Ogilvy Singapore's Latest Film for Pond's Men Cheekily Imagines the Origin of the Air Kiss

Apr. 04, 2023

What if one man’s extremely oily face was the reason why the air kiss was invented?

This is the question posed by the latest film conceptualised by Ogilvy Singapore to launch POND’S MEN new Ultra Bright Oil Fighter face wash in Indonesia.

Entitled ‘The Oily Warrior’, the film opens on an ancient Indonesian tribe where victorious warriors are being honoured with a kiss on each cheek by their king. One by one, the warriors step up to receive the great honour. However, when an extremely oily-faced warrior steps forward, the king hesitates. Despite trying his hardest to put his lips to the warrior's oily cheek, the king simply cannot and kisses the air instead... inventing the world's very first air kiss.

Nicolas Courant, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy Singapore said:

"Who wants to kiss an oily face? No one. We started with this insight that’s as true today as it was thousands of years ago. So instead of setting our film in the modern day, we went back in history and imagined the story of an oily-faced man in ancient Indonesia."

 

Putri Paramita, POND’S Indonesia Beauty & Wellbeing Lead continue:

"I think everyone no matter where they’re from can relate to the dread of having to kiss an oily face. It’s a universal insight. So of course, it was no surprise that our Indonesian audience loved it when we tested the initial concept with them. While Pond’s is a global brand, we tailored our communications for this new Pond's Men format for the Indonesian market, connecting a local insight with our product benefit of long-lasting oil control. Switching things up with an Indonesian historical setting was another strategy we used to stand out against our competitors."

 

The film was directed by award-winning director Ayappa who added:

"The diegetic track you hear in the film was created using traditional Indonesian gamelan instruments such as the bonang and kendang drum, and composed using the gamelan pelog tuning system. Our cast’s costumes and headgear were inspired by the inventive designs of the indigenous Dayak peoples of Indonesia. They were not just an accessory but an expression of their unique identity."

 

Jopa Malantic, POND’S Global Brand Director said:

"Over the past 5 years, POND’S MEN has firmly positioned itself as the oil control face wash that saves Indonesian men from awkward moments. It is great to see how Ogilvy has evolved this with a new insight, giving it a fresh spin while still keeping to the same tongue-in-cheek humour that Indonesians love about the brand."