Case Study: #FreeToLove — Purpose-Driven Digital Activation for Closeup
In a time of tension and uncertainty, how does a brand show up meaningfully—without feeling out of touch or overly promotional? For Valentine’s Day 2022, Closeup—one of Myanmar’s leading oral care brands—set out to do more than just capitalize on seasonal sentiment. It set out to own the moment with purpose. Not with noise, but with nuance.
Blink was entrusted to craft and execute a holistic, end-to-end purpose-led digital campaign that would navigate cultural sensitivities, deliver brand uplift, and speak authentically to today’s youth about love in all its forms.
The Challenge: Leading With Purpose During Unrest
The socio-political climate in Myanmar in early 2022 presented major obstacles for big-brand campaigns—especially those linked to public figures or overt advertising. Most influencers were staying quiet. Sponsored content was increasingly viewed with suspicion.
Yet, Closeup remained committed to its global brand purpose: “Everyone has the right to be free to love.”
Our challenge was to localize this message for Myanmar in a way that was emotionally resonant, safe for the audience and brand, and authentic enough to move the digital conversation forward during one of the industry’s most difficult periods.
The Strategy: From Anxiety to Affection
Grounded in local insights uncovered by Blink, we identified a rising emotional pattern among young people: fear, uncertainty, and self-censorship in expressions of love. Our strategy focused on countering those feelings with real voices, soft reassurance, and emotionally rich storytelling.
The campaign leaned heavily on non-commercial tones, real-life stories, and purpose-centric creativity. The rollout spanned late January through February 2022, timed to lead and dominate the Valentine’s Day conversation.
The Execution: A Phased, Multi-Layered Activation
We mapped a three-phase campaign flow designed to balance strategic rollout and cultural sensitivity:
1. Setting the Mood — Music as an Emotional Anchor
We began with a highly shareable lyrics video of the brand’s theme song “FreeToLove” to ignite awareness and talkability, followed by a silhouette-style music video in collaboration with Junior Creative Dance Troupe—an artful, metaphorical production that struck a balance between beauty and intention.
2. Building Depth — Real Stories of Real Love
To amplify relatability, we launched a Mini-Series featuring real couples from diverse socioeconomic, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. The series explored everyday struggles—ranging from societal judgment to family rejection—and elevated love’s resilience through storytelling.
* Result: 4.8K shares and 3.6 million+ views within just over a month.*
3. Activating Culture — User-Led Content at Scale
To drive grassroots engagement and remain free from influencer controversy, we worked with video creator couples—most notably Luke and Su Wai Go—to produce a couple's lyric prank video using “FreeToLove.” The content went viral, leading to widespread organic curiosity about the song and over 2,000+ track downloads.
We closed the loop with an activation on Facebook MyDay, inviting 15 real couples to showcase 20-second clips of their daily moments with "FreeToLove" as their background track. The ephemeral, emotional nature of MyDay drove deeper connection, while showcasing diversity in action.
The Impact: Purpose Meets Performance
Despite the restraints of the moment, the Closeup #FreeToLove campaign defied expectations—delivering results that were both emotionally and analytically strong.
- 3.6M+ total views across campaign content
- 4.8K shares for Mini-Series episodes
- 2,000+ track downloads from campaign traffic
- Brand sentiment: Overwhelmingly positive—especially in a time when most brands stayed silent
- Maintained the integrity of Closeup’s global brand purpose while adapting it with nuance for Myanmar’s local context
Conclusion: When Purpose Is Done Right, It Connects Deeply
This campaign demonstrated that meaningfully executed, purpose-driven work can outperform traditional brand pushes—especially during emotionally difficult periods. Blink enabled Closeup to show up, speak clearly, and spark real conversations about love, courage, and authenticity—offering a fresh perspective in an environment craving sincerity.