Ad fatigue is at its peak, with creatives having only a mere 2.2 seconds to capture attention, according to Neurons’ 2025 State of Advertising report. In the last seven years, viewer retention has plunged 37%.
Still, when it comes to length, hero films are running longer. In APAC, what stands out this year is a shift in format, with audiences looking for innovation in how films are crafted. Creatives are producing custom edits with multiple cuts to reframe storylines in ways that better connect with ad-fatigued audiences.
“Most hero films now tend to go longer. Many are between two to five minutes, and sometimes even over ten, like Hyundai and Innocean's ‘Night Fishing’, which won a Cannes Lions Grand Prix this year. But it’s the cut-downs and platform-specific adaptations that drive reach and impact,” said Torsak Chuenprapar, co-founder and chief creative officer at Wolf BKK.
Torsak observed that campaigns are now meant to integrate between various channels, platforms, and content. “A 60-second spot can’t just be the centrepiece anymore. Each edit serves a different role and must be conceptualised from the beginning, not as an afterthought,” he explained.
In the case of 'Night Fishing', Hyundai published a 30-second cut on YouTube—a much shorter trailer of the film intended to pique audiences' interest. McDonald's Hong Kong followed a similar format with its 50th anniversary campaign that featured a micro-film running over 10 minutes, alongside a 30-second trailer. Similarly, Cathay Pacific's recent five-minute film was spliced for its behind-the-scenes Shorts specific to mobile audiences.
"Some brands are using tighter, faster edits to capture attention in the first few seconds. Others are creating modular story structures so the film can be broken down into shorter clips for different platforms. And increasingly, we see the use of a strong visual hook—opening with a striking image that stops people from scrolling before the story unfolds," he added.
Formats are in flux as budgets change, with many brands choosing to produce only a couple of key films for TVC this year, said Nikki Golez, founder and chief creative officer at Passionade Creative. Instead, many brands are turning more to social content as a key way to engage with consumers. When it comes to social, compact, punchy work dominates, and longer form films are reserved for brand narratives that demand it.
“Brands are now more conscious than ever about choosing the right platform. Many prefer shorter things they can place online, such as native content for TikTok, Reels, and other platforms. These are often commissioned on smaller budgets,” she observed, adding that longer-format films are often meant to be conversation pieces.
Golez cited McDonald's Philippines account on TikTok, where the fast food giant leverages creator-led content built on viral beats in interactive formats that resonate with Filipino culture. Their campaigns combine memes and creative challenges to spark massive user participation. For example, their TikTok splicing together drive-thru videos by their customers to promote the 'Kiddie Crew Workshop Bootcamp Edition' garnered over 1.8 million views and 145,000 likes.
Social platforms are driving snappier content and brevity in narratives. Digital channels now account for 73% of global ad investment, amounting to US$790 million, according to a 2025 report by Meltwater and We Are Social. Brands flood these platforms with short videos that play on novelty, often run under 15 seconds, and meant to go viral.
In Southeast Asia, ‘online-first' is now the default, even in markets where TV has traditionally had a strong presence. “Filmex, one of the iconic ad production houses in the Philippines, closed in October after 45 years. Budgets are tighter and going to digital,” Golez added. “TV networks have gone online, too.”
Formats are shifting in China, too
Like elsewhere in Asia, China’s appetite for long, predictable TV commercials have faded. Today, creative work is shorter, sharper and more relatable. Collaborations are the secret weapon for brands trying to cut through the noise. Take Luckin Coffee, for example. The homegrown brand has made waves with unexpected partnerships—teaming up with Moutai, China’s iconic liquor, and even a playful marriage between its mascot, Lucky the Deer and Duo the owl from Duolingo. These collaborations do more than generate buzz; they create high engagement with a digital-native audience. Luckin’s nimble, witty approach shows how a local brand can hold its own, and then some, against global giants like Starbucks.
Mo Chen, executive creative director at creative agency TBWA China, shared, “China’s new brands are emerging fast. In a saturated market, collaborations help spark more meaningful consumer interactions—single-brand messaging simply can’t keep up.”
She added that brands are now more discerning: “Collaboration is no longer just an option—it’s the new norm. But as we move forward, it’s not simply about who you collaborate with, but how you collaborate. The way we shape ideas, the formats we explore, and the creative chemistry we build—these elements will become even more critical. I believe we’re on the brink of seeing bolder, more unexpected partnerships that will bring fresh creative challenges, and with them, even greater opportunities for innovation and growth.”
Brenda Jin, founder of PitChina and BrandN, framed collaboration as rooted in cost-effectiveness and meme marketing. “New consumer brands prefer cross-category collaborations or co-branding. This is likely due to limited marketing budgets. By entering a collaboration, both brands can leverage each other’s resources and distribution channels, at the very least, to amplify the impact of the campaign,” she said.
She pointed to Hope Water, a new beverage brand that frequently collaborates, including co-branded products with video games and items inspired by Chinese culture. “This also serves as a market testing process. It’s likely that both brands are highly popular among young people, share a similar target demographic, and together, they can create some buzz/memes,” added Jin.
