Tag: TBWA\Singapore

Singapore – Global cryptocurrency exchange Bybit has launched a new special pillow, a first of its kind, in a bid to raise awareness to cryptocurrency traders to get quality sleep despite the ‘market never sleeps’.

The pillow launch is accompanied by the launch of a rap video, full with meme references related to cryptocurrency and trading of it.

The campaign, conceptualised by TBWA\Group Singapore, focuses on the fact that due to the decentralised nature of cryptocurrencies, the markets are not managed by any authority in any specific time zone – they remain open to traders all over the world, hence a large majority of these traders never sleep.

Data from The Sleep Judge states that traders are kept awake at night due to stresses about market crashes; learning more about investments; worrying about the disappearances of cryptocurrency and missing the next big thing. The data also noted that almost 70% of non-investors reported to enjoy good to excellent sleep quality versus around 63% of those who did invest in cryptocurrency. 

Speaking on campaign execution, Asheen Naidu, executive creative director at TBWA\Singapore, said, “We wanted to change these data points and create a solution to the problem of sleep deprivation among traders. Moon Pillow is the answer. Users can program their pillow to provide vibration alerts when their selected cryptocurrencies experience price swings larger than five percent.”

He added, “To become attractive to the audience, we delved deep into crypto cohort culture to find unique ways to drive excitement for the campaign – from different activation touchpoints, through to the distinct language and meme aesthetics commonly seen on online message boards. It is an exciting product which intends to provide traders with an excellent quality of sleep, and a sound mind that can help them take their investments to the moon.”

Singapore – TBWA\Asia has announced today that Mandy Wong, former managing director of TBWA\Singapore, has been named president of TBWA\Singapore. She will be taking the role together with Alrick Dorett, chief operating officer of TBWA\Singapore and Malaysia, and chief pricing officer of TBWA\Asia, as CEO Ara Hampartsoumian resigns from his position, a role he’s held since 2019.

Sean Donovan, TBWA\Asia President, said, “Change is opportunity. Time and again, the agency’s ability to respond to and grow from rapid change has been central to its success. Mandy and Alrick have demonstrated over the last several years that they are the ideal candidates to step up and lead our agency into its next great chapter. We’re thrilled both have accepted their new leadership roles.” 

Wong and Dorett bring together a deep and diverse set of competencies, backgrounds, and business perspectives. Wong’s focus will include client engagement, new business, talent and expanding TBWA’s creative competencies, while Dorett’s focus will include innovation and technology-driven transformation, operations, finance, and commercial strategy. 

Donovan added, “Ara has been part of the leadership team at TBWA\Singapore for eight years, first as managing director then as CEO. We thank him for the contributions he has made to the growth of our people, our clients and our collective. He leaves with our very best wishes.” 

Asheen Naidu, deputy executive creative director of TBWA\Singapore, has been promoted to lead the creative department as executive creative director, replacing Andy Grant who is leaving the agency. Naidu will join the Asia Creative Leadership Gang and continue to work closely with Perry Essig, who returned to Asia as chief creative experience officer. 

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Sabbagh who returned to Asia in July as chief strategy officer of TBWA\Asia will lead the Singapore planning department. Prior to moving to Asia, Emmanuel was chief planning officer at TBWA\Paris and global planning director for the agency’s McDonald’s portfolio. Emmanuel is based out of Singapore. 

Donovan concluded, “We’re fortunate to have incredible depth of leadership, not only within the Singapore agency, but within Asia and globally. This continued commitment and investment in training and developing of our people across all our critical roles [have] ensured TBWA\Singapore is set up for success under the leadership of Mandy and Alrick. We wish them well, and we thank Ara and Andy for their contribution to TBWA\Singapore.” 

Hong Kong – Insurance company FWD Group has launched a new brand campaign that spotlights its promise to encourage and help empower people in Asia to celebrate living.

Developed in partnership with TBWA\ Singapore, Sixtoes TV, and AIRBAG, the new campaign includes remotely filmed and produced videos in five locations. It capitalises on the strength of the highly recognisable ‘play’ symbol, consistent with the FWD philosophy that insurance should be a source of empowerment to enjoy life and celebrate it with confidence.

