Singapore – Communications technology group Singtel has launched its latest Chinese New Year festive campaign titled ‘A Date With Spring’ which showcases the power of technology to empower learning and pursuit of passions across generations.
The campaign features a film that tells the story of ‘Uncle’, who would reminisce about his roller-skating days with his wife at the park.
In the film, as Uncle watches the young skaters, he suddenly gets inspired to pick up his old roller skates and take up the sport again. However, upon his initial attempt, he would fail, so he used his smartphone to look up videos and review his performance.
With his renewed skills, Uncle would showcase his skating antics at various iconic landmarks, such as Marina Barrage and Chinatown. He will soon go viral, as onlookers will record and share his extraordinary moves. And even his family is surprised by his newly acquired abilities.
Drawing from the real-life story of Tan Teck Hung, or ‘Uncle Heng’, who also starred in the film, Singtel’s CNY film gives a nod to the power of technology to inspire and empower both old and young. It shows that technology has the ability to support life-long learning and bridge gaps across generations.
‘A Date With Spring’ is the latest addition to Singtel’s list of brand stories that seek to express what the company stands for. Working with Akanga Films, the film was produced in-house and airs on Singtel TV and various social media channels.
‘A Date with Spring’ is the latest addition to Singtel’s repertoire of brand stories that seek to express what the company stands for.
Yuen Kuan Moon, Singtel Group CEO, said, “This film isn’t just aspirational. We drew inspiration from the real life of 70-year-old mechanic Tan Teck Hung, who stars in the film, as he had indeed gone viral due to his amazing skating skills. Stirred by his personal story, we decided to turn it into a tale of empowerment for the new year, which is what Singtel’s purpose is all about: to empower every generation. Technology is not just the purview of the young. It is inclusive and enabling. People of all ages can use it, and we’ve made it our mission to help everyone reap its benefits.”
Speaking on the campaign, Lian Pek, vice president of group strategic communications and brand at Singtel, also shared, “The power of this film lies in the fact that it is not fiction. Uncle Heng is the real thing. In real life, he’s adept at using the phone and other technology. He’s 70 years old and skates like a dream—a classic example of ‘age is just a number.’ He’s pursued his passion, and it doesn’t look like he’s going to stop. We think this is a worthy message to spread this festive season; whether it’s skating or technology, it is never too late to try.”
Pek added, “We find that storytelling helps create that central narrative around our brand and evokes emotional responses from customers, which helps them make personal connections to us. We hope that this film, loosely based on Uncle Heng’s skating journey, has allowed us to communicate our core values in an authentic and engaging way.”
