Singapore – Singaporean bank DBS/POSB has released its new limited-edition home scent in time for the Lunar New Year, capturing the fragrance of mandarin oranges, a symbol of prosperity.

The ‘ABUNDANCE Home Scent, made in collaboration with The Secret Little Agency (TSLA), blends fresh and warm notes reminiscent of the festivities’ spirit, reflecting the tradition of sharing good fortune with the scent of mandarin oranges.

To create the scent, TSLA worked with perfume laboratory Oo La Lab to bottle the scent of abundance.

Promoting gift-giving during the Lunar New Year, DBS/POSB is giving away bottles of the home scent to customers who share a minimum of $8 with their loved ones using eGift or QR Ang Bao via PayLah!

Customers can redeem a free ‘ABUNDANCE Home Scent’ at DBS/POSB’s activations at Our Tampines Hub and Gardens by the Bay.

“Last year we bottled the scent of ‘huat’; this year we’ve evolved to capture the sweet smell of ABUNDANCE, a home scent that evokes warmth and overflowing prosperity into our homes to add a fun, unique sensory experience to our annual traditions,” Nicholas Ye and Mavis Neo, co-chief creative officers at TSLA, said.

“We wanted to bottle the festive spirit that Lunar New Year is known for, with a scent that wafts through our homes and corridors of our neighbourhoods reminiscent of the good fortune and prosperity the season brings,” Ye and Neo added.

“Following the success of last year’s HUAT Eau De Parfum fragrance, which we created to complement our QR Ang Bao gifting experience, we are excited to gift ‘ABUNDANCE’ to our customers this year in the form of a home scent. This initiative is part of our broader efforts to promote digital gifting, which also includes enhancing our eGift solution to allow for greater personalisation and launching our ‘$8,888 Abundance’ giveaway,” Lim Bee Bee, head of marketing, consumer banking group at DBS Singapore, commented.

Singapore – Klook, a travel services and experiences platform, is promoting travel security in its latest campaign for its insurance arm Klook Protect with creative agency The Secret Little Agency (TSLA).

The campaign aims to encourage travellers to ensure protection during their journeys and experiences, introducing the Klook Protection Agency. It reinforces Klook’s objective to insure travellers’ good experiences in light of risks.

As part of the campaign, Klook is releasing a series of videos featuring Singaporean content creator Simonboy traversing usual travel setbacks, such as bad weather and accidentally oversleeping.

Klook’s campaign highlights Klook protect’s features, including the Satisfaction Guarantee and No-Show Refund that can help save a traveller’s journey despite unexpected incidents.

Klook Protect’s recent study backs the campaign, which found that 48% of millennials and Gen Z travellers are facing more risks with their preference for experiential adventures, solo trips, and budget-friendly experiences.

“At Klook, experiences are the core of what we do. With the holiday season in full swing, this campaign is all about showing travelers how they can enjoy their year-end adventures worry-free. Insurance can be often seen as something to check off a travel list, so we’re flipping the script to inject some light-hearted humour to show how it empowers travelers to embrace the joy of their adventures,” Marcus Yong, vice president of global marketing at Klook, said.

“We loved the challenge of helping Klook craft a campaign that communicates safety, trust, and assurance. Klook Protect addresses the real needs of today’s travelers, and we’re proud to be able to bring it to life in a way that resonates and inspires through the K.P.A.,” Mavis Neo and Nicholas Ye, chief creative officers at The Secret Little Agency, commented.

Singapore – The Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) has teamed up with The Secret Little Agency (TSLA) to launch a youth-focused mental health campaign that takes an empathetic approach to destigmatise mental health support for Singapore’s youth. 

Called ‘REAL,’ AIC’s initiative aims to provide tailored mental health support for Singapore’s youth, destigmatise mental health discussions, and create accessible, approachable pathways to support.

Developed in partnership with TSLA, REAL addresses a common mental barrier among youth: the tendency to downplay their mental health struggles and dismiss their need for support. The brand’s mission is to validate young people’s experiences, help them acknowledge their challenges, and empower them to take action while normalising the process of seeking help.

AIC and TSLA crafted REAL’s tone of voice and messaging to connect deeply with youth, fostering a supportive space where they feel seen, heard, and understood. 

