1. Wassup
Issue 5 September 2011

2. Wassup
The cultural trends magazine from
Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific
Edited & designed by Kunal Sinha
Editorial assistant: Madhumita Bhattacharyya
Correspondents:
Elaine Dai (Beijing)
Neha Punjabi (Mumbai)
Donnah Alcoseba (Makati City)
Wine Chua-Leonardo (Makati City)
Tania Chan (Singapore)
Justin Chow(Singapore)
Naoko Ito (Tokyo)
Azusa Fukai (Tokyo)
Natalie Gruis (Ho Chi Minh City)
Siddharth Roy (Colombo)
Mei Wu (Taipei)
Caryl Heah (Kuala Lumpur)
Beatrice Yong (Kuala Lumpur)
Josephine Phang (Kuala Lumpur)
Vanich Jirasuwankij(Bangkok)
Zubair Siddiqui (Karachi)
Serena Park (Seoul)
© Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific, 2011

3. Fast Company magazine’s ranking of the most innovative companies in the
world has more firms from Asia featured than ever before. They represent a
wide range of business opportunities which draw upon culture, both past
and emergent. Dawning Information, a manufacturer of supercomputers is
able to tap into China’s vast pool of scientific talent, while Tencent has
turned the obsession with gaming into a profitable venture. Shaadi.com is all
about making connections online, not of the casual kind, but ones that end
up in computer-savvy twenty-somethings in India finding a partner for life.
Fab India connects village artisans to urban consumers. In this issue, we talk
to Asian designers, who aren’t quite Jonathan Ive, but someone will get
there soon.
As creativity gets recognized as having economic and social value, students
and parents will demand changes to deeply entrenched education systems.
Our conversations with high school teachers are fascinating: they reveal how
students have changed so much, and yet the parameters for evaluation
haven’t. Regrettably, many brands continue to hold out being at the top of
the class, or first in the race, as a promise, piling on that pressure.
We’ve made a departure from our previous issues, by reporting about what
people across Asia are elated about, not raging against.; our Waiting List
section continues to show immense diversity – ranging from the material to
the spiritual.
So, Wassup with you? Do let us know …

4. 14 countries.
20 correspondents deeply immersed in
popular and leading edge culture bring you
Cultural Insights that will make a world
of difference to your business
SOUTH KOREA
BANGLADESH
PHILIPPINES
SINGAPORE
INDONESIA
SRI LANKA
THAILAND
MALAYSIA
PAKISTAN
VIETNAM
TAIWAN
JAPAN
CHINA
INDIA

5. contents
Look who‟s talking:
Asian designers
Knowing me, Knowing you:
High school teachers
Playing on my iPod
Elated about
Waiting list
Tense about
Everyone‟s talking about
Online shopping

6. Look who’s talking
Asian designers

7. Look who’s talking …
Sabina is an ambitious young Pakistani designer.
A graduate of London College of Fashion, Sabina
launched her label Bon-Chic in Karachi in March
2008. Her fun casual wear and embroidered
evening wear, all meticulously cut and stitched,
has been quickly snapped up by trendy
Karachietts ever since.
Designer Hee-Jung Jung was born in Korea
“I think art inspired me to become a fashion in 1974. After graduating from ESMOD
designer. I tend to look on fashion as an art form Seoul in 1996, she shifted to London where
and work my ideas through the medium of clothes she studied at Central St Martins, and then
and textiles,” explains Sabina, who graduated launched her women‟s wear label HEE
from London College of Fashion in 2010 in fashion JEONG. In 2001, she launched her first
design technology with a major in surface textiles. store in Seoul.
Sabina tries to give every woman a unique and In 2004, the HEE JEONG label was named
different look to help them stand out in the crowd. the Promising Designer‟s Collection at
“I feel everyone should make their own trends. Seoul Fashion Week. Her avant-garde
Everyone has their own personality and through silhouettes made the most of the natural
their clothing they can tell the world what they textures of the materials she used. Several
really are on the inside. “I try to help my collections were shown from 2005 to 2008
customers find their perfect look and, most in Seoul, Paris, New York and Shanghai,
importantly, what they are comfortable in.” inspired by Asian traditional lines. In the
09/10 fall/winter Seoul Collection, she was
Sabina feels younger clients are more open to inspired by the Korean poem Nature,
trying new designs. “They usually want something which found expression in beautifully
that is very daring and makes a statement.” colored garments and fine detailing and
silhouettes.
Innovation is critical to Sabina, to help give her
designs a distinct identity. She likes working with Jung is now supplying to seven boutiques
flowing fabrics like chiffons and jersey, in Korea and plans to launch a flagship
embellished with brooches, stones and beads. store for her label in Seoul. She also
She buys her raw materials in bulk from regular dreams of spreading her reach to Japan,
vendors. China and Europe.

8. Look who’s talking …
Art is all about inspiration for Katayama. But she
also has to bear in mind what the client wants,
and what works for the consumers. She does not
feel limited by her role as a commercial
designer. “Artists and designers have different
jobs. Yes, a designer has limits to what she can
do, but that is inevitable when money is
involved. But one of the fun things about being a
designer is that you get to look at trends and
develop an ability to identify designs that draw
people‟s attention.”
She often goes for walks to gain inspiration from
the streets of Tokyo. “I also visit the website
www.ffffound.com, where you find a lot of cool,
design-related stuff,” she adds.
Katayama Chie is a designer at Ogilvy
Design‟s Japan office. For the past couple of
years, she has had the chance to work with
many eminent clients, including The Coca-
Cola Company for two kinds of beverages –
OLO OLO smoothie and Real Gold energy
drink.
She has been passionate about art since she
was in kindergarten. After graduating from a
design prep school, she enrolled in an art
college to broaden her perspective in the field
of business marketing, packaging design and
advertising. “As a kid, whenever I came
across products that I thought were not
visually appealing, I always thought I could do
better. I wanted to become a designer
because I wanted to create better designs.”
One of the greatest things about being a
designer at an advertising agency, she feels, is
the amount of inspiration and excitement she
gains from her team members. She also enjoys
being able to contribute her perspective to the
brand building process for a wide variety of
companies and products.

9. Look who’s talking …
Jason Wu‟s talent has been recognized by two of
the most influential opinion leaders in fashion –
US First Lady Michelle Obama and editor-in-
chief of American Vogue, Anna Wintour.
His work – a romantic one-shouldered design,
appliqued with tiny flowers and strewn with
Swarovski crystals – is now part of fashion history,
to be displayed at the Smithsonian's National
Museum of American History collection in
Washington DC.
Jason Wu was born in Taipei, Taiwan, where his Jason Wu and Anna Wintour backstage
parents run an import-export business. He is the at the showing of his spring/summer '09
first to credit them for always giving him 100 per collection
cent support.
He later moved to a boarding school in
Connecticut, US, studied sculpture for a couple
of summers in Tokyo and then spent a year in
Rennes, Brittany, on an exchange program
visiting Paris on every available occasion, where
his love for fashion was confirmed.
Returning to New York, Jason enrolled in the
Parsons School of Design where, early on, he
won a fashion doll design competition. He went
on to create the Fashion Royalty collection for
Integrity Toys.
After an internship with Narciso Rodriguez, Wu
launched his own label with the backing of his US First Lady Michelle Obama with the
parents in 2006. His love for beautiful cocktail Wu- designed dress she wore for the
and ball gowns almost immediately won him inaugural ball at the White House
acclaim as a natural successor to the older
generation of 'occasion wear' specialists such as
Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera.
This was followed by his first appearance in
American Vogue in January 2007, in which British
model Lily Donaldson wore one of his designs in
an editorial shoot by Steven Meisel.

