Vietnam is awash with run-of-the-mill campaigns, which always revolved around the product. Whether Food, Milk, Health Products, the promotional thrust has always been the same.

'The Partner' was created as a way to break away from the norms, and create a product that has not yet been seen in the past.

With two countries joining hand in hand, in production, promotion and airing of the show, both Vietnam and Japan not only created a bridge to reconnect one another, but also opened up countless business opportunities that can be grasped on both regions.

Once the show was conceptualized and made, it was a matter of appealing to the nationalistic ways of both countrymen, Vietnamese & Japanese, hand-in-hand together, just as it has been once before, as it was graciously dramatized in the TV drama. This became the basis for the campaign that revolved around the 'The Partner'.

Understanding the power of content in connecting people, we crafted a media content solution by producing a special TV drama celebrating the 40th anniversary of the two counties and broadcasting it on each of their most influential television stations – VTV and TBS.

The drama, The Partner, is a 2-hour special that depicts the present day and the 1900’s in Japan and Vietnam, inspired by the story of Phan Boi Chau. Through an opportunity where audiences in both countries could share the very moment, it aired on prime time last September 29th, 2013, simultaneously across time zones in Vietnam/Japan.

We provided support in the partnership between the two broadcasters and managed the production. It was filmed in two countries, with collaborating directors and crews from VTV/TBS, and featuring leading actors from each country. Production value amounted to 3 million USD, which is the highest in Vietnam’s TV drama history.

The drama attracted more than 18 million viewers, and even caught the attention of the top-level government officials – including the Prime Ministers of Japan and Vietnam, which generated headlines in both countries. Quite unusual for a media agency, we designed/executed a cross-border effort that contributed to beyond just content creation – it even facilitated cultural exchange and cross-country dialogue.

The drama itself was highly-evaluated in the industry, and awarded in five major categories including the grand prix (Gold Lotus), Best Cinematography, Best Art Design, Best Actor, and Best Actress in Direct-to-Video Film at the Vietnam Film Festival. Held once every two to three years by the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, the event is considered the country's most prestigious recognition for the cinema arts industry. With its extremely high standard, we can say that the awards are the culmination of months of hard work by the casts and production teams from the two TV stations as well as a clear sign of the drama's tremendous impact on Vietnamese audiences.

After the broadcast, VTV agreed to broadcast multiple drama series produced by TBS, giving Japanese advertisers more opportunities to enter Vietnamese households and to be accepted into the Vietnamese market.