Tag: Singapore Tourism Board

Singapore – The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Google will be expanding on its partnership to create more augmented reality (AR) experiences, which will be directly available on Google Maps for the first time.

This partnership with Google builds upon the success of Merli’s Immersive Adventure – an innovative AR tour to six enchanting stops around Singapore through STB’s Visit Singapore Travel Guide app launched in January this year.

As part of this pilot, STB will continue to use Google’s ARCore and Geospatial Creator to develop new location-based AR experiences. 

Unlike before when STB’s AR experiences were made available only on its travel app, these new AR experiences can soon be discovered and enjoyed entirely within the Google Maps mobile app, one of two cities in which these experiences will be available.

Moreover, STB has also onboarded over a dozen other tourism stakeholders in Singapore to join the pilot, who themselves will also develop location-based AR experiences to provide 30 places of interests with AR experiences, creating an immersive journey across key tourism precincts in Singapore.

With this expansion, the AR content will now be visible remotely via Street View on the Google Maps mobile app for a seamless and accessible experience regardless of location. Users near the landmarks can also discover the AR content on their mobile devices by scanning their surroundings using Lens in Maps, as it overlays the physical surroundings in the real world.

The full experience will be available on Google Maps later this Summer. STB plans to further grow the number of location-based AR experiences in Google Maps beyond 30, building on its goal of making Singapore the world’s first “AR City” in Google Maps.

Talking about this latest offering, Eric Lai, group product manager, AR, said, “We’re thrilled to unlock a new way for people to interact, engage and discover Singapore’s vibrant culture and history on Google Maps. Through location-based AR experiences, we’re making it more intuitive for over a billion users to discover this iconic city in a way like never before.”

Meanwhile, Simon Ang, director, The Collaboratory, Singapore Tourism Board, commented, “We are excited to extend our partnership with Google to bring even more immersive and innovative experiences to travellers through AR on Google Maps. This partnership underscores STB’s dedication to testing the use of frontier technologies which can revolutionise the visitor’s experience of tomorrow.”

“This pilot greatly benefits local businesses, who can leverage AR to tell different stories over the same spaces, and have their content discoverable and accessible on Google Maps. It also benefits travellers as it aids their discovery of new places of interest, and enriches them with a deeper understanding of Singapore’s rich history and culture through interactive storytelling,” he added.

Singapore – The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has appointed luxury and brand technology solutions firm Gusto Collective as its public relations, digital, and social consultancy partner for the China market. 

In this partnership, Gusto Collective will leverage its expertise and extensive experience in destination marketing to actively support the Singapore Tourism Board’s mission of positioning Singapore as a vibrant and inspiring destination, bringing to life its ‘Made in Singapore’ global brand campaign. 

Gusto Collective will introduce fresh perspectives on Singapore’s attractions and experiences, showcasing the city-state’s natural beauty, cultural richness, and emerging status as a thriving innovation and creative centre in Asia. The firm will also work on enhancing Singapore’s standing as a global hub for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) that delivers meaningful business outcomes and impact. 

Speaking on the partnership, Shashin Surti, managing director of Gusto Collective Shanghai, said, “We are thrilled to be partnering with the Singapore Tourism Board to bring Singapore’s vibrant tourism offerings to the China market. This collaboration marks an exciting milestone for both Gusto Collective and the Singapore Tourism Board to shape a dynamic tourism landscape for Singapore in partnership with industry and community stakeholders.”

Andrew Phua, chief representative and executive director of Greater China at STB, added, “China is one of the largest inbound source markets for Singapore, and we have already witnessed an increase in visitor arrivals with the recent visa exemption. This partnership will allow us to continue building a strong presence in China and inspire Chinese travellers to discover how ordinary moments are turned into extraordinary experiences in Singapore.”

Singapore – Marina Bay Sands, UOB, and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise their commitment to raising awareness and increasing visitor numbers in the Marina Bay area. This deal demonstrates the trio’s commitment to turning the area into a major leisure and economic hub, drawing both locals and tourists.

First announced in January, the cooperation featured a number of activities, including the captivating “The Legend of the Dragon Gate – Drone Show by the Bay” drone spectacular and the “Masterpieces.. Made in Singapore” marketing campaign. This expanded cooperation is the result of a remarkable pilot relationship that involved 26 local partners offering over 50 exclusive events for UOB cardholders across several nations. 

The campaign was based on the marketing initiatives of the three companies: UOB’s plan to grant special access to the greatest travel, shop, dine, and entertainment events in ASEAN; STB’s global Made in Singapore brand campaign; and Marina Bay Sands’ Bay Precinct Strategy. 

