One man’s FOMO fueled lies exposed in Cathay’s funny ‘Nothing Beats Being There’ campaign for the upcoming HSBC Hong Kong Sevens

Cathay’s latest campaign, created by Publicis Groupe Hong Kong, is inspired by the unmistakable feeling of ‘FOMO’ that anyone who misses out on attending next year’s Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens will inevitably feel.

Called ‘Nothing Beats Being There’, the film stars Johnny, a rugby afficianado wannabe who pretends to be a fanatical rugby fan to impress his boss and potentially snag a trip with colleagues to Hong Kong. He is ultimately exposed by his own web of lies, and his dreams of attending the 2025 Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens are unfulfilled.

“We’ve all been there, pretending to know more about something than we actually do for fear of missing out. When Cathay challenged us to show that nothing beats being at the Sevens in person, we couldn’t resist tapping into that FOMO feeling to show that nobody does rugby like Hong Kong,” says Christopher Lee, Chief Creative Officer at Publicis Groupe Hong Kong.

Next year will be a pivotal year for the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, held for the first time in the world-class Kai Tak Sports Park, which cements Hong Kong’s status as a premier destination for major international events.

Edward Bell, General Manager of Brand, Insights, Marketing at Cathay, said: “Cathay has been a proud sponsor of the Hong Kong Sevens for over 40 years, and the move to Kai Tak Sports Park from Hong Kong Stadium is especially meaningful as Kai Tak was Cathay’s home for more than 40 years. Everyone becomes fanatical about fun during the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, an event that attracts everyone from die-hard rugby fans to revellers enjoying the party atmosphere. Bigger than rugby, it is an all-consuming festival that no fun-loving person would want to miss, so we have created a campaign that shows nothing beats being there in person.”

With nail-biting matches, the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens is a costume-crazed, fun-filled spectacle and the city’s all-time favourite party, all rolled into one. Every year is bigger than the last.

As the event’s co-title sponsor and Official Overseas Travel Partner, Cathay is committed to enhancing the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens experience for fans around the globe by offering a suite of flight, ticket and accommodation packages, which can be booked at Cathay.com.

‘Nothing Beats Being There’ builds on Cathay’s long-running ‘Nobody Does Rugby like Hong Kong’ platform. The launch film will be supported with social and in-stadium activations and giveaways, locally in Hong Kong and globally, in the lead up to the next Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, which takes place at Kai Tak Stadium from 28-30 March, 2025.

Credits
Client: Cathay
General Manager, Brand, Insights and Marketing Communications, Cathay: Edward Bell
Head of Marketing Communications, Cathay: Vivian Chan
Marketing Manager, Events, Cathay: Angel Wong
Assistant Marketing Manager, Events, Cathay: Esther Guevara
Agency: Publicis Groupe Hong Kong
Chief Creative Officer: Christopher Lee
Group Creative Director: Halo Cheng
Creative Director: Miriam Yip
Sr Art Director: Tom Tsang
Copywriter: Abbie Chan
Chief Strategy Officer: Martin Smith
Strategy Director HK: Garron Chiu
Managing Partner HK: Dennis Yeung
Group Account Director: Carrie Chan
Senior Account Manager: Esther Cheung
Senior Account Executive: Zenia Leung
Producer: Armelle Sudron, Prodigious
Production House: Kitchen
Director: James Robert Lane