10. Look who’s talking …
Ye Qian is a 24-year-old Chinese fashion
designer who gained fame after winning the
design talent show My Style/魔法天裁 in 2008.
In 2009, he founded his own line YE‟S, with the
tagline “Yes is no!”, a declaration of the Foo Aiwei is a 29-year-old fashion designer who
brand‟s rule breaking image. The limited was born and raised in the heart of Borneo. She
production, non-seasonal collection comes up moved to Singapore when she was 18, and
with a special concept for each season. pursued a degree in fine arts before moving on
to apparel design and merchandising. Many
Born in Fujian province, Ye‟s designs had expected her to create a label that featured
incorporate elements strongly inspired by quirky and whimsical clothing, but instead she
local culture, such as the story of Matsu. He rejected convention and expanded her line to
also likes adding elements drawing from include all kinds of artwork, blending design
social issues, such as sustainability and and art in accessories, books and typography.
helping the underprivileged, into his designs
to promote public awareness. In an article in Shift magazine in Japan, she
shared her „See You Tomorrow‟ concept, which
Just two years after his label was launched, reflects a persona she uses to create and tell
Ye‟s designs are selling on the shelves of stories, sort of like an alter ego. It allows her to
sophisticated boutiques including BNC and step out of mundane, everyday life to create her
Dong Liang Studio, and also have found favor own happy place. It also signifies hope and the
with celebrities like actress and singer Zhou possibility of seeing a close friend or family
Xun and actress Yao Chen. member that you may not be able to see again
in real life.
It is hard to define the
Ye‟s 2011 spring cruise collection scope of Aiwei‟s
featuring exaggerated draping and expertise. For her, it is
irregular cuts more a marriage of both
her passions – design and
art. She draws rich
inspiration for her work
from sources as varied as
ballerinas, film-makers
and writers.
Her creations can be
found at local boutiques
such as A Curious Teepee,
Egg3 and Asylum in
Singapore.

11. Look who’s talking …
“Style is knowing who you are, what you want Shimmy‟s goal is to make guys look good at the
to say and not giving a damn,” says the 24- same time as making them look unique. “I want
year-old Sri Lankan Shimalka Bodaragama, to make them the center of attention, for once!”
otherwise known as Shimmy. she says.
At the age of 18, Shimmy ventured into the Shimmy has also reached out to her audience
world as a model and thereafter won the on Facebook with a group titled Vswear “To be
Model of the Year title in Sri Lanka. Soon after, Unique”, where all her designs are available for
she joined Sri Lankan Airlines as a flight public viewing. Since then, she has also seen a
stewardess, but subsequently realized that it spike in order numbers, and has received a
was not the path for her. She then entered the number of positive comments.
Academy of Design and majored in fashion
design. Word of mouth plays a large role when it comes
to marketing for Shimmy. All those who have
That is when opportunity came knocking in the purchased her shirts and have been satisfied
form of Art Walk, a show that exhibits a fusion with their look and feel have spread the good
of art and fashion on the catwalk. In 2010, word to friends.
Shimmy showcased her talent for designing
men‟s dress shirts for “daringly young boys at
heart”. The Art Walk 2010 collection received
rave reviews which prompted her to launch
her own designer collection of men‟s dress
shirts titled Vswear, “To Be Unique”. Shirts
with cuts “off the hook”, and prints not usually
seen in men‟s wear were her forte.
Shimalka @ Art Walk Show

12. Look who’s talking …
Born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Ha Thuc He is routinely featured in Vietnam‟s leading
Nhat Minh graduated from the Ho Chi Minh design and fashion magazines and his clients are
City University of Architecture with a degree the who‟s who of Vietnam‟s business and
in design in 2005. Bagging the prestigious entertainment industries.
New Designer of the Year Award from the
Vietnam Collection Grand Prix at that time Nhat Minh loves natural fabrics like wool, silk
thrust him into the limelight. and cotton. Each collection is a juxtaposition of
color, texture and clever detailing and he plays
His first job as a designer‟s assistant was with constructs of masculinity and femininity by
where he learned the importance of innovation using soft draping alongside structured tailoring.
in design based on the overall structure of the
garment. He launched the Nhat Minh Label in He hopes that fashion in Vietnam will grow to be
Ha Noi with a women‟s spring/summer 2003 more tolerant and accepting of world trends.
collection and expanded into men‟s wear in "We should trade different aspects of
fall/winter 2006. His first boutique opened in Vietnamese culture with aspects of western and
Ho Chi Minh City in the fall of 2005. eastern culture. It would be an experiment for
local designers to show the world that there is
"I always loved it when Vietnamese women fashion in Vietnam.”
would wear their most beautiful dresses to
parties, weddings or other celebrations. So I
tried to capture that in my designs," the
designer said.

13. Look who’s talking …
Gabby Dizon is a game developer and designer for
BOOMZAP Entertainment in the Philippines. The 31-
year-old has been creating computer games since
2003.
Among Filipinos, it is Facebook games like
FarmVille that are most popular, says Gabby. In net
cafes, it‟s shooters like Counter-Strike, online games
like Ragnarok and DoTA that keep gamers hooked.
The game design biz is a technical one. “It‟s hard to
keep up with all the trends and technologies, so I
choose to keep up with a specific set (casual gaming
on mobile/web) and social media,” explains Gabby.
“There are too many things to keep track of online
and you have to use your time and focus
effectively.”
The trend now is towards mobile and social games.
“The biggest games today are not the multimillion-
dollar console games but hits such as Angry Birds
that are seemingly on every device.” Gabby
admires founders of the casual game company
PopCap (creators of Bejeweled, Plants vs. Zombies),
which takes apparently simple gameplay and makes
it into fun games that people play for years. They
also ensure that their games are available on all
possible platforms. The company was recently
bought for almost $1 billion dollars by Electronic
Arts.
“Filipinos are very creative and are natural
gamers,” feels Gabby. “We are already strong on
the art side but still have to develop the design,
engineering and coding sides of the business. Our
company has over 40 people from all over Southeast
Asia but more than half of them are from the
Philippines, which goes to show how much faith we
have in Philippine talent.”
Gabby‟s company‟s first real hit was the Awakening
franchise. Awakening: The Dreamless Castle
(http://www.boomzap.com/games/ awakening-the-
dreamless-castle/) is a casual hidden
object/adventure game available for the PC, Mac,
iPhone and iPad and has been translated into nine
languages.

14. Look who’s talking …
Indian fashion designer Nachiket Barve believes that good clothes
can do wonders to lift one‟s spirits. Though many of us might feel
quite the reverse while skimming through fashion magazine filled
with images of unreal models, Nachiket thinks that if the dress
doesn‟t fit there‟s always a bigger size to be had.
This designer, born into a family of doctors, has a post-graduate
degree in apparel and accessory design from NID, Ahmedabad,
and has also studied at ENSAD Paris on a scholarship awarded by
the French government. He followed that up with spells under
Michael Kors at CELINE in Paris, a part of the LVMH luxury
conglomerate, couturiers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla and textile
designer Neeru Kumar.
The NACHIKET BARVE label was launched in 2007, which is a
contemporary, fresh and innovative look at luxury. His latest line
Abstraction was showcased at the Lakme Fashion Week on August
18 in Mumbai.
Nachiket finds inspiration in the eyes of women when they wear his
creations and look at themselves. Even the most famous celebrities
who wear his creations, such as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sonam
Kapoor or Jaya Bachchan, only want to look their best. Fashion, he
believes, is a way of living. Where you eat, which newspaper you
read, who you hang out with, what you talk about -- all of it will have
a bearing on how you dress.
There is a great difference in how women dress from city to city in
India, says Nachiket. “In Delhi there‟s still a certain amount of
conformity. They will have their hair blow-dried, wear Gucci or
Cavalli glares. They will match their heels with their bags, and have
perfect eyes, perfect lips. Mumbai is a little more disheveled.
Women there will carry a Birkin bag when they are wearing shorts –
they are more about dressing up with a little dressing down.”
The desire to look good every day has come about very recently,
says Nachiket, and we‟re now ready to shell out big bucks for the
latest styles. The desire to look international is now ingrained,
alongside our Indian roots. Like wearing an Anarkali with Louis
Vuitton.