In the future, the partners hope to present Marina Bay as a dynamic place offering a wide range of experiences. Together, they will develop exciting programming for future holiday seasons and keep bringing top-notch activities and attractions to the precinct. Through the utilisation of the combined abilities of companies surrounding the Bay, their goal is to establish Marina Bay Sands as a top location for holding global events and providing exclusive experiences. 

The MoU signing ceremony, which was attended by Minister Grace Fu, saw representatives from Marina Bay Sands, UOB, and STB reaffirm their commitment. This landmark event, conducted concurrently with STB’s Tourism Industry Conference at Sands Expo and Convention Centre, demonstrated the community’s desire to enhance the Marina Bay precinct.

Speaking about the partnership, Irene Lin, Marina Bay Sands, said, “The Marina Bay precinct was enlivened in the first quarter of the year, with multiple partners coming together to bring greater vibrancy to the area and create a stellar experience for guests. This next partnership recognises that the precinct has limitless potential to compete on the world stage as a leading lifestyle and business destination. Our ongoing efforts to elevate Marina Bay Sands signal our commitment to enhance the Bay, and we look forward to working with our partners to create more compelling experiences over the long term.”

Meanwhile, Jacquelyn Tan, UOB said, “We are excited to extend this unique partnership to make the iconic Marina Bay precinct a must-visit destination for both locals and tourists. This unprecedented partnership is the latest in our array of innovative and pioneering entertainment propositions we have acquired for our eight million customers across ASEAN, who have over the past months enjoyed exclusive ticketing access to concerts and festivals featuring internationally-renowned artists across different genres.” 

She added, “We will further leverage our leadership position in the lifestyle space and our unparalleled footprint across the region, to bring more unforgettable retail, dining, travel and entertainment experiences to the precinct for our local and regional cardholders. We look forward to the next partnership with great anticipation, as the possibilities for the period ahead are truly endless.”

Lastly, Kenneth Lim, STB, said, “We are excited to be embarking on the next Marina Bay precinct partnership with Marina Bay Sands and UOB. Building on the success of the pilot partnership, we look forward to collaborating with the wider Marina Bay precinct partners to curate exciting experiences for both locals and overseas visitors to enjoy. Through this partnership, we aim to inspire exploration of Singapore by promoting unique offerings and programming in the Marina Bay precinct, demonstrating our continued appeal as an attractive and vibrant destination.”

As part of Singapore’s continued roll-out of its “Made in Singapore” global tourism campaign, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has tapped BBH Singapore and The Shophouse @ Publicis to launch a global outdoor advertising campaign that focused on highlighting some of the country’s unique and multifaceted offerings and provides a whimsical take on three iconic Singapore experiences.

Moreover, this campaign–which was rolled out in the cities of New York, London, Shanghai, Mumbai and Jakarta–is an extension of the current “Made in Singapore” campaign that replaced the “SingapoReimagine” recovery campaign. Much like the outdoor campaigns, this main campaign put into spotlight quintessentially Singapore experiences, from iconic attractions to hidden gems, that turn ordinary moments into extraordinary ones.

For our latest Top Story story of this year, we spoke with Khairul Mondzi, executive creative director at BBH Singapore to learn more about the creative process for this outdoor campaign, and what’s next for their campaign work with STB for its “Made in Singapore” campaign.

On strategically executing the campaign at a global level

One of the first things Mondzi pointed out was that for this campaign, they strategically rolled out the campaign at select global cities in order to drive higher interest for the campaign, which in turn will drive more engagement for STB.

“This strategic selection aims to raise awareness and drive heightened interest for the campaign among our key target audiences, catalysing earned coverage for the ‘Made in Singapore’ campaign in iconic media capitals of USA and UK, while fostering a greater push for recovery in top target markets of China, India and Indonesia for destination Singapore,” he explained.

Official campaign roll-out of 3D billboards by STB

For Mondzi, the ‘Made in Singapore’ global campaign puts a fresh spin on the Passion Made Possible destination brand, spotlighting how ordinary moments are made extraordinary in Singapore. Moreover, their goal was to bring to life the city’s rich tapestry of experiences and craft a compelling narrative that captivates audiences with both imagination and allure, utilising large, high-impact immersive formats such as anamorphic 3D billboards.

“Through this medium, we expanded upon our initial launch film and key visuals, extending our message into a new dimension. While digital and social media remain integral components of our strategy, the inclusion of a 3D billboard in OOH advertising provides prominent visibility and drives conversations. This approach not only effectively communicated our campaign’s essence but also offered consumers a fresh perspective, drawing them closer to the heart of our message with a deeper brand connection,” he explained.