“With REAL, we wanted to break down the idea that one needs to look or act a certain way to ‘deserve’ help. In a world where mental health is often portrayed in visually homogenous ways, we took a contemporary approach with unique illustrations to portray the very real and complicated emotions and struggles that words or photos often cannot portray,” said Nicholas Ye and Mavis Neo, co-chief creative officers at The Secret Little Agency. 

They added, “By focusing on highly contextual placements and modern and varied relatable content that are deeply culturally resonant of mental health struggles in today’s society, REAL offers a way for young people to connect with support systems meaningfully. We’re here to meet them where they are and show them they’re not alone in what they feel.”

As part of the campaign launch, AIC and TSLA have unveiled vibrant, large-scale out-of-home (OOH) installations at key locations across Singapore, including Raffles Place, Bugis Plus, and Singapore Polytechnic. Each installation represents “larger-than-life” emotions, capturing the overwhelming nature of mental health struggles. REAL’s brand world also introduces characters designed to embody complex emotions, making these experiences more relatable and impactful.

Complementing these installations, REAL’s campaign features OOH placements at bus stops and in central business district (CBD) areas, delivering contextual and evocative messages tailored to youth. Digital ads on social media and YouTube cleverly use “skippable” formats to playfully remind young audiences that while they can skip the ads, they cannot skip or ignore their emotions.

Additionally, AIC and TSLA collaborated with popular youth favourites like PlayMade bubble tea and engaged in tactical media buys with Cups Media at tertiary institutions. These efforts extend REAL’s message through creative sticker packs and branded cups, effectively reaching youths in familiar, casual settings where they feel most comfortable.

The campaign also features the short film Burnout, produced in collaboration with Zhao Wei Films and directed by award-winning Singaporean director and writer Nicole Midori Woodford. The film tells a relatable story of young people attempting to suppress their anxieties, only to watch in horror as their worries grow uncontrollably instead of fading away.

A key character from REAL’s brand world, Fyre—a fire illustration symbolising anxiety—stars in the film, which tells the story of a young intern grappling with mental health. The three-minute short premiered at the 5th Edition Mental Health Film Festival Singapore (7-10 November 2024), bringing the REAL campaign’s mission to life.

The REAL initiative is AIC’s answer to the worrying data produced by their commissioned study, where 90% of youths have experienced a mental health challenge in the past 12 months but more than half are not even considering seeking support. 

“As mental health continues to impact the lives of youths and young working adults, it’s clear that addressing this challenge requires more than traditional approaches,” said See Yen Theng, chief of the caregiving and community mental health division at AIC. 

“REAL represents a shift towards engaging youths and young working adults as we provide the support they need in ways that are accessible, validating, and empathetic. Our goal is for them to know they are not alone and that their mental well-being matters. While recognising their needs, we also offer a wayfinding tool to find nearby community mental health services,” See added. 

Before this campaign, AIC partnered with TSLA on the “Break the Silver Ceiling” initiative, which aims to combat ageism, challenge outdated perceptions of ageing, and foster a positive shift in societal attitudes toward seniors.

Hong Kong – Brand practice Anak has unveiled the launch and new brand identity of social club 1880’s latest venture, 1880 SOCIAL, a dynamic lifestyle destination situated at Two Taikoo Place in Hong Kong.

1880 SOCIAL is a first-of-its-kind, fully accessible concept that offers the brand’s signature hospitality and programming to the public. Located on the first three floors of Two Taikoo Place in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong, it joins 1880’s third private members’ outpost, 1880 Hong Kong, alongside 1880 Singapore and 1880 Brawa.

The interiors of 1880 SOCIAL and 1880 Hong Kong, designed by MSDO and AvroKO’s Bangkok studio, feature restaurants, coffee and wine bars, a gym, spa, working lounge, co-creation facilities, event spaces, and more.

Anak collaborated with Swire Properties to bring 1880 SOCIAL to life, working closely with long-time partner 1880 to craft the new brand identity. This marks an extension of the 1880 universe, originally developed by Anak in 2017 for the private members’ club that first launched in Singapore.

Anak created the name 1880 SOCIAL and developed a brand system inspired by the group’s ethos, “in service of good conversations,” capturing the buzz and atmosphere that will define this vibrant social hub.

“We envisioned an identity for 1880 SOCIAL that embodies the dynamic interplay of work and play within the space. Through punctuation and letterforms, notes and chords, steps and routines, we have created layers of innovative graphics and pattern sets that represent the rhythm and flow of life in this multi-purpose campus where conversations spark, ideas flourish, and a diverse community comes together,” explained Jeremy Tan, creative director at Anak.

