On 17 October, Chinese smartphone maker OPPO hosted its Developer Conference, almost exactly a year after the last annual event. From new smartphones, the K12 Plus to Find X8 and Pro, which are scheduled to launch on 24 October, the event also covered the brand’s latest mobile operating system, the ColorOS 15. For the announcement, the phone manufacturer collaborated with an unlikely partner, the American chocolate brand Dove (sold as Galaxy in the UK).
The seemingly unrelated partners in this team-up share a common trait, which became the angle for this campaign. The feature is the smooth experience of the two products, either the texture of the chocolate or the dual engine operating system that “reconstructs” the Android ecosystem. In fact, Dove is known internationally, including in China, for its tagline “Silky smooth”. The two brands also released a series of promotional videos about smooth experiences, from stroking a cat’s coat to skateboarding through the night, the two brands emphasise on the “double silky smooth” brought by the collab.
On Weibo, China’s Twitter equivalent, the topic “ColorOS 15, Dove of mobile phones” (#ColorOS15机圈德芙#) amassed 180 million views, while the topic “OPPO Find X8” has an even more impressive 370 million views. The prize draw incentives aside, reviews are also popular as netizens are very interested in the AI functions of the phone and whether it is gimmicky or practical. From most popular reviews, it seems to be the latter.
OPPO’s collab is a great way of placing the attention on the system’s strengths. It is the perfect example of post-modern advertising, as to advertise the “silky smooth” tagline is embedded into the subconscious and is a great visual way to illustrate the features of the OS. The almost meme-like advert is bound to catch some eyes with both the youthful video and nostalgic sweets. Moreover, Dove is also experimenting with collaborations, from Moutai liquor to Guangzhou Restaurant mooncakes. It seems a natural set for both parties in the collab. However, technically, without a co-branded product, Dove is used by ColorOS more like a brand ambassador appearing in the campaign.