On elevating STB’s tourism message, what’s next for their creative partnership

For Mondzi, the narrative unveiled in these outdoor billboards provides a flavour of the extraordinary experiences that Singapore welcomes visitors with, adding that everything people know about the Gardens, Performance Art and Window Shopping takes a surprising turn and is presented in an immersive way in this campaign.

“The anamorphic 3D technology provided that larger-than-life scale and magic, showcasing Singapore’s unique twist through the awe-inspiring Supertrees, the flair and artistry of a hawker cooking up a storm and plating chilli crab, and the celebration of Singapore’s Peranakan culture embodied by a skilled artisan meticulously crafting a traditional slipper within a charming shophouse setting,” he said.

3D Billboard of STB at the famous Piccadily in London, United Kingdom

When asked about what’s next for their work with STB, he notes that there will be more specific marketing campaigns throughout the years to tell the Singaporean story. One example of yet another campaign they recently launched with STB is the ‘World’s Best Mice City’, which features Singapore as a destination where business events can create and leave a positive and lasting impact. 

Launched in March 2024, the campaign showcases how Singapore enables meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) event organisers and delegates to positively impact the industry, society, and environment, by turning possibilities into reality.

“‘Made in Singapore’ is our campaign platform, envisaged to be further brought to life through global marketing campaigns, that will be rolled out in the coming years to sharpen the way we tell the Singapore story, with ‘Made in Singapore’ at the heart of everything,” he concluded.

Singapore – Continuing on its ‘Passion Made Possible’ destination brand campaign, the Singapore Tourism Board has launched a global campaign bringing the island-nation to life with larger-than-life 3D billboards in the cities of New York, London, Shanghai, Mumbai and Jakarta.

The campaign, executed alongside BBH Singapore and The Shophouse @ Publicis, features the 3D out-of-home billboard that shine the spotlight on some of the country’s unique and multifaceted offerings and provides a whimsical take on three iconic Singapore experiences.

Choo Huei Miin, director of brand at Singapore Tourism Board, said, “Leveraging these immersive 3D out-of-home billboards, our aim was to capture the imagination of our travellers through transforming everyday moments into unique experiences Singapore has to offer to inspire travel. We hope this visual treat showcases the best of destination Singapore to the world and captivates audiences in key target markets with our vibrant culture, food, nature, and show-stopping futuristic landscapes.”

Meanwhile, Khairul Mondzi, executive creative director at BBH Singapore, commented, “This ‘global tour’ unveils to the world the essence of Singapore through a collection of experiences – iconic and lesser-known alike – in an unexpected, surprising way. Forget what you know about gardens, window shopping and performance art: STB’s new 3D billboards might surprise you in ways beyond the ordinary.”

Singapore – The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and travel platform Traveloka have signed a new one-year Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC), renewing their longstanding partnership to elevate visitor experiences across Southeast Asia.

The MOC reflects both parties’ commitment to innovation and regional travel recovery, moving beyond the confines of marketing campaigns and placing focus on data sharing, new product introductions, and enhancement of visitors’ travel experiences across multiple SEA markets.

In this new partnership, STB and Traveloka will work on targeting consumers through insights and data sharing. Both parties will exchange insights to develop more targeted promotional campaigns and tailored travel experiences that can drive impactful outcomes.

Additionally, both parties will also explore the introduction of new Singapore products and experiences on Traveloka’s platform.

STB’s MOC with Traveloka further underscores its commitment to promoting its ‘Made in Singapore’ campaign that highlights the unique and unexpected experiences one can only encounter in the country.

Through the partnership, STB will introduce new avenues for personalised and tailored experiences that elevate travel experiences and showcase Singapore’s diverse offering to a wider audience.

The MOC signing marks a joint commitment between STB and Traveloka to invest in marketing initiatives that focus on Indonesia and expand to Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Among these marketing initiatives are hosting influencer familiarisation trips and developing video assets for digital and social media production.

The signing ceremony was officiated by Melissa Ow, STB’s chief executive, and Caesar Indra, president of Traveloka.

Speaking on the partnership, Indra said, “Singapore holds a prominent position as one of the top outbound destinations, as we saw a notable rise in search and transaction for all products from Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines of nearly 80% during 2023 compared to the previous year.”

“We are excited to continue our partnership with STB to bring greater value to our customers. We are committed to providing more benefits and fulfilling consumers’ holiday aspirations, including their Singapore vacation plans, and this collaboration marks an exciting chapter in enriching experiences for our customers,” he added.

Terrence Voon, executive director of Southeast Asia at STB, also said, “Traveloka has been an important and valued partner since our first collaboration in 2019. As travel continues to recover in the region, our partnership will help to unlock the rich tourism potential of Southeast Asia, help us understand our customers better, and strengthen Singapore’s position as a leading destination for regional travellers.”

