywriter: Abbie Chan
Chief Strategy Officer: Martin Smith
Strategy Director HK: Garron Chiu
Managing Partner HK: Dennis Yeung
Group Account Director: Carrie Chan
Senior Account Manager: Esther Cheung
Senior Account Executive: Zenia Leung
Producer: Armelle Sudron, Prodigious
Production
Production House: Kitchen
Director: James Robert Lane