Titled ‘press play’, the campaign is inspired by the stories of six, real-life heroes and features real moments and experiences as they navigate common themes that are impacting the day-to-day lives of people across the region. The people featured each took moments of pause to reflect on their lives and understand their personal objectives and dreams, in order to press play on reconnecting with loved ones, following their passions, taking risks, and changing careers.

Ryan Jong Hoon Kim, FWD’s group chief digital and marketing officer, shared that their new brand campaign reflects the opportunities and challenges that people are facing as they think about their futures, and they want to inspire everyone to ‘press play’ to actively pursue their professional and personal passions and dreams.

“Our vision is to transform the industry by changing the way people feel about insurance. The campaign’s message of empowering individuals to celebrate living is a fitting expression of that commitment and our brand promise,” said Kim.

Meanwhile, Andy Grant, executive creative director of TBWA, said, “The creative idea ‘press play’ is a call to action to inspire and enable people to go out and press play on all the things that they are holding back on. For the campaign, we searched all across Asia to find real stories of people who are doing this. We hope that these stories inspire everyone to go out and press play today!”

Robin Nayak, chief strategy officer of TBWA, commented, “We recognised early on, how FWD’s invitation to celebrate living has never been so apt as it is now. So our approach to strategy was not to re-think it, but to find the most powerful cultural triggers to give it meaning: the real things people across this region had been forced to pause that FWD gives them the means to press play on.”

The campaign is now live in the Philippines and Vietnam across multiple media including TV, social, and digital media channels, and will feature in other FWD markets across Asia in the coming weeks and months.

Singapore – Global banking institution Standard Chartered has released a new ‘colorful’ ad that aims to reiterate the danger of carbon emission to the environment and the bank’s commitment to helping to achieve the net-zero goal by 2050. 

The bank recently announced its new net-zero approach which aims to mobilize US$300b in green and transition financing in helping clients reach net-zero targets and to reduce absolute financed thermal coal mining emissions by 85 percent by 2030, among others.

“Carbon – it’s helped build everything we have, but to keep moving forward, we need to leave carbon behind,” said the ad.

Developed together with creative agency TBWA\Singapore, the ad rightly focuses on the imagery of carbon, where ‘carbon’ is the ‘star’ from start to finish. From a massive cloud of black carbon enveloping the community, it is eventually met with carbon in Standard Chartered’s bright brand colors of blue and green symbolizing how the bank is stepping in to help impede the growing environmental hazard.

TBWA\Singapore said that with the ad, which used an underwater technique to deliver the stunning imagery of smoke, they aimed to move beyond the clichéd visuals typically associated with sustainability communications.

“While the conversations around sustainability and carbon transition have been re-energized in recent months, the depiction of these initiatives in mainstream advertising is anything but fresh,” said Asheen Naidu, global creative director at TBWA\Singapore.

Naidu adds, “To disrupt the sea of sameness and really get our message noticed, we opted for a more artistic approach – partnering with the brilliant Eben Mears of Psyop, to tell the story of a world under threat and visualizing how Standard Chartered is working to minimize and ultimately remove that threat.”

The ad was produced by production studio Psyop. According to the campaign’s team, they used a unique production technique involving jets of food colorant in a water tank, creating the illusion of smoke engulfing a city and its residents. As the black clouds billow through the 3D-printed underwater model, two more jets of colorant are then introduced – this time Standard Chartered’s signature blue and green brand colors.

The StanChart team further shared that the film was developed without CGI and shot using a high-speed robotic motion control system, allowing the camera to move through the model city at precise angles and speeds. The jets were also carefully controlled to create sharp, vivid footage of the food colorant flowing through water at varying pressures and speed in the aim to create a captivating film that artistically showcases the role of the bank in transitioning to a carbon-free future.

Emma Sheller, global head of brand and marketing at Standard Chartered, commented, “Coinciding with the recent announcement of Standard Chartered’s pathway to Net-Zero, the new campaign leverages the power of creativity to portray our commitments to tackling climate change and helping countries and businesses accelerate their transition to carbon neutrality.”

According to the team, to stay true to the theme of the campaign, the film production had an exceptionally low carbon footprint, and the entire shoot was conducted remotely with the agency in Singapore, director in New York, and production team in Germany.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Malaysia’s Ikano Centres, the IKEA-anchored shopping destination, is welcoming Malaysians back to their malls after the easing of extensive movement control orders (MCO) with a heart-warming campaign featuring a herd of charismatic and incredibly social Llama influencers.

