Chapter 3

"我不这么认为！"

A loud and clear voice suddenly rang out, interrupting the murmurs below.

The buzzing chatter instantly quieted down, and all eyes turned to the speaker in surprise.

Chen Tian removed his sunglasses and tucked them into his shirt collar, leaning on the table with both hands and looking down at the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, you are all big bosses and people of great insight. A simple advertising slogan moves you so much, it seems your marketing concepts are still stuck in the past. Advertising is about spreading information, hype, creativity, and ideas. Indeed, sometimes a catchy slogan can be very effective, but looking at all the ads on the market today, they lack something most important."

Seeing no response for a while, the young secretary couldn't help but remind him, "Sir, can you state your case in English?"

Chen Tian's face darkened, "English? French is fine too. Are you sure none of the big bosses here who want to make money in China understand Chinese? Oh, that would be a big problem."

"No need, we understand Chinese. I'm very curious about what the most important thing is that is lacking." The manager spoke.

Chen Tian's lips curled, and he snapped his fingers at Kong Yiji.

"What?" Kong Yiji was stunned.

Chen Tian really wanted to kick him. "The USB drive, boss. How can I present without it?"

"Oh, oh." Kong Yiji reacted and quickly walked to the computer to operate it, feeling that Old Chen had changed a bit lately.

Everything was set; now it was time to perform. His current role was that of a workplace elite.

Chen Tian said, "Please turn off the lights and close the curtains, thank you. Before I present my views, I need to show you a story."

The meeting room darkened, and only the faint light from the projector illuminated Chen Tian's face. "A well-known brand always has its own brand spirit. Among many ads, none can truly convey the essence of the product, just repetitive promotion. A few long-haired beauties washing and showing off, with no creativity. The advertising idea I bring is to add a spirit of transformation to your Pantene, making it come alive. Girls will want to buy it, not just buy it, but treat it like a work of art."

The few people in the meeting room were captivated, temporarily setting aside their preference for the "2-in-1" concept. "Can you elaborate?"

"Of course, that's what we're here for. Before I do, I need to remind you that there will be no advertising slogans in my ad, only the Pantene logo at the end. Please don't interrupt me. In my mind, this is not just an ad, but a work of art. I am confident that ten years from now, viewers will still find it a classic, a timeless masterpiece."

Life is a stage, and acting is key.

If you can't even fool yourself, how can you make others pay attention? This was his first time bidding for an ad, but he didn't find it difficult, not harder than acting. Seeing even the young secretary's attention captured, he stopped teasing. He had laid enough groundwork to leave a deep impression.

"OK, let's start."

He opened the first slide, showing a beautifully colored hand-drawn sketch. Compared to the previous sketch, this one was more vibrant.

Drawing is a basic skill for a director.

Storyboarding is an essential part of film production. He had a magical phone, and he couldn't resist browsing it. He saw the storyboards for Zhang Yimou's "Hero," neatly drawn, reflecting his personality. Xu Ke's martial arts film storyboards were even cooler than comics. Feng Xiaogang's storyboards, with his background in art, were like oil paintings. Only Jiang Wen and Zhou Xingchi were exceptions.

Zhou Xingchi's dynamic light waves charmed many, but the highlight was Jiang Wen's storyboards, which were extremely rough, with messy character designs. Many netizens joked that this was "domineering." Characters were just circles with four matchstick legs.

Chen Tian, destined to be a great director and star, had a solid style, with clean lines and harmonious colors, like a beautiful comic.

He took out a sleek black phone, operated it, and the room filled with the melodious sound of a violin, the classic Canon. Unlike the polyphonic ringtones of today, his phone's music quality was comparable to a speaker, clear and pure. The music drew everyone's attention to the phone. This version of Canon was a multi-cut version, with both soothing and varied sections, enhancing the rhythm of the ad story.

This preparation clearly set them apart from other ad companies, like a short animated story with voiceovers. No ad company was this high-end, subtly highlighting the uniqueness of Wushuang Film Company.