15. High school teachers in Asia

16. Knowing me, knowing you
Meet Blossom Villafuerte, a teacher in the Philippines…
How long has it been since you were in high school?
Not too long, actually! It‟s been nine years since I entered high school.
What kind of teaching style does your school use? How is it different from the school you
went to?
My high school was very traditional – we had a series of lectures, some practical sessions and
written tests. A decade ago, high schools in the Philippines were all largely traditional in the
sense that the teacher would establish authority and the students would obey. Otherwise they
could expect to be punished or reprimanded. What we see more and more of today is that
teachers adjust to students and employ ways to engage their interest. In my school, we follow
the empirical method. We try to understand how students prefer to learn; that‟s how we plan
our curriculum.
How are high school students different now?
They see teachers as equals, probably because parents nowadays talk to their kids in that way.
They‟re also more interested in studying abroad and understanding different cultures. It is
common for high school students to go on exchange programs and spend a year studying in
another country.
What are the popular subjects?
Still not science and math! What I see is
that many students are more interested in
subjects they can immediately apply in
daily life. One class we have here is the
Life Skills Program, which addresses
subjects such as relationships, dating,
prom etiquette and career building. The
value of the class is concrete. Also, a few
years ago, a large number would opt for
marketing or business in college. Today,
high school students have so many options
to succeed even on the creative side and
they pick streams such as advertising,
fashion technology, styling or culinary
studies.

17. Knowing me, knowing you
Wang‟s students were born in the 90s, and she
thinks, as a result, that her students are more
Wang Yue has been teaching Chinese at Shanghai confident than those of previous generations.
Fenghua High School since 2000. She sees herself The fast-pace of development and
more as a big sister to her students than as a modernization has also made them more
traditional teacher, thanks largely to the school‟s accepting of new ideas. They are quick to pick
psychological training program, Listener. The up – and drop – hobbies that she has never
program was started in 1985 to make sure support even heard of such as board games, Judo,
systems were in place for students who experience
Cosplay and Lomo photography. “They
psychological problems. Wang encourages her
students who need guidance to join the program.
usually move onto other things within a few
“You can‟t guide a student without fully months. New trends always seem to be
understanding them and winning their trust. The coming out,” says Wang.
program is the bridge of communication between
me and my students,” explains Wang. Her students are also more willing to take
risks. One of Wang‟s student has submitted an
Since most of her students are the only children in application to suspend studies at the end of
their families, they often don‟t have anyone to talk the semester to spend more time painting. He
with when they face problems they don‟t want to wants to get into a good art school in Europe
share with their parents. In Wang‟s role as a listener,
for college but isn‟t able to focus on his art as
she tries first to understand her students and then
provide solutions to help them stay on track. With
much as he needs to while tackling the rest of
the quality of life improving in China and society his course load. “This is something I would not
becoming more open, these students have grown up have dared to do when I was young, but for
in a different environment than their predecessors. today‟s kids in Shanghai, their parents are
able to afford the expensive tuition fee for
overseas study, so scoring well in the national
college entrance is not the only way to
achieve success.”
The Sociological Training
Program of Shanghai
Fenghua High School

18. Knowing me, knowing you
Le Thi Bich Thuan is 25 years old and teaches As the youngest teacher on campus, Thuan
math at FPT University in Vietnam. Having loves that it has been easy for her to get close
moved from her home in Dalat to Ho Chi Minh to her students. “But you have got to make
City, it was always her dream to go to university sure they stay within limits. Students shouldn‟t
and become a teacher. get too casual with you or you will lose the
authority you need to be a good teacher and
After teaching all day, Thuan tutors students at role model”.
night in order to have a good quality of life and
to be able to afford all the exciting things she Thuan finds that most of her students are still
likes to do in her free time, from shopping and interested in pursuing core subjects such as
watching movies to catching every single K-Pop math and science. Entrance exams for
concert. university really focus on these areas, she
says, so it is important that students are
proficient in them from their early years. “It
creates the path that many students continue
to follow in university.”

19. Knowing me, knowing you
“There‟s definitely a change in the school
environment and the level of ambition students have
these days compared to my time,” says Kumiko
Suzuki, a high school teacher at a Japanese pubic
school in Tokyo. Meher has been teaching literature at a
local school in Karachi for the past five
Kumiko also sees a difference in student interaction years. Literature and math are the two
that has been driven by technology. “I‟ve been subjects her students always take up. But
teaching for almost 15 years and it is striking to see Meher feels math is popular not so much
how kids spend more time on the Internet and because the students like it but because
phone. Even older people seem dependent on the it is important for those who want to go
virtual social platforms rather than traditional, face- into business later in their lives.
to-face interactions.”
Coaching centers have picked up a lot of
She is currently in charge of second and third momentum in Pakistan, and after school,
graders. “I have taught many subjects over the most, if not all, children head to their
years, like social studies, history, and designated tutors.
environmental studies. Students seem to enjoy
social studies because we touch upon current issues Meher is happy that her students are
that students can relate to.” She also feels that it‟s respectful toward authority, and she
been increasingly difficult to motivate students to believes that good parenting is behind
focus on school work. “High school grades don‟t this. “But that doesn‟t mean students
really count in college applications under the aren‟t vocal. They stand for what they
current educational policy in Japan. Students are believe in but they are very careful not
more focused on going to prep school for the to cross any boundaries,” she says.
college entrance exams,” says a concerned
Kumiko. Outside class, football fever seems to
have gripped Meher‟s students over the
In 1998, Japan‟s ministry of education declared a 30 past few years. They all carry red or
per cent cut in the academic curriculum to give blue key chains and scarves that
students yutori (Japanese for „rest‟). “Students‟ represent their favorite teams. The boys
mental well-being is something we have to even play more football than cricket
consider. Japan‟s education policy might have now. The girls like watching football, but
reduced the academic load of students entering prefer to play basketball.
college, but students seem a lot more relaxed and
happier.”

20. Knowing me, knowing you
There was a time when a high school student was
popular if he studied hard or played hard. But now,
believes Ellen Lin of Taiwan‟s Song-Shan Senior High
School, young people look up to those who study for
the future and play for future.
The Affiliated High School of National
Ellen, who has been teaching at the school for about Chengchi University (HSNCU), Taiwan,
10 years, feels that students in the past only had only is an experimental school.
one ambition – to pass the college entrance exam.
However, with the proportion of students entering To increase teachers‟ effectiveness and
university nearly at 100 per cent, students have to use space as efficiently as possible,
turned their focus to searching for their true calling. HSNCU is designed to have four spaces:
They are also able to follow their dreams more than classrooms, teaching research rooms,
previous generations who had to comply with their discussion rooms and home-base. The
parents‟ wishes. teaching and research rooms are near
the classrooms belonging to the
Today‟s students are game to try new things, to see related subjects. HSNCU also keeps
more of the world. For example, a student might join teachers of the same subject together
the high school basketball league and then still study to enhance the functions of teaching,
every night for the TOEFL. Another student might research, and counseling of the
choose to moderate a serialized online novel and also teachers.
manage a dance club at school at the same time. Also,
more and more students participate in camps of Every class has one home-base in
departments at university to better understand their which students have their personal
choices for the future. lockers. Classes of the same grade are
kept in one area to make the
In an effort to succeed, young people are pulling out interactions easier and more
all the stops. Ellen remembers a boy who walked convenient.
around the island for a month to “better understand
the Taiwan spirit”, while another one played an
online game continuously to earn a trip to compete in
a gaming tournament in Japan.
But there are downsides also – some students will pull
pranks that are out of control because they want to
get attention. Students are no longer afraid of
authority. Though now with teachers more likely to
see the students' perspective, it sometimes works out
for the best. “The school was most powerful in the
past, but nowadays you have to listen to the students,”
says Ellen.
All students seem to have one thing in common –
Facebook. It is a platform on which to connect with
classmates and friends.