Inspired by the concept of “reading the room” developed by The Secret Little Agency, 1880 SOCIAL’s logo and monogram incorporate the 1880 wordmark alongside an abstracted ‘S,’ offering a glimpse into a dynamic graphic world.

To embody its brand ethos, the system also features a conversation device that uses typography to “paint” mental images, enhancing movement, energy, and buzz.

Anak developed flexible brand principles that can be applied across various touch points within 1880 SOCIAL. Using patterns inspired by punctuation and notes, the spirit of conversation is embedded in both physical spaces and digital communications, creating a dynamic atmosphere where people and ideas converge.

Marc Nicholson, 1880 founder, shared, “1880’s expansion to Hong Kong marks a thrilling new chapter in our mission to inspire conversations that make the world a better place.” 

“Both 1880 Hong Kong and 1880 SOCIAL embody our commitment to providing world-class hospitality alongside thought-provoking programming, creating a vibrant ecosystem that will redefine the every day in this dynamic city. I’m incredibly excited to see how the Taikoo Place and wider community come together in this beautiful space and where the journey takes us from here,” Nicholson added. 

Singapore – The Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) has teamed up with The Secret Little Agency (TSLA) for the second phase of its ‘Break The Silver Ceiling’ movement — a transformative initiative aimed at breaking the narrow, outdated portrayal of seniors in mainstream media. 

For this new phase, AIC aims to tackles ageist stereotypes head-on by producing a comprehensive digital photo repository that celebrates seniors in their true light—active, engaged, and diverse. The photo bank contains 120 images of 40 seniors, captured by four renowned Singaporean photographers–Aik Beng Chia, Amiera Raushan, Mindy Tan, and Zantz Han.

These photos will be available at breakthesilverceiling.com and used in out-of-home billboards and media collaborations across Singapore. The aim is to ensure that older adults are not only seen authentically but portrayed with the dignity, complexity, and diversity they deserve. It is also in support of Age Well SG, with the aim to support seniors to age well in their homes and their communities by ageing actively, staying socially connected, and be cared for within the local communities.

Recent data shows that only 4% of people featured in advertisements worldwide are aged sixty or older, despite seniors representing a significant and growing portion of the population in many markets. 

In Singapore, a HKUST study found that 88.6% of news articles from 2020 to 2023 contain ageist rhetoric, reflecting the pervasive stereotypes that misrepresent older adults. The urgency to correct these portrayals has never been clearer, especially when 1 in 6 people globally will be aged 60 years or over by 2030. 

Nicholas Ye and Mavis Neo, co-chief creative officers at The Secret Little Agency, said, “This movement isn’t about trying to make 60 the new 40. t’s about being 60 and proud of it. A simple Google image search or stock photo search reinforces such a myopic view of ageing. As an industry, we have to do better – we are perpetuating the stereotypes of ageing that exist in visual culture and as brand stewards, we have the responsibility to represent ageing in a way that is real, authentic, and true.” 

They added, “It’s time to remove phrases like, ‘She looks good for her age,’ from our collective vocabulary. The reality is that the over 60 today live full active lives, defined by more than just their age. By changing how seniors are portrayed, we change how they’re seen—and how we’ll see ourselves as we age.”

The campaign will culminate on 1 October 2024, celebrating the International Day of Older Persons, with an exhibition featuring photographs of seniors at Our Tampines Hub. This six-day exhibition honours the diversity and dynamism of Singapore’s seniors, highlighting personal stories and everyday moments. A photo contest held from 21 August to 15 September 2024 also called for the public to contribute their own photos of seniors breaking silver ceilings under three themes – sports and fitness, lifestyle and leisure, and learning. Selected photos will also be showcased in the exhibition.

By working with national media outlets, government agencies, and community organizations, AIC and The Secret Little Agency are taking a bold step towards dismantling ageism. Through this initiative, they are creating a future where ageing is embraced, not feared, and where older adults are represented in all their diversity and dignity. 

“We often encounter limited portrayals of seniors. AIC’s One Photo at A Time campaign challenges these stereotypes and encourages Singaporeans to rethink their perceptions of ageing, fostering a more inclusive and positive view of growing older and ageing well together.” said Eva Lim, director of the integrated communications and marketing division at AIC

Singapore – After a competitive closed-door pitch, travel and experience platform, Klook has appointed independent creative agency The Secret Little Agency as its creative partner for their upcoming global brand work. 

