Bringing history to life: despite a relatively late start in Southeast Asia, Astro All Asia Networks has already gained significant ground and shares its marketing strategy with Television Asia.(marketing & events)

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Overview

AETN All Asia Networks is a joint venture between A&E; Television Networks (AETN) and ASTRO All Asia Entertainment Networks Limited, a subsidiary of ASTRO All Asia Networks plc (ASTRO). Formed in April 2007, the international media company was established to launch and operate branded channels and services across South East Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

AETN All Asia Networks (AAAN) launched The History Channel and Crime & Investigation Network in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Brunei and Thailand (The History Channel only) on June 15, 2007. The channels are in the process of launching in The Philippines with additional territory launches planned in 2008. The History Channel and Crime & Investigation Network are fully language-versioned in Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesia, Thai and Chinese. AETN All Asia Networks also plans to launch The Biography Channel in the region in 2008, and to deploy its brands and programming via VOD, mobile, broadband and HD in the near future.

Headquartered in Singapore, AETN All Asia Networks also has operations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Creative Agencies

During the launch phase of The History Channel and Crime & investigation Network in South East Asia, the marketing and on-air teams at AAAN worked closely with their counterparts at A&E; Television Networks (AETN) in New York to develop campaigns and materials. With a new team and two channels launching simultaneously in multiple markets, a decision was made to focus primarily on The History Channel for launch, with a more aggressive marketing campaign for Crime & Investigation Network planned for SE Asia early 2008.

Prior to entering the South East Asia markets, AETN and AAAN consulted with local agencies to ensure the existing launch campaigns made sense for, and could be adapted for the region. The basis for The History Channel print campaign selected for launch in SEA was an existing 'Split Image' campaign, a series of ads which blend an ancient and a modern image--for example, the Louvre Museum glass pyramid is combined with an ancient Egyptian pyramid.

While the existing Split Image ads worked for the SEA market, AETN's in-house design team augmented the series with imagery specific to Asia. Three new versions were developed for the SEA launch--blending the Great Wall of China with a modern road in Asia; the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur with a space ship; and a Korean football player with an athlete on an ancient Greek vase. The tagline: "We Bring History to Life--Your Life."

A similar approach was used for Crime & Investigation Network (Cl). AETN used an agency in Boston to develop print and on-air launch materials for the channel which have been used in Europe, Africa and Australia. …