Ogilvy Singapore, CNB spotlight drug abuse’s hidden toll through immersive campaign

Singapore – Singapore’s anti-drug messaging is taking a more cinematic turn. Ahead of the country’s third Drug Victims Remembrance Day on 15 May, Ogilvy and the Central Narcotics Bureau have launched “Stories, Unfinished”, a public education campaign that trades blunt warnings for emotional storytelling, live theatre, and immersive installations.

The campaign centres on a short film following the fictional life of Ryan, a young man whose descent into drug abuse leaves relationships fractured and futures abruptly altered. 

Three accompanying teaser films expand the story through the perspectives of his mother, girlfriend, and best friend—shifting the lens from the addict to those left carrying the emotional debris.

In Singapore, where anti-drug campaigns have long leaned on hard deterrence and zero-tolerance messaging, the softer but more psychologically charged approach marks a notable shift. 

The city-state continues to enforce some of Asia’s toughest narcotics laws, even as regional authorities grapple with rising synthetic drug flows and youth exposure across Southeast Asia.

Beyond the screen, the campaign moves into physical space through “The Library of Stories, Unfinished”, a three-day public exhibition at Suntec City from 15 to 17 May. 

Visitors walk through staged room sets—including a café, stadium, and dining room—where actors recreate memories overshadowed by addiction and loss. 

Guests are encouraged to speak with performers, ask questions, and sit within the discomfort rather than observe it from a distance.

The installation also includes sections featuring real-life accounts, research material, and regional case studies examining the broader social fallout linked to narcotics. 

Another segment explores the motivations of former drug dealers, while an ASEAN-focused section examines prevention and rehabilitation efforts across the bloc.

“It is our endeavour to present the gravity of the drug issue truthfully, from the effects of abuse on an individual to how loved ones and the wider community are affected,” said Audrey Ang, Director of Communications at CNB.

Ang emphasised, “Our selection of content for the pop-up library, from biographies to news articles, is curated to help visitors understand this. The campaign narrative itself explores the complex emotions victims of drug abuse may experience, and presents these through participatory interaction with live performers on set.”

“Through ‘Stories, Unfinished’, we hope to help Singaporeans reflect on the profound impact that drug abuse has and on our role as conscious members of society too,” she explained.

For Ogilvy Singapore, the assignment was less about awareness than emotional proximity—a difficult balance in a market saturated with public service messaging.

“Public education messages are often communicated through facts, warnings or enforcement. They can sometimes be heard but not deeply felt,” said Troy Lim, Group Creative Director at Ogilvy Singapore.

“With ‘Stories, Unfinished’, we wanted to create an experience that shifts audiences from passive awareness to emotional understanding by showing not just what drug abuse does to a person, but what it leaves unresolved for everyone around them. By unfolding the story across film, social perspectives and physical space, we hope to make that ripple effect more immediate, human and lasting,” he added.

The exhibition opens with free admission before travelling to Singapore heartland locations between 23 May and 27 June, extending the campaign beyond the glass towers of Marina Centre and into neighbourhood spaces where public outreach often lands hardest.