Singapore – The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in Singapore has launched interactive films to combat terrorist threats with the creative agency VML Singapore.
The newly launched films expand the ‘What’s Your Role’ campaign of SGSecure, a national movement that empowers Singaporeans to be vigilant and secure in the face of possible terrorism.
Designed to equip Singaporeans with knowledge of their roles in keeping the country secure, the films call on viewers to make the right decisions amidst various dangers. It highlights the possible consequences of their actions, such as causing fear and division through the spread of misinformation.
Learn to spot the signs of radicalisation at SGSecure.gov.sg. Let’s play our roles and get timely help for our loved ones before they hurt themselves or others. WhatsYourRole SGSecure StayUnited StayStrong StayAlert
As interactive films, viewers are called to ‘choose their own journey’ when facing dangers. It aims to empower Singaporeans to take on their own roles against terrorism, veering away from the gloomy tone of usual films about the topic.
“We all have a role to play in keeping Singapore safe from terrorism. And there’s no role too small. Which is why we leveraged interactive technology to remind and enable Singaporeans to play theirs, and be ready for any emergency,” Nimesh Desai, chief executive officer of VML Singapore, said.
Wilbur Sim, director at SGSecure Programme Office at MHA, commented, “A whole-of-society approach is crucial to safeguard our community from the threat of terrorism. The interactive films highlight the simple actions that everyone can take to protect our loved ones and our community from the multi-faceted threats of terrorism in a refreshing yet thought-provoking style.”
Singapore – Building on SGSecure’s “What’s your Role” campaign, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and creative agency VML Singapore have unveiled a new music video aimed at mobilising the community in the fight against terrorism.
Titled ‘Foiled Once More,’ the Ministry of Home Affairs’ new music video features Singaporean singer-songwriter Nathan Hartono as the antagonist planning to inflict harm on the city-state. The video delves into the mind of a terrorist, uncovering his motives as he plots to destroy the city, divide the community, and disrupt their way of life.
The music video stands out as a unique and captivating cinematic and melodic theatrical piece that bolsters Singaporeans’ fight against terrorism. It highlights their resilience, vigilance, and unity in the aftermath of an attack, showcasing how they rise from the rubble to rebuild the city together. This collective effort ultimately thwarts the terrorist’s aim of destroying the social fabric, demonstrating that the community’s strength extends beyond physical devastation.
Furthermore, MHA and VML have taken a unique approach, moving away from the usual portrayal of terrorism as all-consuming doom and gloom. Instead, through this edutainment music video, they emphasise the strength and resilience of Singaporeans, showcasing how an empowered and united community can safeguard the nation from terrorism.
Nimesh Desai, chief executive officer at VML Singapore, said, “In our continuous efforts to build and sustain awareness about terrorism, we decided to leverage the antagonist’s perspective to demonstrate the power of unity and use it to encourage Singaporeans to play their roles together to keep Singapore safe.”
Also commenting on the campaign, Wilbur Sim, director of the SGSecure Programme Office at MHA, shared, “Our societal fabric is only as strong as its weakest link. The music video is a novel approach to conveying the importance of staying united as one people and bouncing back with tenacity when a terror attack occurs. It takes a whole-of-society effort to keep Singapore, as well as our families and friends, safe from terrorist threats. Together, we make SGSecure!”
Meanwhile, Nathan Hartono said, “It was such an interesting angle to take on such an important topic. I enjoyed the creative process of figuring out how to craft a story, a song, and a character at the same time! It gave me a lot to think about, especially about the aspects of our safety we take for granted.”
Singapore – YouTube announced at the second iteration of the ‘Creators for Impact’ programme that local YouTuber Naomi Neo has been selected to work with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on a film intended to raise awareness against scams.
Neo’s idea of using humour to highlight how vulnerable people are to scams. It was noteworthy for its ability to convey important lessons in an entertaining way. She will collaborate with Minister of State Sun Xueling on this specialised content in order to provide readers with even more insightful advice on how to avoid falling victim to internet scams.
As part of the program’s efforts to increase consumer knowledge on scam prevention, a collection of anti-scam videos created by local YouTube creators were shown at the event, which was attended by Sun Xueling, Minister of State for the Ministries of home affairs and social and family development.
The Creators for Impact programme, which was supported by the Ministry of Communications and Information and launched in July 2023 in partnership with MHA, focuses on solving the critical problem of scams in Singapore. The reported number of scam cases increased by 64.5% to 22,339 cases in the first half of 2023, compared to 13,576 cases during the same period last year, according to the Singapore Police Force’s (SPF) Mid-Year Scams and Cybercrime Brief.
Over the course of two months, Creators for Impact worked with 12 local creative channels in support of the national anti-scam programme, “I Can ACT Against Scams,” to develop videos that were intended to raise public awareness and vigilance against scammers. These films include first-hand narratives from scam victims given via podcasts, analysis of the tactics used by con artists from The Astute Parent, and concrete actions people can take to stay alert and protect their families and themselves against scams.
YouTube and MHA launched an open appeal to the larger local YouTube creator community as part of Creators for Impact. The goal is to get more ideas for videos that can improve Singaporeans’ awareness of online scams and their level of participation with it.
Speaking about the initiative, Ajay Vidyasagar, managing director for YouTube Southeast Asia and Emerging Market, said, “Impactful content always has a home on YouTube as we strive to help people stay informed about important issues in society. Our creators know best that knowledge is key to combating online scams, and through their strong responses to the program, we continue to be inspired by their creativity and commitment to impart important know-hows in engaging ways. This is testament to the resolve of our local creator community to use their voice for good through storytelling, and we hope more will join this effort to build a more secure digital world for all Singaporeans.”
Meanwhile, Sun Xueling, Minister of State at Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Social and Family Development, said, “Scams continue to be a key concern in Singapore. With progress in technology, scam operations can easily be scaled up via online means. Scammers are also becoming more adept at using technology to cover their tracks. The Government cannot fight scams alone – we need the community to step up and take actionable steps to prevent scams in Singapore. I am heartened to see our content creators stepping up to this important task of engaging different segments of the population to amplify anti-scam messages within their communities. This partnership with Google underscores the Government’s unwavering commitment to combat scams, through cultivating a vigilant and discerning public capable of ACT-ing against scams.”
Singapore – In line with Singapore’s continuous efforts to promote safety in situations of crisis, the Ministry of Home Affairs worked alongside Wunderman Thompson Singapore on its latest ‘SGSecure’ campaign, ‘What’s your role?’, to educate the public about what they can do, as well as empower them to play their parts to help keep Singapore safe.
The new campaign by Wunderman Thompson Singapore and the Ministry of Home Affairs features everyday people and shows how they play their roles in protecting others simply by drawing on their personalities and innate strengths.
The campaign was portrayed visually with posters and a short film depicting how individuals can contribute to security with examples such as the ability to bring people together in both peacetime and times of crisis, the eye to spot fake news, the strength to stay calm in emergencies, and even the courage and heart to support those at risk of radicalization.
Nimesh Desai, chief executive officer at Wunderman Thompson Singapore, said, “Despite being one of the safest countries with a well-established system, we recognise that people living in Singapore cannot take anything for granted. Hence, the premise of the campaign – we all have a part to play.”
Meanwhile, Gerald Chue, group creative director, Wunderman Thompson Singapore, commented, “We wanted to step away from the usual doom and gloom that instils fear, and inspire Singaporeans to rise up instead, by using their own skills to keep our home safe and secure.”
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