STB's latest brand doesn't capture essence of Singapore

I remain less than impressed by the main video advertisement for the "Passion Made Possible" campaign ('Passion Made Possible' resonates with those at home, abroad; Forum Online, Oct 25).

It exuded a pretentious, contrived and trite street vibe of sound, image and editing that is less than ideal for the Economic Development Board's main target corporate audience, while failing to capture the diversity of Singapore's multiculturalism, which will become increasingly important for experiential tourism.

While our island nation must always be anchored by Singaporeans first and foremost, it is also a premier global city which welcomes talented and hard-working people from all over the world.

This broad interaction between locals and foreigners across a wide spectrum of socio-economic life continues to lift our city-state as one of the leading places to live, work and play in the Asia-Pacific region.

The fact that the "Passion Made Possible" videos have been viewed 36.6 million times is hardly an indication of their quality, or their success in conveying the core essence of Singapore's eclecticism to the world with punch and polish.

A good video advertisement is not a backstory of concepts and ideas based on focus group research, but simply a clear and concise communication of brand values via the tasteful packaging of moving images and sound first and foremost.

Toh Cheng Seong

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 28, 2017, with the headline STB's latest brand doesn't capture essence of Singapore. Subscribe