The Secret Little Agency’s remit includes the development of a global brand strategy for marketing and communications, conceptualisation of global brand platforms and campaigns, as well as mapping opportunities for future experience pillars. 

Klook will join the agency’s list of global clients which include Star Alliance, IKEA Singapore, Marriott Bonvoy, DBS Bank and more. 

Marcus Yong, vice president of global marketing at Klook, said, “Choosing the right partner to support our next stage of growth was crucial. The Secret Little Agency demonstrated a clear understanding of our goals and brought fresh ideas to the table. We’re excited about this collaboration and what we can achieve together to bring even more joy to millions of travelers around the world.”

Meanwhile, Eunice Tan, group CEO at The Secret Little Agency, said, “Klook has transformed the way we travel and enjoy experiences over the past decade. We are excited to embark on this journey and to work together to co-create a revolutionary brand as they enter their next chapter of innovation.”

Singapore – Home furnishing retailer IKEA has launched the pillow-like RESTEN bag as a symbol of rest in Singapore, categorised as the third most sleep-deprived country in the world. It is a recreation of the blue FRAKTA bag made in partnership with creative agency The Secret Little Agency.

Featuring a padded design with comfortable fabrics and stuffing, the bag doubles as a makeshift pillow to help Singaporeans find rest on the go.

“With the entire country running on overtime, rest is often sought in unconventional places, and we saw the opportunity to bring comfort to the busy lives of Singaporeans by creating the world’s most “rest-able” bag for one of the world’s most rest-less countries.” Nicholas Ye and Mavis Neo, chief creative officers of The Secret Little Agency, said.

The RESTEN bag will debut during the RestFest at IKEA, a three-day event in IKEA Jurong, Alexandra, and Tampines in Singapore featuring sleep, rest, and relaxation activities.

Commenting on the campaign, Caroline Ng, country marketing manager of IKEA Singapore, said, “We know sleep is important, and rest is a vital yet often overlooked part of Singaporean lives. IKEA has a wide range of well-designed and affordable products to help you get there, and what better way to launch it than with our new ‘Leave the rest to IKEA.’ year-long campaign that kicks off with our first-ever RestFest and the RESTEN bag. It reminds us of our busy lifestyles, the importance of finding opportunities for rest, and that Singaporeans can simply leave the rest to us.”

Customers can get their RESTEN bag through the giveaway hosted on IKEA Singapore’s Instagram page and at the RestFest event on Sept. 6 to 8, 2024.

Singapore – The Secret Little Agency (TSLA) has introduced expanded PR and communications capabilities through PPURPOSE as it unveils a rebrand of its experience and advocacy arm. The rebrand is accompanied by PPURPOSE’s win of beer giant Carlsberg’s latest creative pitch for Waterbomb Singapore 2024, a second Enterprise Singapore Heartland Rejuvenation project, and new key additions to PPURPOSE’s team.

Founded in 2016, the rebrand and expansion of services is a natural progression for the agency which has been behind many prominent publicity and experiential projects for the likes of Netflix, Hugo Boss, Zespri, Asian Civilisations Museum, National Arts Council, including the recent preview of New Bahru, the lifestyle and creative destination by The Lo & Behold Group.

The ‘PPURPOSE’ team has recently won the creative pitch for Carlsberg’s upcoming activation at the Waterbomb Singapore 2024 music festival. PPURPOSE’s remit includes creative conceptualisation and development of programming & experiences to deliver a uniquely Carlsberg experience for all. 

With its rebrand, ‘PPURPOSE’ will now include creative PR and communications planning to its offerings, on top of its services in experiential, culture programming, and advocacy. This strategic move is a response to the fast-evolving industry, where the boundaries between communications, events, and influencer marketing have become increasingly blurred. 

The rebrand also aims to enhance PPURPOSE’s direction by creating meaningful experiences in today’s fast-moving temporal world, setting a new bar for creativity in PR. 

Eunice Tan, group CEO at The Secret Little Agency, said, “We want to bring the fun back to PR. We believe PR as we know it has so much more to offer, and it can be creative. PPURPOSE has always strived to offer something more, something different – culturally impactful programming versus events; genuine advocacy rather than temporal KOL engagement campaigns – because we see the depth of what we can achieve for our clients. We saw an opportunity to build on our strengths in advocacy and programming to carve a space for ourselves through modern PR communications that leads first with creativity and intention.”

