Singapore – Mandai Wildlife Group has announced its recent venture into fashion by announcing ‘Good Threads,’ an apparel capsule collection made from sustainably sourced materials, to make it easy and convenient for its wearer to make eco-friendly choices a daily habit.

The collection was developed over six months and produced in collaboration with Hakim Samat, a local craftsman known for his stylish, upcycled creations. It was crafted from 1,158 pieces of pre-loved clothing and salvaged materials weighing approximately 108kg from local thrift shops – honsieponsie, Function Five Thrift Shop and Woofie’s Warehouse, and from a textile collection drive initiated by social networks of friends and co-workers. 

Moreover, each garment was stitched together with fastenings and hardware such as buttons and carabiner hooks sourced from Plastify, a Singapore-born startup that has made recycled plastic waste its business.

The apparel collection is an extension of Mandai Wildlife Group’s ‘Choose Good with Mandai’ campaign to raise awareness about how people can collectively protect nature and wildlife by making conscious choices daily.

Suzanne Ho, senior vice president of brand and communications at Mandai Wildlife Group, said, “In the hustle and bustle of daily life, mindful actions like recycling and using fewer single-use plastics may inadvertently take a backseat sometimes, despite our best intentions. Good Threads sows the idea that daily consumption habits which are thoughtful of the planet can be effortless, and in this instance, even fashionable. Through personal choices, each of us can reap a more sustainable lifestyle. Manifest and multiply a personal mantra such as this, and we can fashion change together.”

She added, “Fashion is much loved by many. More than a style preference, it’s a personal statement and an identity. It can therefore wield power to influence how we think about clothing and perhaps reconsider the need to consume wave after wave of clothes and fashion accessories.”

‘Good Threads’ will fully debut in three phases. The first launch went public on February 15, followed by subsequent releases on 8 March and 28 March 2024. All items will be available exclusively for sale on goodthreadsbymandai.sg. All proceeds from the sale of Good Threads will go towards supporting wildlife conservation efforts in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

Singapore – Mandai Wildlife Group has just recently announced its appointment of TBWA\Singapore as its new creative agency of record for their next phase of transformation, following the end of Mandai’s seven-year partnership with The Secret Little Agency

With TBWA\Singapore acquiring Mandai’s business portfolio, the agency’s responsibilities now extend across all facets of building a destination brand experience which will span the group’s multiple award-winning flagship zoological parks and other offerings in its pipeline.

Talking about this new partnership, Belina Lee, deputy CEO, transformation & growth, Mandai Wildlife Group, said, “TBWA\Singapore’s marketing expertise and passion are compelling and inspirational, and the team demonstrated strong strategic acumen.”

“Our ambition is to anchor our masterbrand, Mandai as a global biodiversity brand, and grow recognition and affinity for the Mandai Wildlife Reserve at home and around the world. We aim to be a meaningful and much desired destination for local residents and global travellers seeking diverse experiences ranging from unique wildlife encounters, immersive dining experiences to inspiring digital engagement and much more,” she added. 

Meanwhile, Mandy Wong, president of TBWA\Singapore, commented, “This is a significant win for the agency and one I’m incredibly proud of. Our ambition as The Disruption Company is to build the world’s strongest brands, and to be given this opportunity to take Mandai to the next level is truly an honour.” 

“With Mandai as a biodiversity brand, it is a treasure trove of endless wonder, and an inspiring canvas for meaningful creativity. I congratulate the entire team who were nothing short of impressive with their synergy and big platform thinking,” she ended.

Singapore – The Secret Little Agency (TSLA) and Mandai Park Holdings have announced that it is closing their creative chapter as Mandai had recently called a new creative tender, as managed by R3. This marks the end of TSLA and Mandai’s seven-year work together, which began in 2017.

Mandai appointed TSLA back then as its lead creative and branding agency globally following a heavily competitive pitch process.

TSLA previously worked with Mandai for a new masterbrand and brand world back in 2021, as the multi-year rejuvenation of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve continued. This was done with TSLA’s global brand practice Anak, and aimed at bringing Mandai’s group branding ambitions to life on both a domestic and global level.

Photo Courtesy: The Secret Little Agency

From naming, brand strategy to brand architecture, and visual development across thousands of touch-points both digital and offline, the 4 year branding journey was often referred to as “a new playbook for biodiversity.”

More recently, TSLA and Mandai launched the highly-anticipated Bird Paradise, effectively migrating both brand and production from the former Jurong Bird Park into what is today the world’s largest free-flying aviary.

Eunice Tan, group CEO at The Secret Little Agency, said “Together with Mandai, we created something special that all Singaporeans can be proud of globally, shifting Mandai from just a zoo brand, to a global platform for wildlife conservation and biodiversity. The entire team at Mandai have been fantastic collaborators, and at this moment, there is only a sense of appreciation and deep pride for what we’ve been able to achieve together.”

Meanwhile, Belina Lee, deputy CEO, transformation and growth at Mandai Wildlife Group, commented, “In this changing of the guard, we want to thank our long-standing partner, The Secret Little Agency, who journeyed with us for seven years, and with our stakeholders, laid a solid foundation for the Mandai brand world. We are grateful to have strong partnerships, both present and future, as we transform the Mandai Wildlife Reserve from a collection of world-leading wildlife parks to a globally iconic destination.”