Jin agreed that long videos can still resonate when the content is strong. “I was very surprised that this TVC is nearly ten minutes long. It’s rare to see such lengthy content these days, and I’m amazed that people have the patience to finish watching it,” she said of Kolon Sport’s “Wildly Growing Trees”, created with Hu Ge, one of China’s top actors.
The film draws on a traditional metaphor comparing personal growth to that of a small tree. For generations, Chinese parents have hoped their children would become “towering trees,” a symbol of exceptional talent. In the storyline, a mother scolds her son while he does his homework, saying, “Your dad and I are just ordinary trees.” The closing scene features “The Road to Ordinary” by singer Pǔ Shù (朴树). Cleverly, the phrase “ordinary trees” sounds identical to the singer’s name in Chinese, seamlessly integrating meme marketing through dialogue and soundtrack.
Jin explained: “This is an advertisement for an outdoor brand that encourages everyone to go out and find their true selves in nature. The message is that in this setting, we can stop excessively worrying about external evaluations and instead focus on finding our authentic selves.”
She added: “Outdoor activities are actually more effective in connecting with young people. They offer a space where ideas such as sustainability, environmental consciousness, returning to nature, and self-discovery can come together. That’s why it’s relatively easy for outdoor brands to find meaningful value in sports and create compelling content around it.”
Another example she shared is from Balabala, the Chinese children’s clothing brand, which launched a kidult marketing campaign featuring its brand film ‘Chinese Children’. The campaign conveys a message of childhood growth and commemorates the company’s 20th anniversary in collaboration with Xinhua News Agency.
“Many reviewers suggested that while contemporary children might not grasp the film’s message, it powerfully evoked in adults the feeling of a lost childhood. It is precisely this emotional connection that enabled the long-form video to truly draw attention to its content this year,” said Jin.
L-R: Valerie Madon, Nikki Golez, Torsak Chuenprapar, Mo Chen, and Brenda Jin.Cultural storytelling at the forefront
Across Southeast Asia, key storytelling themes, such as humour, have long influenced work in the region. Absurdism, for example, is a mainstay in Thailand. This year, humour as a narrative strategy has undergone an upgrade in storytelling and visuals alike, homing in on cultural touchstones specific to national contexts.
“Humour is built into Thai DNA, but it’s now more about timing, visual exaggeration, and nuanced cultural callbacks. The best absurd work grows from a real audience insight, not ‘random weirdness’,” explained Chuenprapar. “Our ‘Sliding Mom’ ad for CP Meiji seems purely comic, with a narrative on Gen Zs and their reluctant mothers and visuals of milk flying everywhere, but it rings true for Thais who grew up with similar experiences. It turns a childhood trauma into purposeful humour.”
Across the region, creatives are embracing a form of absurdism built on playful hyperbole that often reflects internet culture and draws on topics that matter to the current generation. Golez observed: “Local humour and ‘brain rot’ memes have taken over.”
Indie agency Tuncarp’s ‘AI vs Designer’ campaign cleverly exaggerates the creative industry’s fear of AI with slapstick tension and over-the-top scenarios, taking on local anxieties about job security and artistic authenticity. Meanwhile, The Secret Little Agency’s whimsical reimagining of familiar childhood tropes for Enterprise Singapore draws on the city-state’s self-aware humour with surreal characters and local settings (like an open seafood market) to poke fun at its own technocratic culture.
“Brands create culture, and there’s here’s a shift towards hijacking culture instead of just creating it,” Golez continued. “This year, the ‘how’—not just the ‘what’—is what’s remembered, shared, and, ultimately, makes brands part of the cultural story.”
“You have to come from a local perspective,” Madon echoed, adding: “The nuances, slang, cultural and social contexts, and social platforms are different across markets. No one sitting outside the country can make work that is culturally relevant.”
Deeper cultural currents are reshaping Chinese marketing, too. Chen identified two major creative trends: the rise of modern Chinese culture among young people and a return to real-life experiences. “Young people in China are rediscovering and celebrating their own culture, and doing it with pride,” she says.
She noted that these shifts present opportunities for global brands. “This isn’t a return to the past — it’s a reinvention. Creativity makes Chinese culture feel fresh, modern, and alive again. For brands, especially global brands, this opens up exciting opportunities but also raises the bar. It’s no longer enough to show Chinese culture; the real value lies in creating from it — using it as inspiration to build something authentic and true to the brand’s values.”
Chen also observed: “We’re seeing a return to real-life experiences. Flagship stores, exhibitions, pop-ups, and live events are back in focus. People want to meet, touch and feel. These moments spark genuine word-of-mouth and become the foundation for more organic online conversations.”
She concluded: “For brands, offline experiences are not just activations — they’re direct windows into people’s needs and feedback. We used to measure success by reach; now we care more about resonance. In the end, what truly matters is connection — and that’s something real experiences can create.”
Building on this, Jin reflected more broadly on the role of storytelling and real topics in brand campaigns: “I appreciate that brands are staying true to their stories. I believe all these works address social issues. Many people today may feel a sense of misalignment concerning their self-positioning, self-awareness, or age perception, creating a dissonance and contradiction between their inner reality and society."
"Therefore, such long-form content serves as a moment of 'blank space' (liubai). So, we can not only have short videos. Paradoxically, the longer videos are the ones breaking through, going viral, and gaining more traction," she added.