She added, “With this expansion, we hope to give our clients a genuine chance at gaining global exposure. In this new chapter, we will continue to partner with brands and creators that align with our vision of meaningful communications and authentic experiences that ultimately create cultural impact with lasting brands and communities.” 

Singapore – The Land Transportation Authority (LTA), alongside The Secret Little Agency (TSLA) is marking the end of its film series focusing on EV readiness in Singapore by releasing its third and final instalment of the film series, directed by renowned local filmmaker Jack Neo.

The third and final installment, starring iconic Singaporean actor Henry Thia, is aimed at sharing the electrification of public transportation driving environmental benefits. The heart wrenching drama follows Ah Hui on his journey to keep his promise to his departed love, to live more sustainably, culminating in his realisation that sustainable transportation is readily available through our buses.

The decision to collaborate with Jack Neo, one of Singapore’s most celebrated filmmakers, was a strategic one. Leveraging Neo’s unparalleled ability to connect with Singaporeans through his unique brand of humor and storytelling, the final film lands the message that all generations are already experiencing Singapore in it’s EV readiness with the electrification of bus fleets; all Singaporeans, not just vehicle drivers, have a part to play in driving our switch to electric initiatives forward.

The campaign–launched December last year–sought to educate Singaporeans around the ready infrastructure supporting the adoption of electric vehicles that exists today and into the near future through the use of cinematic films. 

The three films utilises storytelling in surprising ways, playing on typical genre tropes familiar to all movie-lovers to land tactical messaging on the nation’s electric future. The first film touched on the longevity of a full charge of an average electric vehicle through an action-packed film; and the second used a Romeo/Juliet-esque romance musical to bring to life the ease and convenience of switching to an EV through comprehensive charging infrastructure networks across the country. 

Nicholas Ye and Mavis Neo, co-chief creative officers at The Secret Little Agency, said, “We wanted this final iteration to speak to the hearts of Singaporeans, young and old. Neo’s brand of storytelling, brings a fun, familiar, deeply resonant twist to our series. We saw the opportunity to bridge the knowledge gaps between generations, through highlighting the diverse ways in which Singaporeans of all ages contribute, shape, and experience Singapore’s EV-future, as past of the collective action towards a sustainable future.”

Singapore – Popular furniture brand IKEA has joined the April Fools’ quirkiness by launching its own ‘INVSBÅL’ collection, inspired by makeshift home solutions to everyday clutter, and intentionally resembles convenient solutions that don’t fully address everyday messes at home, but over time, have become part of the home—simply because we grow accustomed to it.

Launched in time for April Fool’s Day and cheekily named the INVSBÅL collection (a play on “invisible”), the range features a see-through laundry basket, a transparent picture frame, as well as colourless storage boxes and clear shoe racks. 

Moreover, the campaign’s visuals are shot in real homes and featuring relatable everyday messy situations, and seemingly showcases an INVSBÅL product that offers to “solve” the mess for a low price of just $1.04. A keen eye will notice that there is no real product pictured in the frame, and the price tag hints at the fact that the entire collection is just an April Fool’s joke.

While the products might be made up, the INVSBÅL collection aims to serve a real purpose—to shine a light on such easily overlooked messes and subtly nudge homeowners to seek better home solutions with IKEA. 

A spokesperson for The Secret Little Agency (TSLA), the agency that conceptualised this campaign, said, “Life goes by so quickly in Singapore, and little things tend to add up around the home. To keep up, we often find ourselves using quick-and-easy solutions to contain the mess, and we eventually become used to the mess itself. It’s like the mess blends in, and becomes part of the furniture. That was how the INVSBÅL collection came about.”

To achieve this, the social posts drive users to an IKEA webpage that shares more details on the INVSBÅL collection—but also cleverly leads visitors to check out other existing IKEA collections and items if you “can’t see what you’re looking for”.

In addition, IKEA Singapore also created a new trend on Instagram Stories, inviting fans to snap and share photos of their own INVSBÅL solutions at home.

Another TSLA spokesperson added, “We knew that every other brand would be jumping at the chance to share a funny joke or a prank on April Fool’s. But we wanted to go beyond that, and use April Fool’s Day as a platform to highlight a real pain point in Singaporean homes, and offer a real solution—but in a joyful and light-hearted way.”