Prior to this partnership renewal, STB previously partnered with Traveloka and Trans Digital Media in 2022 for its ‘SingapoReimagine’ recovery campaign that welcomes Indonesian travellers to Singapore after the pandemic.

Singapore – The Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Marina Bay Sands, and UOB have spearheaded a first-of-its-kind partnership to enliven the Marina Bay precinct for locals and tourists. This partnership will focus on introducing appealing lifestyle and entertainment programming for the Bay.

These includes the launch of over 50 exclusive experiences across hotels, attractions, retail shops and dining establishments, in partnership with more than 19 precinct stakeholders.

In addition, this builds on the marketing efforts of all three parties – including STB’s Made in Singapore global brand campaign, Marina Bay Sands’ Bay Precinct Strategy, and UOB’s strategy to provide exclusive access to the best travel, shop, dine and entertainment events across ASEAN – to form a compelling tourism narrative for visitors.

Alongside these engaging programming, this partnership will include a marketing campaign “Masterpieces. Made in Singapore,” leveraging STB’s global campaign that highlights how the ordinary is made extraordinary through a rich tapestry of unique and unexpected experiences made possible only in Singapore. 

The campaign communications will go out to key source markets such as Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, and post-arrival visitors already in Singapore. 

Kenneth Lim, assistant chief executive of marketing group at Singapore Tourism Board, said, “We are delighted to partner with Marina Bay Sands and UOB to collaborate with the wider Marina Bay precinct partners to enhance the vibrancy of the Marina Bay precinct by offering a series of unique experiences for visitors to enjoy. This partnership aims to excite and inspire our visitors to explore more of what Singapore has to offer.”

Meanwhile, Irene Lin, senior vice president and chief marketing officer (resort marketing) at Marina Bay Sands, commented, “The Marina Bay precinct has the potential to be a canvas for cutting-edge lifestyle programming, with its diversity of hotel, attractions, retail and dining partners located in close proximity to our integrated resort. The partnership with STB and UOB allows us to further develop our first-in-class Bay Precinct Strategy, which offers business travellers a richer and varied bleisure experience.”

Lastly, Jacquelyn Tan, UOB’s Head of Group Personal Financial Services, said, “UOB is honoured to be a part of this groundbreaking partnership. As the leader in billings for consumer credit cards in ASEAN, we look forward to offering our cardholders across the region an unforgettable experience at the Marina Bay precinct. Whether it be dining, attractions, retail or entertainment, UOB is proud to showcase Singapore’s finest offerings through this partnership.”

The partnership takes flight in February with a spectacular waterfront drone light show at the Bay, in celebration of Lunar New Year. Titled “The Legend of the Dragon Gate”, the show will present the story of the mythical Dragon King, brought to life through 1,500 drones set against the iconic Singapore skyline. Themes of family reunion and perseverance, as well as symbols of luck and prosperity, will feature prominently in the show.

In addition, to complement the drone extravaganza and further enrich the visitor experience around the Bay, the three partners have curated attractive promotions for UOB cardholders in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Singapore – Google and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have officially unveiled the expansion of their augmented reality (AR) guided tour ‘Merli’s Immersive Adventure’ with new iconic landmarks in Singapore.

Powered by Google’s ‘ARCore Geospatial AI’ that can build location-based AR experiences, travellers can now discover and experience more of Singapore’s landmarks virtually at the touch of their fingertips through Merli’s Immersive Adventure.

Merli, Singapore’s tourism mascot, will guide travellers on a tour through six enchanting stops in the popular tourism precincts of Singapore’s Civic District and Chinatown. With just their mobile devices, tourists and residents alike can uncover the country’s historical, cultural, and culinary experience and interact with the nuances of its heritage and modernity.

Tourists and residents alike can now immerse themselves in Singapore’s landmarks and cultural heritage through their mobile devices.

Amongst the new landmarks included in Merli’s Immersive Adventure is Singapore’s first-ever post office, now the iconic Fullerton Hotel, where travellers can send out some virtual postcards to their loved ones.

The expanded map also included the Great Emporium stop, where the life-sized bumboat is brought to life in AR and tourists can learn about the significance of the Singapore River for the city and its people.

Merli also uncovers hidden spots like the Peranakan Tile Gallery, a local Chinatown business that sells tiles salvaged from demolished shophouses. Lastly, the tour includes an AR map for popular food spot offers and must-try hawker dishes at Maxwell Food Centre.