21. Knowing me, knowing you
“Students today represent the short-cut Vinod is concerned about the current education
generation,” says Vinod Senadeera, system in Sri Lanka. In a nation which has the
headmaster at St Thomas College, Mount highest literacy rate in South Asia (92 per cent),
Lavinia, Colombo. there is an acute shortage of teachers. Teaching
as a profession is not exciting anymore because
According to Vinod, students today are more it doesn‟t pay well. In fact, the low pay-scale is
keen on acquiring experience than mere the main reason for the ongoing indefinite strike
education and he believes educational called by Colombo university teachers. This, in
institutions should wake up to embrace this. turn, is making students opt for little-known
foreign universities to get a UK, US or Australian
St Thomas has recently shifted from a degree. The lack of a governing body to
“stream-based” system to a more “subject- ascertain the credibility of these mushrooming
based” curriculum, which means Thomians – institutions is further adding to the trouble.
as students of the school are called – need
not pick science or commerce and instead Vinod believes that education is an extremely
can choose specific and unusual important ingredient for Sri Lanka‟s progress.
combinations. Students can now opt for He hopes that the government along with
mathematics and physics alongside, say, educationists will formulate a policy in line with
psychology and modern history. the progressive environment in other parts of
the globe to offer a fillip to teaching as a
“The reason behind this shift,” says Vinod, profession, and also better guide students on
“is that the youth today doesn‟t necessarily course and career selection.
attach value to professions such as medicine,
engineering or law anymore. I have known so
many students who started studying to
become a lawyer but opted out as they lost
interest.”
Sports is another domain that St Thomas as an
institution lays stress on. In fact, their terms
are customized to offer students pursuing
sports the flexibility to keep up with their
studies.
Vinod believes the digital domain has
empowered students in numerous ways. “It
offers students width and depth of
information unmatched by any textbook or
library.” But Vinod also believes that Sri
Lankan teachers need to hone their digital
skills in order to guide students better while
sifting through the sea of information.
Students have become bolder thanks to the
digital platforms, says Vinod. “Today, if you
don‟t like a teacher, you can simply put up a
status update on Facebook and be sure to
start a conversation.”

22. Knowing me, knowing you
Diana Fernandez has been a teacher in Singapore for
the past 19 years. She started teaching at Gim Moh
Secondary School in Singapore and is now a
permanent staff of Singapore Chinese Girl‟s School.
“I teach English and Literature, but sometimes the
school even makes me teach the girls P.E. (physical
education)!” she says.
Diana has observed the effect of social change on her
students. “Things have really changed in society, so
of course it affects the girls. Our education system is
not moving fast enough for them.” In her school, an
independent institution, there are more options
within the academic environment to do what‟s best
for the students. “But I know it‟s different in other
schools that don‟t have that much freedom,” she
feels.
The increasing emphasis on arts programs and sports The more popular sports are basketball,
education in Singapore has also affected the students. netball and tennis. On the other hand,
Participating in co-curricular activities in school is arts programs such as dance, drama and
compulsory because it encourages interaction debate are demanding attention. But
between students. Many girls now want to have two since students who do well in sports are
CCAs, though in the past they could barely cope with considered „cooler‟, many students still
one. “I‟m worried that they won‟t have enough time pick both.
to relax.” If a student opts for a sports-based activity
as well as an arts-based one, she would only get back Diana feels students nowadays aren‟t
home at around 6pm or 7pm. well versed in ethics, and are not
necessarily respectful of their elders
compared to students five years ago. “It‟s
not too bad in SCGS, mostly because I
drill it into their brains! But when I see
kids outside, I‟m ashamed when they
behave badly,” she says with a sigh.

23. Playing on my iPod*
* or at my favorite
KTV parlor

24. Playing on my iPod*
JAPAN
SRI LANKA
“GO GO SUMMER!”
Damith Asanka Kara
Mata Heenayak Wela http://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=7AO2Wa-
http://www.youtube.co DVRU
m/watch?v=A5Jz2LbnO
AM&feature=related http://www.youtube.com
/watch?v=l_pC95haJTE
“You”
Juju
http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=UVLeK9Q5teM
Romesh
Digu Dasa
“パレオはエメラルド”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E
SKE48
dXYU2EbUwo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/
INDIA watch?v=6OenMFm-I5M
Mika and Amrita
“Desi Beat” from the
film Bodyguard
www.youtube.com/wat “Senorita” from the
ch?v=zd5e7zgKxgg film Zindagi Na Milegi
Dobara
http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=Bo9MEM-LsX0

25. Playing on my iPod*
PHILIPPINES CHINA
Maroon 5 Jam Hsiao
“Wild Dreams”
Moves like Jagger
http://www.xiami.com
http://www.youtube.co /widget/0_177026472
m/watch?v=suRsxpoAc 1/singlePlayer.swf
5w&feature=related
Jane Zhang
Nicki Minaj
“My Looks”
Link:
Super Bass
http://www.xiami.com/
widget/0_1770216428/
http://www.youtube.co
singlePlayer.swf
m/watch?v=4JipHEz53s
U&ob=av3e
TAIWAN
PAKISTAN Jeremy Liu
Miss You
Quratulain Baluch
http://www.youtube.co
Akhian Nu Rehen De m/watch?v=wZNFMOR3
http://www.youtube.co AxE&feature=related
m/watch?v=Xvy3hnw_
pU0&feature=feedlik
VIETNAM
Van Mai Huong
Neu Nhu Anh Den
http://mp3.zing.vn/video-
clip/Neu-Nhu-Anh-
Den-Van-Mai-
Huong/ZWZC7FFA.ht
ml

26. What‟s making people really happy,
and why?

27. Elated about
The Banga brothers are two names on a growing list of global Indian business leaders, a
roster that includes CEOs such as Citigroup's Vikram Pandit and PepsiCo's Indra Nooyi as
well as the deans of both Harvard Business School and INSEAD. Lakshmi Mittal may have had
the advantage of growing up in the family business, but ArcelorMittal has been transformed
into a global powerhouse thanks to his leadership.
What factors account for the rise of India-trained business minds? “Our colleagues in our
Asian offices are asking the same question,” laughs Jill Ader, head of CEO succession at the
executive-search firm Egon Zehnder International. "Their clients in China and Southeast Asia
are asking, „How come it's the Indians getting all the top jobs?‟”
People like Motorola‟s Sanjay Jha or Berkshire Hathaway's Ajit Jain (tipped to be Warren
Buffett's successor) have succeeded due to talent and drive, and not because they're Indian.
Nooyi too has spent most of her formative career years outside the country. So is it that these
overachievers just happen to be Indian? As Ajay Banga notes, "You are who you are because
of what you do, not the color of your skin.”
Yet data suggests ever more Indians are scaling higher corporate heights. In a study of S&P
500 companies, Egon Zehnder found more Indian CEOs than any other nationality except
American. Indians lead seven companies, Canadians, four. Among the C-suite executives in
the 2009 Fortune 500 were two mainland Chinese, two North American Chinese and 13
Indians, according to a study by two professors from Wharton and China Europe
International Business School.
“The earth is full of Indians,” wrote Salman Rushdie. “We get everywhere.” Unlike, say, a
Swede or a German, an Indian executive is raised in a multiethnic, multi-faith, multilingual
society, one nearly as diverse as the modern global marketplace. Perhaps why he – or she –
is poised for success.

