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In conversation with Akae Wang and Zita Zou

Independent agency and first-time entrant Banana Balloon shined bright at Spikes Asia 2024, earning two Gold Spikes and one Bronze Spike for their efforts in uplifting rural China’s ‘left-behind’ children by improving their quality of education and making it more accessible to them.

We spoke with Banana Balloon’s Head of Creative Akae Wang and Creative Director Zita Zou to discover why they entered ‘Answer Me’ into Spikes Asia 2024, how their success at Spikes Asia impacted their team and wider business, what winning a Spike means to them as an independent agency, advice for other Chinese agencies considering entering Spikes Asia, especially independent ones, and more.

Why did you prioritise entering ‘Answer Me’ into Spikes Asia 2024?

Akae Wang: In China, Cannes Lions is probably the only benchmark of success that clients and creatives look for. Even winning a Bronze Lion brings more recognition than other international awards.

Spikes Asia is often referred to as the “Little Cannes” in China and is considered a stepping stone to Cannes Lions.

王彦铠: 戛纳国际创意节 (Cannes Lions) 在中国可能是客户也是所有创意人所追寻的唯一指标,其他国际奖的魅力都远不及获得一只铜狮子。

Spikes Asia 在中国还有小戛纳之称,我认为它是进入戛纳前的一个跳版。

How did your success at Spikes Asia impact the team and wider business?

Akae Wang: I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. Looking back, I should have had more confidence and submitted a few more entries. Winning this award has helped us gain recognition swiftly, and the outstanding results of Banana Balloon in its first year has been a great morale booster.

王彦铠: 无疑地,我们赌对了,只是我没有想到成绩这么好! 回想起来,我应该更有信心多报几个小类别。这个奖,的确快速为我们打开知名度.香蕉气球开创刚满一年就有这样的好成绩,也为我们提振很多士气。

Answer Me / BANANA BALLOON, Shenzhen / TENCENT SUSTAINABLE SOCIAL VALUE ORGANIZATION / 2024

Talk us through the techniques you used to ensure this local issue resonated with such a widespread audience?

Zita Zou: Resonance is something we, as content creators, are always striving for. But how can we create that connection with Chinese audiences, or even with a global audience? Honestly, I find this process overwhelming. It’s hard to know where to direct our efforts because understanding the thoughts of millions, or even hundreds of millions, is beyond our reach. Trying to create something that appeals to everyone may, in fact, result in the opposite effect.

While it's hard to comprehend the perspectives of millions, I can understand one person - myself. I can ask myself, "How do I feel about this story?" I believe that if something moves me, it has a greater chance of moving others. If I’m indifferent to it, I probably won’t be able to convey it in a way that resonates.I believe in using my own emotions as a tool to shape the story. Of course, this process requires careful polishing of the content. For me, it’s essential to treat the characters as real individuals - imagining their inner struggles, desires, regrets, and frustrations, and considering how they would express or suppress those feelings. What moves one person often has the potential to move two or five. The collaborative process enriches the story, with each team member bringing their own strengths, making the story come to life. A "living" story carries its own energy and can reach further because it taps into universal human emotions. And that’s the resonance that every creator longs for.

For me, it all starts with resonating with myself before resonating with the world.

邹扬: 共鸣,是我们作为内容创作者总在追求的。如何让中国网友共鸣,如何让世界观众共鸣?坦白说我觉得带着这样的问题去创作时会非常有压力,可能不知道力该往哪里使,因为我们很难去了解1000万人甚至一亿人是怎样想的,带着必须打动所有人的目的去创作时可能适得其反。

我们难以了解一千万人,一亿人,但我可以去了解一个人。我可以去感受“我是怎样想的”“我对这个故事的感觉是怎样的?”。我常常相信,能真正的打动自己,就有更大的可能去打动别人。而我自己无感的,很可能也无法将它演绎的动人。把自己的感受当作一种「工具」去创作一个故事——这是我自己相信的方法。当然在过程中少不了对内容本身的打磨,对我来说,很重要的是把故事中的人物当作一个真实的人物去理解他们,想象他们可能会有怎样的内心冲突,会有怎样的渴望,怎样的遗憾,怎样的委屈,然后他们会怎样表达或者他们说不出口?我是被这个人物触动了,然后将他们的言行写出来而已。能够打动一个人的,往往就有可能打动2个人,5个人,合作搭档会通过各自擅长的语言不断去丰富这个故事和人物,让它真正活起来。我想一个“活”的故事,是能够飞向更远的地方的,因为它本身有一种生命力。它所携带的某种情绪和情感是普世的,是属于人类中相通的那块领域的。而是,就是所有创作者所渴望的“共鸣”。

对我来说,在与世界共鸣之前,首先是与自己共鸣。

What did you learn while creating ‘Answer Me’ and how will it impact your approach to future projects?