Google and STB share a common vision of helping people explore destinations in more than one way. By leveraging Google’s immersive technology, they were able to lower the barriers of entry and provide an AR map that people can use to travel to destinations without having to be physically there.

Simon Ang, STB director for The Collaboratory, said, “STB actively looks for possible tourism use cases in emerging technologies like Extended Reality (XR). We’ll always be open to piloting new technologies to create novel experiences for visitors and are excited to be working with Google to pioneer this movement.”

Merli’s Immersive Adventure can be accessed through the Visit Singapore Travel Guide app. 

Singapore – Global travel service provider Trip.com and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to renew their global partnership for three years. 

Under the MOU, both parties will expand their collaboration and embark on joint campaigns to boost inbound travel to Singapore and promote more in-depth and lesser-known tours and experiences in Singapore. 

In addition, Trip.com Group will also leverage its expertise and resources to promote Singapore’s MICE offerings and explore digital innovations that enhance visitors’ experience in Singapore.

Both parties will launch marketing campaigns in mainland China and other key markets including Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and Korea, and also promote the various offerings, experiences and activities in Singapore, including new products relating to wellness and sustainability. Trip.com Group will also customise new itineraries for specific groups of travellers, including families, with the objective of enhancing their experience in Singapore.

Melissa Ow, chief executive at Singapore Tourism Board, said, “The STB and Trip.com Group have forged a longstanding partnership since 2012. Moving forward, we endeavour to deepen our collaboration to elevate Singapore’s status as a leading destination for leisure and MICE travellers. Additionally, we will expand the scope of our partnership to include exchanges on digital solutions and innovation, and jointly develop more in-depth travel products to diversify our destination offerings.”

Meanwhile, Jane Sun, chief executive officer at Trip.com Group, commented, “Singapore has always been one of the most popular destinations for Chinese and other international tourists, and we have been collaborating with the STB to promote tourism and showcase the beauty of this beautiful country.”

She added, “Hosting our annual flagship Global Partner Summit – with its over 2,000 delegates – in Singapore earlier this week reflects our commitment to the local tourism sector and we will utilise our strengths, including content marketing, AI and innovation, to further strengthen Singapore’s position as a destination of choice.”

Singapore – The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has unveiled its new global campaign ‘Made in Singapore’, which invites the world to Singapore, where things are made a little unexpected, and where typical tourist experiences are seen in a different light in the country.

‘Made in Singapore’ replaces STB’s ‘SingapoReimagine’ international recovery campaign launched in November 2020 to rekindle passion for travel in Singapore.

Conceptualised alongside Publicis Groupe Singapore, the campaign puts a fresh spin on STB’s Passion Made Possible destination brand by spotlighting quintessentially Singapore experiences, from iconic attractions to hidden gems, that turn ordinary moments into extraordinary ones. 

From ‘forest bathing’ at the unexpected setting of Jewel Changi Airport’s Rain Vortex, to working up a sweat dining at Lau Pa Sat hawker centre and witnessing a colourful ‘air show’ at the all-new Mandai Bird Paradise, Singapore turns imagination into inspiring travel experiences.

Moreover, the campaign also aims to keep Singapore top of mind and in conversations by showcasing the country’s key attributes: an inspiring City in Nature that is not only vibrant and cosmopolitan but also rooted in open, multicultural heritage – a place where unexpected twists on familiar moments are made possible.

The campaign is launched with a film directed by Singaporean filmmaker Martin Hong, best known for his music videos with international artists such as Billie Eilish.

Kenneth Lim, assistant chief executive for marketing group at STB, said, “The Made in Singapore campaign is anchored on our Passion Made Possible destination brand, which embodies the Singapore spirit of fulfilling individual passions and creating new possibilities. Through this latest campaign, we would like to reinforce Singapore as a destination that turns imagination into reality. Our goal is to showcase how everyday ordinary moments are made extraordinary and unforgettable, experienced only in Singapore – to inspire travel here.”

Meanwhile, Janson Choo, executive creative director at BBH Singapore and The Shophouse @ Publicis, commented, “One thing we can proudly say about Singapore is that we make things happen. This spirit has turned us into a rather extraordinary place, never settling for the familiar, constantly pushing to be better and, essentially, making imagination come to life. If we can think it, we can do it. And through this campaign, we hope this passion of making things happen can inspire travellers to want to see our imaginative experiences in the flesh.”

‘Made in Singapore’ will roll out across key markets globally including China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States, amongst others. Anchored on the film, the full-funnel campaign incorporates activations, brand partnerships, and always-on paid media. Crucially, collaborations with content creators and influencers will engage interest communities and build talkability about Singapore as an unforgettable destination, while two social-first content series are on the horizon.