28. Elated about
Baseball fans around Taiwan got up early on Saturday morning to cheer for Taiwan's top pitcher
Chien-Ming Wang, who was back on the Major League Baseball mound for Washington Nationals
after a serious shoulder injury had kept him away for more than two years.
At Taipei City Hall, large screens were set up for a live broadcast of the game against the New
York Mets, attended by hundreds of excited fans. So what if the Nationals lost 8-5? Viewers
started pouring in before 6am, some dressed in red and white, the colors of the Nationals‟
jersey. "Today is Chien-Ming Wang's first game back, so I'm dressed in red in the hope of
bringing him good luck," said 27-year-old Raul, who used blue tape to make Wang's number
"40” on his red jersey to show his solidarity.
It's the time of year that Chinese high school
graduates get excited about the start of
college. It usually begins with receipt of
acceptance letters, but this year it started
even before thanks to a text message sent
out by Nanjing University of Science and
Technology. The university sent
acceptances via text message that struck a
chord thanks to the trendy writing style. This
soon sparked the “coolest acceptance letter
battle” on Sina Weibo, China‟s micro-
blogging site. As of early August, there
were more than 350,000 acceptance letters
posted on Weibo.com, with millions of users
expressing their views on which school had
the best missives. An application has even
been created to make fake, funny
acceptance letters on Weibo.com.

29. Elated about
Basketball is considered the most popular sport in the Philippines. So it wasn‟t surprising that
tickets to the Smart Ultimate All-Star Weekend sold out in five days. The BIG event was
brought to the Philippines by one of the top telecom service providers, SMART
Communications, the brand that sponsors the national basketball team (Smart Gilas), which
played against the NBA stars.
More a friendly game than a competitive one, the SMART All-Star Weekend gave Pinoy
basketball fans a chance to see their NBA idols in action with their top local basketball players
– who themselves seemed somewhat star-struck by the visitors!
Amidst a barrage of bad news,
Pakistanis have found a designer
distraction in the form of Hina Rabbani
Khar, the new minister of foreign
affairs. Why is she such big news?
For one, she is Pakistan‟s first female
foreign minister, and the youngest.
And for another… well, she‟s quite the
looker! News channels in Pakistan and
across the border have been full of
images and stories about the 33-year-
old. Sure, we should all be more
focused on the foreign issues plaguing
Pakistan for which Khar has been
appointed. But for now, Pakistanis are
just glad to finally have someone who
presents a more refined image of
Pakistan to the world; and as one
newspaper said, puts our “best face”
forward.

30. Elated about
The last weeks of June were eventful for many
Singaporean soccer lovers. On July 23, fans
On July 4, 2011, former Sri Lankan cricket gathered at Jalan Besar Stadium for the first leg
captain Kumara Sangakkara addressed a packed of the World Cup qualifiers.
Lords Stadium to deliver the Cowdrey Lecture,
the only Sri Lankan cricketer to ever be given It started badly after the Singaporean Lions
this honor. allowed Malaysia to score in the opening 30
seconds of the game. The scores were leveled,
In his speech, Sangakkara spelled out all that is however, when Aleksandar Duric took
wrong with the cricket administration in Sri advantage of a free kick to find a hole in the
Lanka. He explained the important role cricket Malaysian defense and got the ball past the
had played in rebuilding the war-torn country goalie.
and why it is crucial that cricket be kept away
from politics and selfish motivations. Fearlessly Singapore put in another three goals at a
he attacked the cricket board and its greed, steady pace but after captain Shahril Ishak was
elitist attitude and politics. He brought to light substituted, the home team‟s defense
the machinations which threaten to tarnish his weakened. Malaysia took advantage of this,
beloved game and took a stand against those in scoring in the 69th minute. Another goal a
power. minute later brought the scores up to 4-3,
leaving fans of both sides on the edge of their
As expected, immediately after Sangakkara‟s seats. Finally, Duric scored again in the 81st
speech the cricketing authorities expressed their minute to seal the deal at 5-3.
discomfort and declared that “it will be dealt
with firmly”. But the media, social leaders and The second leg of the game was held on July
average Sri Lankan all came out in full support of 28 at Bukit Jalil Stadium, Kuala Lumpur. The
him. The national media echoed Sangakkara‟s Singapore team had to keep the score low, as
sentiments and condemned political interference a difference of over two goals would see
in cricket. Eminent cricket writers like Peter Malaysia through. They met much resistance
Roebuck labeled the speech a turning point in from the home fans in KL, but still managed to
cricket history. Fans used social media to wrangle a draw of 1-1. That pushed Singapore
express solidarity with the former captain. through to the third round of the 2014 World
Cup qualifiers for the second time in history,
One cannot say if things will now change in Sri with an aggregate score of 6-4.
Lankan cricket. Still, the fact that someone had
the guts to speak up in a country where freedom
of speech is often curbed, brought hope to
millions.

32. Waiting list
In the spring of 2011, Jeremy Scott
made sneaker history when he fused a
cuddly teddy bear with a chunky Metro
Attitude Hi. This season, he continues
the trend by looking east to China„s
giant bamboo eaters for inspiration.
The new Jeremy Scott x Adidas Panda
Bear Sneakers were released in the
Chinese market on August 1 at two
select retailers in Beijing and Shanghai.
Priced at a comparatively high
RMB1,680, they have still become a
must-have item amongst the young and
trendy this fall.
Even before the official launch, strong
demand was demonstrated for the
sneakers on Chinese social networking
sites Renren.com and Weibo.com.
According to updates on Renren, the
sneakers were sold out to Adidas
members even before the official
launch!
Thousands flocked to Taipei„s Ximen area to watch the second official trailer of Seediq Bale, one of
the most-anticipated locally produced films, to be released later this year. An earlier trailer for
the epic, whose NT$700 million (US$24 million) budget is a record high in Taiwan's film history,
was screened in cinemas and posted on YouTube where it received more than 10,000 views.
Seediq Bale, which means “real men” in the Seediq language, is to be released in two episodes.
The film, which took 12 years to make, is set against the backdrop of the Wushe Incident -- a
large-scale uprising by the Seediq tribe against their Japanese colonizers in the 1930s.