Zita Zou: While working on ‘Answer Me’, I came to realise that exceptional work is a result of collaboration. A good script alone isn’t sufficient, what truly matters is having a team and partners who share the same creative vision. This is essential in order to produce the highest quality of work. When everyone is fully engaged and working together to refine the project with passion and professionalism, the results become exceptional. While the creative industry may appear to be idea-driven, what’s ultimately showcased is much more than just an idea. An idea is like a seed, and to grow into a tree, it requires a reliable team of gardeners. Some excel at dealing with pests, others at nurturing, some understand the environment, and others are experts in gardening. Every individual plays a crucial role in this project, and they give their all. This commitment ensures a final result that is vibrant and captivating. I’m grateful to have worked with such a talented directing team on ‘Answer Me’ to bring the story to life visually.

邹扬: 在“大人請回答”的作业过程中我真切的感受到好的作品是共创出来的。仅仅有一个不错的故事脚本是不够的,找到在专业创作上志同道合的团队和搭档对于最终的出品质量至关重要。大家一起投入,一起反复的打磨,投注热情和专业度,最终一个作品的完成度就会变的非常高。虽然在创意行业,看起来我们凭借的是idea,但是最终呈现出来的远远不止是idea。Idea是种子,让一颗种子长成大树的过程,一定需要倚赖一个可靠的园丁团队。有人很会捉虫,有人很会施肥,有人很懂气候,有人擅长园艺,每个人都是团队一部分,但同时对于每一个参与者而言,这棵树又是自己的,会毫无保留的付出。这种投入度一定会让这颗种最终呈现出一个有生命力,吸引人的树木。我觉得在“大人請回答”的完成过程中,很幸运的是遇到好的导演团队,我们与导演团队积极的合作,一起把故事通过影像很好的表达出来了。

What advice can you give to other creatives when pitching bold ideas like this?

Zita Zou: Personally, I don’t see this as a particularly bold idea. The idea itself emerged from our understanding of the business and the inspiration drawn from interviews with frontline employees. The key is to stay grounded in the business you're serving. After all, advertising creativity should serve the client and their goals, not just aim to capture attention. I start by thoroughly understanding the business, which forms the foundation for bold creation.

The second point is to trust your own intuition and feelings. If a concept moves you, don’t hesitate to present it to others and see how they react. At the same time, keep an open mind and embrace different ideas and feedback. Often, others can help refine and validate your own feelings.

Lastly, keep pushing your creativity and stay sharp. I believe this is the most essential quality for anyone in the creative industry, regardless of the situation or timing.

邹扬: 其实我个人并不觉得这是多么大胆的创意,这个创意故事本身是基于我们对于业务的了解和对一线业务人员的访谈所得到的灵感而延展出来的创意内容。所以可能首先要去贴近所服务的业务,毕竟广告创意是服务于客户和其业务的,而不是单纯为了博眼球。我想对我自己来说第一点,是在踏实理解业务的基础上再去大胆创作。

第二点是相信自己的直觉和感受,如果一个想法自己会为之触动,那就大胆的拿出来与他人分享,看看他人的反应,同时持一种开放的心态去容纳不同的想法和声音。很多时候自己的感觉会得到他人的校验以及进一步的完善。

最后,保持创作,让自己的触角一直保持鲜活敏锐,我觉得这是任何时候对于以创意、创作为生的人最为重要的事情。

What does winning a Spike mean to you, as an independent agency?

Akae Wang: This marks Banana Balloon's debut at Spikes Asia, though I have had the privilege of winning Spikes multiple times in the past. Spikes Asia has long been a prestigious platform in Asia, and its entry fee is relatively accessible. Personally, I feel there’s an opportunity to better support independent creative agencies by exploring options that make participation easier for smaller, newer companies. This would help broaden the scope of entrants and encourage greater diversity in submissions.

王彦铠: 这是香蕉气球在Spikes Asia的首秀,尽管我之前有幸在Spikes Asia中多次获奖。Spikes Asia 一直以来都是亚洲指标,而且参赛费用相对较为亲民。从个人角度看,我认为有机会通过优化参与方式,进一步支持独立创意机构,特别是为较小或较新的公司提供更多便利。这不仅有助于扩大参赛者的多样性,也能鼓励更具创意的作品出现。

What advice would you give to other Chinese agencies considering entering Spikes Asia, especially independent agencies?

Akae Wang: When I was previously working as a creative at agencies and in-house at Tencent, I didn’t want to overly emphasise on how awards directly impact business growth. However, running my own company now has given me an entirely new perspective. These accomplishments and the recognition we’ve received have significantly boosted our reputation. The success and recognition we’ve achieved have greatly elevated our visibility. For a company just a year into its journey, receiving this much attention and having people write about us on their own initiative was beyond anything I anticipated.

I want to encourage all talented independent agencies to connect more with the global creative community. It’s a chance to share the unique brilliance of Chinese creativity. Our cultural differences are what make us stand out, and finding mutual understanding only makes us stronger.

王彦铠: 我并不是想特别强调奖项对业务增长的直接影响,也不想说一些美丽的客套话。这是我从之前在代理商和腾讯内部担任创意工作时获得的体悟。然而,创业后,我的感受完全不同。这样的成绩与认可让我们的名声迅速打开。尤其是对于一家刚成立一年的公司,能够获得如此多的关注,甚至有人主动撰文报道我们,这种结果远远超出了我的预期。

最后我想跟很多优秀的独立代理商说,多与国际交流是好的,这是一个让更多人理解中国好创意的机会,文化的差异是迷人的,理解彼此也是迷人的。

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