The restless hearts in the meeting room were instantly immersed in the melodious music.

As the slides flipped, Chen Tian narrated a touching and inspiring story.

"A duckling, a deaf girl, wants to learn the violin. 'Are you crazy? Why not try something else? You're wasting everyone's time.' The harsh criticism. Walking down the street, cars honk behind her, but she hears nothing... In a silent world, she is already lonely, and she is bullied by classmates. She is confused, hating why she is different... Every day after school, she goes to listen to a street musician play the violin. The old man communicates with her in sign language, 'Music is visible. Close your eyes, and you can see it.'... At a classical music competition, a performance of Canon shocks the audience. A caterpillar finally transforms into a butterfly, a duckling into a swan..."

"In a silent reality, she is oppressed and trained, but her heart is full of hope and sunshine. The power of dreams is always strong. People are always moved by those who strive for their dreams. Everyone has a spirit that refuses to submit to fate and dares to fight against it. I believe this will touch all viewers. This is my advertising idea. As we all know, viewers don't like watching ads. If an ad is more engaging than a TV show, what effect would it have?!"

The music stopped, and so did Chen Tian's narration. The meeting room fell silent. The final slide showed the audience standing and applauding at the classical music competition.

"Clap, clap." The meeting room echoed with applause. "The story is excellent. Please wait a moment; we need to discuss it."

Chen Tian shrugged, "Take your time."

He was not in a hurry, sitting calmly in his chair.

After a while, someone asked, "May I know your names?"

Kong Yiji's eyes lit up; it was his turn. He quickly walked over and shook hands with the bosses. "We are from Wushuang Film Company. I am Kong Yiji, and my name is on the introduction page. This is Chen Tian, a high-achieving graduate from the Central Academy of Drama, and the overall planner of the ad. To be honest, we were originally planning to make a movie, but due to lack of funds, we turned to advertising. Although we are not a professional ad company, we will approach the ad with a filmmaking mindset, and it will not be inferior to any ad company."

"Ah, a film company, no wonder the story is so good." The manager smiled. "A very impressive story, but it seems a bit long. How long do you plan for the ad?"

Kong Yiji looked at Chen Tian, unsure.

Chen Tian said, "4 minutes and 10 seconds. If we add a line and the logo, it will be 4 minutes and 15 seconds. It is indeed different from current ad times, but I call it an ad feature. Pantene is launching a new product, a grand event in the shampoo industry. It needs to be launched with the grandest atmosphere and the most enthusiastic emotions, fitting for a grand product. It depends on whether your company has the ambition to dominate the market. If you can launch the ad feature with the same scale as a movie, I guarantee the impact and response will far exceed the cost of advertising on other TV stations."

The meeting room fell into discussion again. Kong Yiji's eyes sparkled, thinking, "We're halfway there. The final step is whether they can accept a super-long ad over 4 minutes. Procter & Gamble has mobilized so many ad companies to compete, they won't mind spending a lot. Old Chen hit the nail on the head."

"Amazing." He quietly gave Chen Tian a thumbs up, receiving a glare in return.

The white-haired manager spoke, "In principle, we agree with Mr. Chen's ad feature concept. But we have some concerns. Will there really be no ad slogans at the end? Will just a logo be too monotonous?"

Chen Tian had anticipated this. "At the end, during the fourfold variation of Canon, the scene of the heroine's long hair flying is already a clear indication of a shampoo ad. Too much might be redundant. Chinese culture is subtle, emphasizing the silent influence. Shouting 'buy me, buy me' won't get attention, but after watching a perfect ad, even if the viewer doesn't see the logo clearly the first time, they will be curious and pay more attention the second time. Which is more memorable: a repetitive ad line or a self-discovered memory? I don't need to explain further."

Several people in the audience nodded in agreement. It was a simple psychological issue, with a clear difference.

Chen Tian added, "If you're still unsure, I can add a line. One line is enough."

"What line?"

"You-can-shine! You can shine!"

...