33. Waiting list
The summer is university application season Mansi Sheth, who scored 92.2 per cent in the
across India, and that brings with it some SSC board exam, was ecstatic when she saw
stressful times. So imagine the shock when that she had been awarded a seat in the college
Shri Ram College of Commerce in New Delhi of her choice. "I have been allotted a commerce
announced that it had pegged its first cut-off seat at HR College, Churchgate, which was my
for its hugely popular B.Com (Honours) course first preference," she said. But for Kirtana Shetty
at a staggering 100 per cent! who scored only 2 per cent less in the ICSE
board exam, Friday's list was a bitter
Across the board, cut-offs are rising and most disappointment. "I got a seat in a commerce
students will depend on waiting lists to get college but it is not the one I wanted. I hope to
admission. There seems to be no place for improve the result in a later list," said Shetty.
weak students. Lokesh Bhandari, a student of
Ahlcon Public School in Mayur Vihar, was Cut-offs for other students for the best colleges
happy with his aggregate of 91.25 per cent - have been creeping upwards for years.
till the cut-offs were announced. “I am University administrators have said it is partly
interested in economics and mathematics, but the result of grade inflation in school exams --
I think I'll have to wait till the third or the fourth meaning that more kids are leaving school with
list to see if I can get through any of the North higher test scores, causing colleges to raise
Campus colleges,” he said. their cut-offs in order to make sure they still get
the best students. But India is also facing a
supply crunch when it comes to higher
education. It now has about 500 universities but
needs four times that number, say government
experts.
The Amarnath Shivlinga resembles the
symbolic Shiv idol, and is formed naturally from
ice. On June 29, when the yatra began at the
12,729-foot-high cave, the icy idol was 18 feet
tall. By the end of it, thanks to an
unprecedented rush of devotees, the idol had
completely melted away.
Still, worshippers
Pilgrims’ progress apparently stood in
queue for over six
Devotees at one of India‟s most sacred hours. “The Shivlinga I
pilgrimage sites in Amarnath have had a long saw yesterday was
wait ahead of the last day of darshan, August 13. smaller than the one
This year has seen the highest number of shown in the
devotees visiting Amarnath, with nearly 600,000 photographs released
pilgrims arriving for an annual pilgrimage to in the initial days of the
the cave shrine in less than a month. On top of yatra. But I think I‟m
that, pilgrims who reached late faced still lucky to catch a
disappointment as the holy „Ice Lingam‟, the glimpse of it,” said
most interesting phenomenon of the annual Durga Prasad Kaw, a
pilgrimage, was melting fast. pilgrim from Panipat.

34. Waiting list
Movie goers in Karachi were recently introduced
to 3D cinema at the Atrium Mall, which is located
not in one of the elitist pockets of Karachi but in
the heart of the city. The Atrium Cinema was
launched on December 31, 2010. Apart from
being the first state-of-the-art 3D cinema in
Karachi, the Atrium Cinema has elevated the
experience of going out to the movies in many
ways. From the warm ambience to the
sophisticated interiors to the delicious caramel
popcorn -- not to mention all the latest summer Other cinemas were quick to introduce 3D but
blockbusters from Hollywood and Bollywood -- will require major overhaul in order to match the
the Atrium Cinema has taken the city by storm. class and prestige that the Atrium Cinema has
Viewers have been queuing for tickets days in managed to achieve. Here‟s hoping that others
advance. And getting seats for a weekend show – do equal the experience at Atrium Cinema,
well, that‟s near impossible. because a little competition is always healthy.
The annual World Cosplay Summit, held in Aichi prefecture, Japan, is the only event where
cosplay (or costume role-play) lovers from all over the world gather to showcase their hand-
made costumes and compete for the best-dressed award. After the massive “Red Carpet”
cosplay parade, there‟s a series of performances where celebrity judges vote to choose the
cosplay champion.
Despite the earthquake and fear of nuclear radiation, the number of participants in this year‟s
cosplay summit has hit a record high with over 17,000 cosplayers and cosplay fans from 17
different countries.
Finally, a Brazilian dressed as a character from
“Final Fantasy 12” was chosen as winner. An
Italian came in second, dressed as an anime
character from “Sugar Sugar Rune”, while a
Chinese participant geared up as a “Dynasty
Warriors 6” character placed third. A Japanese
contestant dressed as a Mario Brother came in
sixth.
The cosplay community has become strikingly
diverse over the past few years. Competition is
becoming more heated as the number of foreign
cosplayers increases and the judges demand
higher standards of creativity from the global
cosplay community.

35. Waiting list
The San Pallegrino world‟s 50 best restaurants
might have named Iggy‟s and Gunther‟s the best
restaurant in Singapore, but Andre‟s, a new
artisan restaurant opened by Taiwanese native
Andre Chiang, is steadily climbing the chart.
The French fusion restaurant opened its doors
last October on Bukit Pasoh Road next to
Emperor Hotel. They seat only 30 people at a
time and serve a degustation menu based on
Andre‟s “octa-philosophy” of eight different
characteristics.
Each course is based on a single theme --
Unique, Texture, Pure, Terroir, Salt, South or
Artisan -- designed to tap into people‟s memory
banks and personal experiences to create a
memorable dining experience.
Locals rave about the food by Chef Andre on
review websites such as hungrygowhere.com
and tripadvisor.com, calling it an “experience
that softens the senses and opens the mind”.
There is currently a two month waiting list for the
degustation menu at Andres.

36. Tense about …

37. Tense about
On July 24, 2011, a collision between two high-speed trains near the coastal city of
Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, China, left at least 40 dead and 210 injured. The accident
occurred when one train lost power after being struck by lightning, and another train hit
it from behind, causing a derailment. Two carriages subsequently fell off a bridge.
The accident unleashed a torrent of public criticism and raised doubts about China's
breakneck plans to expand high-speed rail across the country. On China‟s micro-
blogging website Weibo.com, netizens have been questioning official explanations for
the cause of the accident as well as the earnestness of the rescue and recovery efforts
that followed. “If a train is stopped on the tracks, can't dispatchers be automatically
notified? Is this accident due to irresponsible personnel or a design problem with the
trains?” they asked.
In light of the Aquino administration‟s campaign
to resolve corruption, and fraud cases left by the
previous administration, Filipinos are
experiencing a period of guarded optimism.
They feel that justice will finally be served. The
question now is, when?
July‟s State of the Nation address roused those
impatient for change, prompting questions on
why the impact of reforms has still not been felt in
particular sectors after a year in service. Filipinos
believe that constructive criticism is an essential
feature in improving the governance process in
the Philippines. As incremental changes can only
be recognized over time, it may seem like a long
wait for many.

38. Tense about
Food inflation in India zoomed to 9.9 per cent for There has been an across-the-board rise in
the week ended July 30 as rains made prices during the week, with egg, meat and fish
transportation across the country a challenge. rising the fastest, at nearly 6 per cent. Prices of
The rate, the highest in over three months, made onions, potatoes, fruits, and cereals also rose
it difficult for the Reserve Bank to stop raising during the week. Though inflation in food is
interest rates despite global economic largely driven by rising input costs and supply
uncertainty and deceleration in industrial constraints, the RBI has been worried that it
growth. could cause a vicious wage-price spiral.
“Inflation has been very volatile and right now
monsoons have triggered additional
transportation problems for food products.
Perishables are mostly generating the price
spikes now,” said Rupa Rege Nitsure, chief
economist, Bank of Baroda.
Sri Lankans are extremely passionate about their Despite this, a top official ordered that the
vehicles. There are an estimated three million contaminated stock be released to filling stations
petrol vehicles in Sri Lanka, so when a petrol and, as a result, thousands of vehicles and
scam hit the country recently, there were a lot of numerous pumps were damaged, requiring
angry car-owners to contend with. extensive and expensive repairs. Aggrieved
motorists were provided hotline numbers to
Around 20,000 metric tons of low quality petrol lodge their complaints, but the numbers were
(below the normal 90 octane standard) were mostly non-responsive. The petroleum ministry
released on the market. It was further revealed also attempted to blame rain water for the
that this stock was tested at a laboratory before contamination, even though the nation had been
release and found unfit for use because there experiencing one of the driest spells in recent
were metal particles and other substances which times.
could damage motor vehicles.