Developed together with creative agency TBWA\Malaysia, the campaign plays off the warm phrase ‘lama tak jumpa’, a greeting commonly used when there has been a very long absence between catch-ups.

Natasha Aziz, head of customer experience and digital at Ikano Centres, said, “We have certainly missed our visitors. After such a long time, it feels so right to be welcoming them back with ‘Iama tak jumpa’. ‘Lama tak jumpa’ oozes warmth, excitement, and optimism as we move ahead. We are looking forward to safely welcoming back our communities to our shopping centres as restrictions start to ease.”

The campaign went live on 1 November, and each Llama influencer, whose personalities were made to radiate warmth and confidence, represents one of the four Malaysian Ikano Centres’ malls dotted across the country:

The fun and friendly LIPPIE represents the IPC Shopping Centre, while the always on-trend and stylish LLAMY is the llama of MyTOWN Shopping Centre.

Meanwhile, TIA, the active skateboard-riding llama represents Toppen Shopping Centre, with the artsy graffiti-spraying BEEKA llama is for Ikano Centre’s offering in Batu Kawan, Penang.

The campaign draws on experiences visitors had forgotten they were missing at Ikano Centres’ shopping centres such as the thrill of trying on new clothes, playing with gadgets to the smell and taste of cinema popcorn, and the general overall buzz of an environment filled with people once again. 

Social media content from the campaign

In addition to an animated music video, eye-catching social media content was developed to capture these memories and sensory experiences. As the malls open, shoppers will have the opportunity to collect the herd of vibrant Llama influencers during their shopping visits.

Yee Hui Tsin, TBWA\Malaysia’s CEO, said, “Our partnership with the Ikano Centre’s portfolio of malls in Malaysia is an exciting challenge as we work to ensure efforts are capturing a sense of freedom of movement and excitement, while also helping Malaysia’s assimilate into a ‘normal’ endemic lifestyle.”

Yee Hui Tsin adds, “The changing face of retail and shifts in consumer behavior has been extraordinary. However, retail remains the anchor of the Malaysia economy, evidenced by a distinct parallel between the strength of the economy and how well retail is fairing.”

On awarding the business to TBWA, Aziz said, “TBWA’s insight to our re-opening was spot on; they aptly captured the emotion around everything people were missing from visiting our shopping centres; the sounds, smells and shared experiences and how together we can create endless possibilities for when people come together.”

TBWA\Malaysia said it was awarded the business after a competitive pitch in August. TBWA\Singapore manages the IKEA brand across Singapore and Malaysia.

Singapore – With borders reopening across the world, Singapore Airlines (SIA), the flag carrier airline of Singapore, has launched a new global campaign, which is its first since the beginning of the pandemic, marking a significant step forward for the airline industry’s path to recovery.

Created in collaboration with creative agency TBWA\Singapore, the new campaign aims to capture the ‘freedom’ and ‘weightlessness’ of being able to finally travel again, encouraging people to turn their anticipation into action.

Titled ‘Look forward to flying again with Singapore Airlines’, the campaign features travelers literally floating through their day, leading up to their first flight out with SIA, from the moment they wake up to traveling to the airport and boarding the plane. 

In order to capture an authentic flying experience on camera, the airline shared that its team worked alongside a professional stunt crew who are masters in coordinating gravity-defying performances.

Lau Hui Ling, the general manager, brand, and marketing at Singapore Airlines, shared, “The campaign highlights how SIA’s renowned world-class service and experience allows customers to enjoy their first post-pandemic flight and start looking forward to being in the air once again.”

Andy Grant, TBWA\Singapore’s ECD, said that they wanted the ‘blissful liberation’ on screen as travel resumes.

“We made the magical and distinct experience of flying with SIA visceral throughout the film – focusing on the sense of warmth, calm, and peacefulness people encounter from the moment they wake up to when they step onboard,” said Grant.

Beyond Singapore, the campaign was also launched around the world in high-profile media placements such as New York Times Square, Japan’s Shibuya Crossing, and London Cromwell.

