IW Group Wins Asian American Advertising Federation’s Creative Campaign of the Year

Cultural insight and creative execution for MetLife’s Asian-Indian branding campaign help agency secure the category’s Gold Award

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (June 2, 2010) – IW Group, a leading Asian Pacific American integrated and full-service marketing agency, announces the winning of Creative Campaign of the Year at the 2010 Asian American Advertising Federation (3AF) conference for MetLife’s 2010 television campaign. The award, presented in Las Vegas on May 20, 2010, adds to the portfolio of various industry awards that the agency has secured for MetLife’s Asian Pacific American marketing efforts.

“We are humbled by this honor and grateful to MetLife,” said Nita Song, president of IW Group. “MetLife allows our talented team to flex our creativity and utilize expansive cultural understanding to create a campaign that is thought-provoking and resonates well with different Asian-Indian generations.”

The winning campaign, “Passing Down Values,” helped MetLife increase positive brand and product awareness among Asian-Indian consumers. The concept sprouted from the understanding that while language is not a barrier to reaching Asian Indians, traditional and cultural values play significant roles in a marketer’s ability to connect with this audience. The campaign targeted contemporary Asian Indians living in the U.S. who understand their children will be influenced by American values but wish to pass down important Asian-Indian traditions.

IW Group utilized three distinct Asian-Indian traditional values to create three television spots: “Tilak,” a symbol of love and protection for a successful completion of a journey or a project; “Touching Feet”, an Indian tradition of seeking blessings from elders; and “Gaddah,” a demonstration of the value of hospitality. The campaign created opportunities for MetLife to demonstrate that while they understand the significance of passing down values to children, MetLife can also be a trusted partner to help pass down a secure financial future.

“MetLife is strongly committed to the Asian Pacific American market,” said John Derbick, Assistant Vice President, Global Brand and Marketing Services, MetLife. “As the largest life insurer in the U.S., MetLife is proud to communicate the strength of our brand and products through culturally insightful and creative ads to our customers. Congratulations to the team for achieving this recognition.”

In addition to the 2010 3AF Creative Campaign of the Year Gold Award, IW Group has also secured the following awards for MetLife’s Asian Pacific American advertising campaigns:

• 2006 Association of National Advertisers (ANA) – Multicultural Excellence Award (Asian)
• 2008 Telly Award – Regional TV & Multimarket Cable Campaign (B2C) Silver
• 2008 Telly Award – Regional TV & Multimarket Cable Campaign (B2C) Bronze
• 2009 15th Annual FCS Portfolio Award – Corporate Television Campaign Gold
• 2009 15th Annual FCS Portfolio Award – Multicultural Best-in-Show
• 2009 MIDAS Award – Finalist Certificate
• 2010 16th Annual FCS Portfolio Award – Corporate Image Print Campaign Silver
• 2010 16th Annual FCS Portfolio Award – Multicultural Best-in-Show

For more information, please call 1-310-289-5500 or visit www.iwgroupinc.com.

About IW Group, Inc.
Founded in 1990, IW Group Inc. (formerly Imada Wong Communications Group) is a fully integrated, full-service marketing and communications agency specializing in the growing U.S. Asian Pacific American market with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. Clients include 2010 Census, Walmart, McDonald’s, MetLife, Farmers Insurance, Pacific Gas and Electric, Nissan, American Airlines, and others.

Contact:
Shagorika Ghosh
310-289-5532
sghosh@iwgroupinc.com

Janice Huang
310-289-5526
jhuang@iwgroupinc.com