39. Tense about
Karachi has long been the face Pakistan wished to
show to the world. The port city -- the sixth or
seventh largest in the world, depending on whom
you ask, with a population of more than 18 million –
once represented the ideal of what Pakistan ought
to have been. There are cities around the world
that you just can‟t imagine leaving. No matter what
goes down in the city, despite tension, havoc and
chaos, you still say, “This is MY CITY, and I just
can‟t leave it.” Karachi was one of them.
Yet the City of Lights, which is the source of 70 per
cent of Pakistan‟s revenue, is now plagued by
intense violence, targeted killings and lawlessness.
Karachi is bleeding like never before, with the city
turning into a battleground.
This was once the city where shops would stay
open late, restaurants would be booming and traffic
would be crazy. But a lot has changed in the past
few years. If you are a student, you now just want to
go home as soon as you‟re done with school. If
you‟re working, you want the day to end as soon as
possible so you can catch a ride back home.
The worst-affected areas in Karachi have been the
Qasba Colony and Orangi Town, where terrorists
fired rockets, bombed houses and killed innocent
civilians. They looted homes, burnt cars and
torched shops. Firing all around the city has
resulted in many lives being lost.
Yet we have hope that one day this all will end.
Karachi is indeed a survivor‟s city, and we know
that this violence doesn't define us.

40. Tense about
Low scores in the recent university entrance There‟s a growing concern on the effects of
exams have raised concerns that nuclear radiation on Japan‟s food supply.
Vietnamese students today do not have the Recently, many cows in Tokyo
necessary knowledge of the country‟s slaughterhouses were found to be tainted
history. Many students got low marks, while with almost 2,500 Becquerel per kilogram of
thousands of students got zero. This has radioactive cesium, which is 500 per cent
prompted discussion and debate on higher than Japan‟s permissible limit. In
whether it is necessary to revamp current addition, dried green-tea leaves, harvested
curriculums and teaching methods for in Shizuoka prefecture, were were found to
history, or whether there is simply a lack of have levels of radioactive cesium above the
commitment towards and interest in permitted threshold.
Vietnamese history.
For the Japanese, food produced in Japan
Limited career opportunities and lower has traditionally been considered more safe
salaries for history graduates have also had and reliable than imported products. But
an impact on the subject‟s popularity, and now, things are different. There has been a
educators have recognized the need to surge in sales of New Zealand pork and
make the subject more relevant to every beef, and it seems inevitable that this is a
generation of Vietnamese student. trend that will continue in the time to come.

41. Everyone’s talking
about …
Campaigns & events generating buzz

42. Everyone’s talking about
Strip surge in Manila
Bench Lifestyle Clothing is one of the most
successful Filipino-owned businesses to
have made it internationally. They have
received endorsements from local and
foreign celebrities, all of whom are proud to
have a Bench campaign in their portfolios.
So it worked out well for the rugby team
Philippine Volcanoes when they tied up with
the brand with the hope of making rugby a
more popular sport in a country where
almost every street has a basketball hoop.
This is not the first time that the brand has
put up big billboards of almost-naked men
on the main highway of Metro Manila. The
first such campaign prompted much talk
about propriety and it was only a matter of
time before this latest campaign received
the same attention – which must have been
expected by the advertisers. Shocked
conservatives called for the huge
billboards to be taken down – a great way of
getting in the news!
A calendar of the Philippine Volcanoes
featuring similar, sexy shots sold out fast,
with proceeds going to a rugby fund.

43. Everyone’s talking about
Travel bugs in Vietnam
Taiwan Excellence has partnered with the country‟s leading IT brands to launch IT
Travellers GO across Vietnam, Indonesia and India. The regional campaign developed
by Ogilvy One Vietnam encourages young dynamic consumers to showcase their IT
lifestyle by uploading images and videos to gain public votes and support.
Twelve contestants will be chosen to participate in a journey across each of the three
countries using the Taiwanese IT partner products and will then have to blog about their
experiences for a chance at the ultimate prize of US$20,000.
Beer on the rocks in Japan
It‟s been a pretty hot summer in Japan this year, and ever since the
nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, there‟s been increasing efforts to
use less electricity, even in the face of the heat. So office workers,
despite following the Cool Biz dress code, need a way to cool
down. That led Kirin Beer, one of the beer manufacturing giants of
Japan, to launch Ice Plus Beer, a new beer designed to be had with
ice!
Although considered a no-no by beer aficionados, Kirin‟s
unconventional Ice Plus Beer has caught on with Japanese
executives. Ice Plus Beer is specially designed to be poured over
ice, with a high concentration of flavor, aroma, and alcohol so that it
tastes better than regular beer would when diluted with ice.

44. Everyone’s talking about
Population control in India…
The new Idea ad suggests that 3G technology is
so entertaining that consumers are no longer
having sex every time they are bored. The
result? India‟s population problems are
reversed!
After a series of thought-provoking campaigns around themes of caste war, education for
all, democracy, use of mobiles to save paper and language barrier, this time the muse is
population control. The ad shows that couples who had no entertainment apart from sex
before the 3G days are now spending all their time having fun with their cellphones. The
ad leaves viewers with the catchphrase 'No Baby, Only 3G'. When Abhishek Bachchan‟s
friend asks him about his own baby (which is on the way in real life), Bachchan
sheepishly says that the deed was done before 3G! Watch the ad here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqtB-IaeEo8
… and small screen weddings
“Begaani shaadi mein abdulaah deewana” is a Hindi saying which
roughly translates to “getting enthusiastic about someone else‟s
wedding”. Not only does this happen in real life, it happens on the
small screen also, with Indian telly audiences tuning in whenever
there is a wedding on any popular TV show.
The most recent wedding is notable for being quite unconventional.
Ram Kapoor and Priya on Bade Achhe Laggte Hain, on Sony
Entertainment Television, are interesting because they are quite old
compared to most couples on Indian TV, and in India late marriage
is still fairly unusual in most traditional families.
This storyline has helped serial soap-maker Ekta Kapoor reclaim the
small-screen queen crown, with everyone in a tizzy over this on-
screen couple.

45. Everyone’s talking about
The lasting impression in Taiwan
The Fun Pack Song in Singapore
The 16-minute Taiwanese film My Beautiful
Island features four different life stories -- a
In early June, mayhem erupted on Youtube
young American searching for a sense of
around a video taken during the rehearsal of
belonging, three young Japanese women
Singapore‟s National Day Parade to celebrate
traveling around the world to celebrate their
the 46th year of independence on August 9 of
friendship, a family with a rebellious teenager
the multicultural melting pot.
and an elderly couple planning a romantic
holiday.
The video featured the “Fun-Pack” song, an
adaptation of Lady Gaga‟s Bad Romance. The
The film is a departure from the usual
modified lyrics referred to the “Goodie-bag”,
promotional format and aims to stir people's
a pack that each spectator was to receive at
emotions, said its director Johnason Lo.
the Marina Bay stadium celebrations.
Lo, who has won the international Promax, iF
Within a week, there were over 50,000 views
Design and red-dot awards, said he tried to
on Youtube. But Singaporeans were soon
avoid the conventional tourism narrative that
embarrassed by the silly and suggestive
focuses on scenic spots. "The most meaningful
lyrics, and global viewers called it a “butchery
element of a trip is the people who give tourists
of Lady Gaga‟s creativity”.
their most lasting memories," he said.
The song was later removed from the
The film will be released on TV in San Francisco
performance lineup as organizers did not have
next month and later in Japan, Korea, Singapore
the rights for the Lady Gaga track. When
and Hong Kong. It is part of a larger campaign
asked about the song, Lady Gaga said she had
worth NT$100 million (US$3.4 million), which
no comment.
tourism bureau director-general Janice Lai
hopes will attract 500,000 tourists to in turn
generate revenue of US$770 million per year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncU6_jG4P7Q

