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Hong Kong August 3, 2004 - American International Assurance Company (Bermuda) Limited (AIA) has launched a new television commercial, “Runner”, which portrays how AIA helps people overcome the challenges they encounter in their daily lives from the cradle to old age. The advertisement also reflects the company's innovative approach to insurance and its support for a healthy and sporty attitude to life. This approach dovetails with AIA's sponsorship for the Hong Kong delegation of the Athens Olympic Games as well as the upcoming Asian and East Asian Games.
The TV commercial depicts how life becomes a race from the minute he/she is born. The opening frame shows a doctor helping a woman giving birth. At the moment of birth, the physician fires a starter's pistol in the air and a group of babies is seen rushing out of the hospital, as if joining the race that is life itself.
The theme, "Life is a Race", is conveyed through images that capture the different stages of life: starting from infants running out of the hospital, a group of happy teenagers joins the race, followed by many enthusiastic adults and marriage scenes. The commercial ends with images of retired grandparents shepherding their grandchildren happily. The famous Hong Kong skyline forms the backdrop to this scene. The life cycle is thus completed, linking the old and the new generation.
Scenes such as a young person accidentally stumbling while running up a stairway and an adult participating in an obstacle-race personify the many ups and downs that Hong Kong people must face in life, and that it is through perseverance and participation that people can scale life's many hurdles. The images also show how an AIA agent is ever present to assist clients when they face unforeseen problems.
Mr Alwin Lam, Executive Vice President and General Manager of AIA, said: “The new TV commercial mirrors the depth and breadth of protection and wealth management offered by AIA for different age groups. It also demonstrates our all-round, professional and continually-improving services. What this shows is that everyone of us has to be adequately equipped to face the many hurdles in life. We may not be able to win every race, but what is important is actually our participation and perseverance. After all, in our “golden years”, we all can look back with pride how we overcame difficulties and what we accomplished.''
AIA has always been committed to promoting the importance of family and a healthy lifestyle. As such, we are delighted to play a supporting role to the local sporting community. In order to encourage local elite athletes, AIA will be a sponsor of the Olympic Games, as well as the Asian Games and East Asian Games from 2004 to 2008. By launching the advertising campaign during the Olympic Games, we hope to draw attention to the importance of sports, and to recognize the enthusiasm and sportsmanship of Hong Kong's people.”
The commercial was produced by PMP Advertising (International) Company Limited and directed by famous Hong Kong director Mr. Paul Wong. It will be broadcast from August 4 on both Chinese and English TV channels. The commercial was in a bluish tone to create a more dramatic visual. It also integrates advanced technologies and real-life filming to enhance the standard of production.
"This new AIA commercial involves many innovative approaches in terms of planning and production. As the biggest insurance company in Hong Kong, we are encouraged that AIA accepted our new ideas and has given us enormous creative flexibility. Together, we have been able to achieve a breakthrough in this commercial", said Mr David Wong, Creative Director of PMP Advertising (International) Company Limited.
Mr Paul Wong says that in order to effectively portray the theme, “Life is a Race”, he used a Steadicam to follow and film groups of people racing. The idea of infants rushing out of the hospital was quite a new and refreshing angle.
Mr Paul Wong explained: “To add a bit of drama, I wanted to achieve something different from the usual baby-crawling contests. We used computer animation to achieve a more real-life effect. This was an enormous technical challenge and was also the most time-consuming part of the production. We were fortunate that AIA supported us wholeheartedly to ensure that the outcome was excellent."
“We selected a variety of large venues for filming, including the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, an appropriate hospital and the busy streets of Wanchai. It rained heavily on the day we filmed and we were quite worried that an accident could happen. Fortunately, everyone was very professional and the filming went without a hitch.''
AIA is Southeast Asia's largest life insurer, with branch offices and affiliated companies located in countries and jurisdictions including China, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Guam, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The Company has been assigned ‘AAA' insurer financial strength rating by global credit rating service Standard & Poor's. In Hong Kong, AIA has also been assigned ‘Aaa' the highest rating, by premier financial rating agency Moody's. AIA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of American International Group, Inc. (AIG), the world's leading international insurance and financial services organization.
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