Singapore – National Arts Council, the government agency that specializes in the development of the literary, performing, and visual arts, has partnered anew with Singapore Tourism Board (STB), to launch a new campaign film, aimed at flaunting the vibrancy and color of the city’s walls while showcasing Singapore’s diverse precincts.

The film, which follows last year’s ‘Dance to a New Beat’ campaign, features more than 30 local dancers performing at various artistic locations across the city, where each is paired with a different style of dance to complement the theme of the location. Managed by local dance company O School, the styles stretch across hip hop, street jazz, contemporary, and various other street styles. 

Titled ‘Be Drawn In’, which is created in collaboration with creative agency TBWA\Singapore, is part of the SingapoReimagine, a major campaign launched by the board to create conversations, stories, and engagement in shaping local tourism, and #SGCultureAnywhere, a campaign that aims to reach out to home-grown audiences and those around the world, while supporting our Singaporean artists and arts organizations.

Moreover, the campaign seeks to encourage the discovery of Singapore through the arts and heritage – this time showcasing the multiculturalism and diversity that the country has to offer.

Serene Lim, the director of performing arts at National Arts Council Singapore, shared that this is the second of a trilogy of dance films, and this piece celebrates the beauty of rhythm and movement in visual synchronicity through dance.

“Our partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board that resulted in this series will add to the diversity and vibrancy of our arts landscape, made possible by our artists,” said Lim.

Meanwhile, Georgina Koh, Singapore Tourism Board’s director of digital and content, said, “Through our long-standing collaboration with the National Arts Council, we hope to showcase more of our destination to global audiences, while inspiring greater interest and engagement in Singapore’s arts.”

Pete Callaghan, TBWA\Singapore’s creative director, noted this film ignites travel inspiration in a unique and energetic way, drawing people in by highlighting the breadth of art they have hidden around Singapore.

“It was equally important to provide a global stage for our local dancers to showcase the amazing talent, enthusiasm, and appreciation for the performing arts scene in Singapore,” said Callaghan.

Singapore – To commemorate World Suicide Prevention Day, which is celebrated on 10 September, creative agency TBWA\Singapore has partnered with Samaritans of Singapore (SOS), the non-profit suicide prevention center, to launch a new product that breaks the silence around mental health. 

Called ‘The Honest Cookie’, each cookie is baked with a different question inside to help initiate conversations around peoples’ feelings and how they are coping during difficult times, allowing people to come together and share what’s truly on their minds.

Through ‘The Honest Cookie’, SOS hopes to reach out to the more vulnerable groups such as the elderly, to help them re-connect with their loved ones and those who can support them in times of need.

The outreach campaign also includes a series of social media content and on-ground engagements that will run in September 2021.

Amid the pandemic, stressors such as drastic changes in lifestyle routines, social withdrawal, and financial worries, have created a sense of hopelessness. But many people find it difficult to have honest conversations and be open about their true feelings, keeping their worries and emotions to themselves, and stopping them from getting the help they need. According to SOS, in 2020, Singapore has reported 452 people who had died by suicide, with an increase in number observed across all age groups. 

“We often do not realize how a simple act of concern can create a huge impact and potentially change someone’s life. We can start by showing our loved ones that we care by initiating a conversation and providing a listening ear,” said Gasper Tan, SOS’ chief executive officer.

Asheen Naidu, TBWA\Singapore’s global creative director, shared that they wanted to create a tool that guides people to have conversations about their mental health in a natural way and begin normalizing this important behavior.

“With mealtimes being the most common time for people to get together, we decided to develop a light snack that initiates heavy conversations – helping us shift from a culture of silence to one of openness and empathy,” said Naidu.

‘The Honest Cookie’ will be distributed across various community centers, social service centers, and corporate organizations, while customers can receive a free cookie when they make a purchase via foodpanda across all LiHO outlets. 

For those who receive ‘The Honest Cookie’, they are also encouraged to share their experience of breaking the cookie with their loved ones via social media, to help create awareness of the #HonestCookieSG campaign. 

They can simply post a public photo or video on their Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube account, sharing their experience of breaking open ‘The Honest Cookie’ and having an open conversation with someone else, as well as a simple description in the caption. They can also include the hashtag #HonestCookieSG and tag three friends.

Moreover, people can donate an honest cookie for just S$2 via giving.sg to fund an honest conversation.