Why WhatsApp's baffling billboard is genius to turn confusion to conversation

Earlier this month, a mysterious billboard at an MTR station featuring chat box messages written in gibberish texts, which was later found out to be WhatsApp’s latest privacy campaign, left passersby wondering if it was a printing error or part of a deeper message.  

According to Threads, a netizen posted a video featuring the billboard on 31 May, which drew over 2.9k likes and 219 comments, with some questioning whether the out-of-home ad had been proofread before launch. 

The campaign, titled "Message Privately with Everyone," aims to reinforce WhatsApp’s commitment to user privacy through end-to-end encryption, delivering a reminder that no one, not even WhatsApp, can read or hear users’ personal messages. 

Don't miss: WhatsApp reinforces commitment to user privacy with creative OOH buy

In a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, a Meta spokesperson said privacy is at the heart of everything it does. At its core, WhatsApp is an app used by three billion people, including those in Hong Kong, for private messaging and calling.  

“And we use best-in-class end-to-end encryption by default to protect all your chats with friends, family, and colleagues so that no one else, not even WhatsApp, can see, read or share them. That’s the baseline. And that’s what we wanted to reiterate through the campaign.” 

“The campaign was to remind our users in Hong Kong how no one, not even WhatsApp, can see or hear your personal messages. The OOH at an MTR station and the posts on social platforms - both on the Meta Hong Kong Facebook page, as well by creators Gigi Cheung, Sabrina Cheung, Maggie Fung and Marco Ip - reiterate this core concept,” added the spokesperson.  

Does creative ambiguity work? 

Industry players MARKETING-INTERACTIVE spoke to agreed that the use of gibberish text is a bold and smart move to draw attention. Ida Mak, general manager, TBWA Hong Kong, said this is due to its out-of-context nature, creating strong stopping power across channels.  

“This is particularly relevant in the digital landscape, where new content emerges every minute, making it challenging to stand out. However, if the emphasis on creating noise outweighs the importance of the content to connect with the brand/ campaign's key message, it risks becoming a wasted effort,” she added. 

Same as other passersby, John Koay, executive creative director, Edelman also got stopped by the mysterious billboard, who found it effective in drawing attention. “I think the way Hong Kong adapted the global campaign was nice in getting those influencers on board. I know some marketers out there are hesitant to use this kind of tactic because they feel it's an extra step to get to the final message.” 

He added that the Hong Kong audience is smart and likes to "unwrap the present" so to speak instead of the standard “cram everything in your face” approach. “It's nice when you come across an ad that's different to the one next to it that uses six different fonts, 26 colours and 39 selling points.”  

The use of gibberish text paired with “WhatsApp’s point of view” is a witty, attention-grabbing approach with good stopping power, however, starting a real conversation requires more than just clever execution, according to Leung Chung, head of creative, Sunny Idea Hong Kong.    

“It also depends on whose messages are turned into gibberish. For example, if the messages were between boyband MIRROR’s Keung To and his manager Ahfa Wong - or even Donald Trump and Elon Musk - it might spark more creativity and engagement from netizens.” 

Role of OOH media in creative 

As consumers spend more time in front of screens, their attention spans are shrinking. In fact, the average attention span has dropped to just 8.25 seconds - shorter than that of a goldfish, according to Samba Recovery.  

In the digital age when consumers are superglued to their phones, Edelman’s Koay said OOH is still very impactful, and if the idea and execution are done well, it's a powerful media. “This campaign is simple, unlike the clutter you see in so many ads out there, and it also makes you want to know more because of its ambiguity. If an online platform like WhatsApp is talking to me offline, something must be up.” 

In an OOH setting, TBWA’s Mak believes pairing the gibberish text with a catchy headline -such as an engaging question directed at the audience - could enhance its effectiveness, given that people's attention spans are notably short while on the move, this combination would likely amplify the overall impact. 

On the other hand, Chris Kyme, co-founder and creative director of Kymechow questioned whether OOH is the right environment as the public has various attention spans with regards to advertising. “People just don’t care to stop and read. So, it very much depends on where it runs. I can’t see it working on escalators or concourses where people are on the move. Maybe cross-track or inside trains where people might be staring at it (when they are not staring at their phones).” 

Balancing bold creativity and serious topics 

Leveraging creative ambiguity to spark a conversation with the target audience is a good starting point, but it’s essential to ensure that the tone and manner of this initial content are aligned with the brand, maximising its contribution to the narrative the brand wishes to convey, said TBWA’s Mak.  

And for conveying serious topics such as user privacy, Mak said the industry has long embraced bold creativity to tackle serious topics such as social issues and gender inequality, and this approach has proven effective by offering audiences a fresh, thought-provoking perspective.  

“However, in this market, bold approaches are less prevalent, as our culture often prioritises caution and adherence to established norms. As an advocate of TBWA’s philosophy of disruption, I encourage marketers in Hong Kong to move beyond conventional safe practices and embrace boldness in their approaches to cut through the noise.” 

Agreeing with Mak was Edelman’s Koay, who said, that user privacy is a particularly sensitive subject especially in Hong Kong and finding a fine balance is hard. “I would advise marketers to go beyond just showing information, and really ask agencies to create something that makes people think and give them something to talk about.” 

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