EMAX comic print ad

Don't know the proper name of this comic-type advertising. Just seen a couple fo them lately. Using comic execution to advertise is not new but not too popular. I guess one reason is that the use of story-telling to soft-sell a product or a service can be quite costly. Like in this case, two pages are used and we still can't figure out what message it is trying to deliver. An alternative idea is to sponsor an actual comic book with product placement and storyline blended in, like what OSIM, P&G and the Jockey Club are doing with the dramas on TVB. However, too bad that the glory of local comic books has passed with shrinking readership. Otherwise it could be good alternative to traditional advertising.