46. Everyone’s talking about
The Lynx Effect in China Through a wide range and varied
digitally-driven campaign focused on
Launching a brand in China is hard, creating educating young male consumers on the
a new product category is even harder. On brand and product, Lynx has generated a
June 10, 2011, Unilever officially launched it‟s great deal of buzz amongst the Chinese
Lynx brand in the Chinese market with a youth. Humorous viral videos charged
campaign featuring controversial celebrity with sexual innuendo captured the
Edison Chen, the star of 2008 scandal in imagination of thousands of young
which the youth idol‟s personal sex photos Chinese men and women, educating them
were released to the public. After the on how to use this new type of product
scandal, Chinese took to calling Edison (body sprays and shower gels). Coupled
„Professor Chen‟, thanks to his apparent with smart live activities – most of which
expertise in sexuality and photography. were presided over by an army of scantily
clad “Lynx Angles” – and a host of digital
In Lynx‟s (also known as Axe) latest TV spot, platforms, the campaign went from zero to
Chen is cast as a laboratory researcher, over 100,000 unique new followers,
uncovering the secret to make women flock commentators and viewers on Chinese
to men like bees to honey. social networking sites in just three
months.
“I have always wished there was
something like a Mating Bible to teach me
how to get girls and solve my girl trouble.
Coming from Edison Chen, this must
work. The online videos are interesting as
well,” said one follower on Lynx‟s page on
micro-blogging website Weibo.com.

47. Everyone’s talking about
Rural smarts in Sri Lanka
CIC Agri is a leading name in the agricultural business in Sri Lanka. The company‟s
products and services cover the entire gamut of the agricultural business – from
seed to shelf. Some of its flagship products are paddy seeds, fertilizers and tractors.
To reinforce their leadership in the agri business, CIC recently launched a campaign
led by three TVCs, each highlighting one of their lead offerings. For better cultural
connect with the target group (i.e. farmers), CIC drew upon Shailygatha – a musical
dramatic form popular with rural audience, similar to the jatra folk art of Bengal,
India. With over-the-top characterization and humorous content, this campaign not
only stands out amongst the current message clutter but has also generated chatter
among urban audiences.
Click hereto watch the ads:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXpZxn3NQA4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02rnwVIR1oE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jzBO1MZo1Q&feature=related

48. A peek at some unique or popular
offerings on the Web

49. Online shopping
http://www.clickthecity.com/hot-off-the- Savvy Vietnamese shoppers can now login
press/?p=12045 at http://muachung.vn, one of the first
Groupon sites to take Vietnam‟s online
Multiply, which started out as a social market by storm. The group coupon website
networking site, has evolved into a digital offers one “Groupon” per day. If a certain
shopping portal, thanks to entrepreneurial number of people sign up for the offer, then
Filipinos who utilized the site‟s popular the deal becomes available to all. However,
Photo Album feature to showcase products if the predetermined minimum is not met,
and wares. Taking its cue from this growing no one gets the deal that day.
trend, Multiply harnessed the opportunity to
rework the site with a fully-functioning e- As an exciting new channel for Vietnamese
commerce platform to ensure a safe and consumers to not only search but access
hassle-free digital shopping experience for new products and services, Muachung.vn is
its users at clickthecity.com. only increasing in popularity and is getting
much positive feedback from consumers.
 17 product categories
 88,000 stores and growing
 24/7 store hours
 Easy-to-follow and secure
payment process through BDO
Virtual Card, BPI, Paypal and G-
Cash Buyer Protection Program

50. Online shopping
Launched as the first global import agent and online shopping mall in Korea in 2001,
Wizwid deals in trendy products at reasonable prices. It differentiates itself from other
online shopping portals through its brand sourcing strategy and collaborative fashion
projects under its [W Concept].
To provide users a convenient global shopping experience, Wizwid acts as a purchase
agent, bringing up-to-date fashions from famous and less known contemporary brands to
Korea. The collaborative collections with promising Korean designers also helped build the
site‟s image as a premium shopping mall. The [W Concept] has brought unique lines from
designers such as Doo ri, Jain Song, Choi Jung In, ANDY & DEBB, Suecomma bonnie, Jardin
de Chouette and Seun to online consumers in Korea.
WIZWID‟s path has been quite distinct from other online fashion sites. Cheaper than offline
malls, its selective brand souring strategy and exclusive designer lines have not been easy
to copy.

51. Online shopping
FashionAndYou.com and DealsAndYou.com are
the pioneers of flash sales in India. These online
sales offer powerful alternate marketing and
sales vehicles to brands searching for a novel
approach
Fashion and You has witnessed over 35 per cent
growth month on month, charted by social and
digital word of mouth marketing. Interestingly
35-40 per cent of their active members are in
non-metros and smaller towns. “We started
Fashion and You with the aim of providing
China‟s largest online apparel retailer
premium quality products to our members
VANCL.com was created in 2007 by
across the country,” said Pearl Uppal, CEO and
Chinese e-commerce entrepreneur Chen
co-founder, Fashion and You. “In the very first
Nian, also known for founding Joyo which
year we became the number one shopping club
was later sold to Amazon. In three years,
and the number one online fashion retail
VANCL has captured 28.4 percent of the
company in India.”
online B2C garment sales in China and has
become one of the most popular online
In 2010, Lakme Fashion Week became the first
fashion week in Asia to embrace e-commerce to shopping destinations for the youth.
drive the business of fashion. Fashion and You,
In the past few years VANCL has grown
its official online partner, is mentioned on the
LFW website as India‟s largest private shopping rapidly, maximizing the opportunity
club, now accessed by over 1.2 million high net- presented by China‟s online clothes market.
worth members, working with over 450 luxury, The company’s sales in 2008 reached
about RMB300 million and doubled in 2009.
high fashion and designer brands.
This year, VANCL expects sales to touch
RMB20 billion and is looking at a Nasdaq
listing.
They key factor behind VANCL's success
appears to be the tremendous amount of
online advertising it leverages to target
young urban Chinese aged 18 to 28 years.
Its stylish clothing at affordable prices are
made by famous designers from Europe
and America who tailor the garments to
suit the Asian market, a model which has
proved very popular with the Chinese
consumer.

52. Online shopping
Taiwan's online Uniqlo store is doing so well that it is posing a threat to retailers with 200 stores
on the streets. In four years, Lativ, founded by Chang Wei-chiang, has seen its revenue grow
from NT$10 million to an estimated NT$1.5 billion this year.
When Chang decided to go into business, he noticed that most online clothing stores were
selling trendy, fancy and cheap clothes that were of poor quality. He set about learning the
basics of the clothing business, studying fabrics, patterns and cut. After only a year in business,
Chang sold 600,000 polo shirts at a price of NT$168 each.
High quality has helped build trust among customers and now 80 per cent of Lativ's 250,000
members are repeat buyers. The product lines have also expanded to include children‟s wear
and underwear.
This group is in regular touch with family and
friends back home, and this is Kapruka‟s main
target market. The site started out as a means for
expats to send gifts to loved ones in Sri Lanka,
expanding its network by buying gift shops
across the country to deliver to any doorstep in
Sri Lanka.
Kapruka now has offices in UK and USA as well
as Sri Lanka and provides over 5,000 gift
products for its customers, ranging from flowers
to restaurant foods. It has become popular
among Sri Lankans living outside the country
wishing to send surprise gifts for birthdays and
Sri Lanka is still in its digital infancy. other occasions.
However, growth signs are extremely
positive with Facebook just passing the one The unique approach to business and offline
million-user mark, and e-commerce product development are key factors behind the
becoming more popular. But even so, success of Kapruka as a leading e-commerce
Kapruka.com‟s business model depends business in Sri Lanka.
largely on Sri Lanka‟s large expat
community of over two million people.

53. For more information, to request a presentation on
cultural insights, or to contribute your perspectives
in your market, please write to:
kunal.sinha@ogilvy.com