It’s the video that brought throngs of Taiwanese viewers to tears in just three minutes. In one month, it’s been viewed more than a million times on YouTube.
The video? A commercial for TC Bank that tells the story of five elderly men, averaging age 83, who decide to go on a 13-day motorcycle ride through Taiwan. The hook? It’s based on a real story.
The commercial, called “Dream Rangers,” is the third in a series for TC Bank, all of which feature heart-warming stories based on true occurrences. Last year, it featured the story of a mother who didn’t speak English and traveled across four countries to see her daughter. The year before, it was about a school principal who worked with a group of choir kids. The commercials are aired on only in Taiwan.
“It’s important that this be a story that’s happened in the real world,” says Jennifer Hu, Ogilvy & Mather’s creative director, who conceived of the idea.
Ms. Hu says that in Asia, particularly, tear-jerking stories are especially effective and memorable compared with Western societies that favor more humorous or action-packed topics. Only a few viewer comments on YouTube expressed concerns that the story was somehow lessened because it is an ad for a bank. Multiple commenters defended the video and said it inspired them to make the most of their lives. The video has close to 4,000 likes and fewer than 20 dislikes.
But just how close to the truth is the ad? Scene looked behind the scenes and discovered there was indeed a team of members from the elderly society Hong Dao Lao Ren Ji Jing Hui that went on a 13-day motorcycle tour of Taiwan three years ago. But the actual group totaled more than 10 people, including two women, not just the five men in the commercial.
Of the five characters in the video (all of whom were actors) the leader of the group—who declares as he hits a table, “Let’s go ride motorcycles!”—was based on a real man, who died before the commercial aired. Also real is the story of the man who carried his wife’s photograph with him on the bike tour. As for the old man who had trouble hearing? That was an addition from the advertising house.
The actors, the youngest of which was 79 years old, were on set for three full days of shooting. Ambulances were on stand by at all hours; only three of the actors had a riding license and knew how to operate a motorcycle. Ogilvy & Mather didn’t disclose the cost of the commercial.
“One actor brought his girlfriend, who was only in her 20s,” laughs Ms. Hu. “And others had their whole families, with multiple generations, standing in the sidelines for support.”
Ms. Hu is already back to the drawing board for TC Bank’s next commercial, to be launched in 2012. She says that she has more than 100 real-life stories that she has kept in reserve. “You know what they say—making a sequel is always tougher,” she says.
Ahhh before my time on the boards, sorry for the Dupe
08-18-2011, 12:09 AM
Lao Jia Hou
Re: the Commercial that Made Taiwan Cry
That TC Bank ad is great. I never tire of seeing it.
Just this week, there has been a new viral ad (Thai) making the rounds, and making most Chinese viewers cry their eyes out (apparently that is the reason for its popularity). Not bike related, except that it challenges the "tough skin" of most bikers.
Here is the ad on Youtube (with English subtitle) ...
Thanks for reposting Gardo. No crime in sharing something as powerful as that bank ad. I didn't read the WSJ story, which I assume discloses the backstory -- that this was based on a true story. And the earlier thread does show, in crappy video, the oldsters who inspired it.
I hope one of these days, many years hence, that will be us! By then New Jersey might be a province of China...
