After Hari Raya, Singtel pushes on with ordinary folk narrative for Deepavali

Singtel has launched a film titled "There is light", in line with Deepavali. Featuring two of its Hindu staff preparing for the festivities, the film is said to revel in the Deepavali spirit of positivity and hope, prevailing over the trials and tribulations brought on by the pandemic. The film also builds on Singtel’s ongoing brand campaign encouraging Singaporeans to stay positive in the current climate, by featuring the lives of ordinary folks and celebrating the Singaporean spirit of tenacity and perseverance.

The three-minute film starts off on a sombre tone with its two staff, networks associate engineer Ganesan and planning and strategy manager Sujatha, recounting the challenges they faced this year due to COVID-19. The story then takes on an upbeat turn as the staff share their love for Deepavali and express their determination to look for the good in any bad situation. "There is light" is hosted on Singtel's social media channels. It was conceptualised in-house by Singtel’s brand team and produced in collaboration with Akanga Film Asia. 

Lian Pek, vice president of group strategic communications and brand at Singtel, said the Deepavali's spirit of hope portrayed in the film is relevant not only to its Hindu colleagues and friends, but all Singaporeans who look forward to better days. “There’s no denying the shadow that the pandemic has cast these past months. But as COVID measures ease on the back of fewer infections, there’s a growing sense that some semblance of normalcy is returning and Deepavali is resonating in new ways against this backdrop - that better things are on the way," she added. 

As part of Singtel's ongoing brand campaign, the telco previously launched its annual National Day film "This is the year", which paid tribute to the Majulah spirit that is propelling Singaporeans through the COVID-19 crisis. The two-minute photo montage begins as a tender survey of the Singapore landscape when the new normal kicked in. It moves starkly from one empty public space to another, from playgrounds to hawker centres to void decks and the prospect of having to forego much-loved annual events such as the F1 and the National Day parade.

Singtel also unveiled a film in line with Hari Raya back in May titled "Keeping the spirit of Hari Raya alive", which documented how the Malay community kept the spirit of Ramadan alive during the circuit breaker period. 

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