Content Champions: Health Promotion Board (Singapore)

The Health Promotion Board (HPB) was established as a statutory board under the Ministry of Health, Singapore, in 2001 with the vision of building “A Nation of Healthy People”. HPB aims to empower Singaporeans to attain optimal health, increase the quality and years of healthy life and prevent illness, disability and premature death. 

As the key agency overseeing national health promotion and disease prevention programmes, HPB spearheads health education, promotion and prevention programmes as well as creates a health-supportive environment in Singapore.

Content Champions is a segment during MARKETING-INTERACTIVE's Content360 conference in Singapore in which we highlight brands who have made significant impact in the content marketing space through their campaigns. This campaign was first shortlisted for Marketing Excellence Awards 2024 and was further evaluated by the editorial team at MARKETING-INTERACTIVE to make the shortlist. 

Brand: Health Promotion Board
Campaign: "Trust no tongue"

Challenge

As Asia’s food capital, Singapore is a proud "foodie" nation, yet this enthusiasm comes with a hidden peril - sodium overconsumption. Singapore residents are consuming close to twice the recommended daily sodium intake, mainly stemming from everyday elements such as salt, sauces, and seasonings. An alarming 9 in 10 residents unwittingly exceed the recommended daily sodium intake. However, less than a third of them are aware of this silent sodium overload. 

Singapore faces a pressing health threat, with the incidence of hypertension nearly doubling between 2010 and 2022. One in three Singapore residents now suffers from hypertension, even from as young as 30 years old. Hypertension treatments are usually lifelong for most people.

Strategy 

The challenges presented led to HPB launching a bold, multi-year strategy in 2022 to reduce sodium intake over five years, which can spur significant improvements in blood pressure and health outcomes for the population.

Execution

HPB then proceeded to launch its hero campaign film "Trust no tongue" used 1990s Hong Kong gangster film aesthetics with a light-hearted twist. Body parts were portrayed as members of a dysfunctional triad that included Mr. Tongue, the unsuspected perpetrator of excessive sodium consumption. This creative portrayal underscored the deceptive role of taste in sodium intake and its health effects, educating a broad audience on excessive sodium sources.

Additionally, attention-grabbing facts such as “Singapore eats a train’s weight in salt every four days” matched with visual illustrations of trains and buses flooded with salt were designed to shock Singapore residents into realising their overconsumption of sodium.

Moreover, targeted edutainment content enlightened readers on the high sodium content in popular local dishes. Educational videos and infographics simplified complex information about the associated risks, making it accessible and shareable.

Meta ads with engaging graphics and narratives under the theme "You can't trust your tongue to taste excess salt" highlighted hidden sodium sources and tips to manage intake while reach was further extended through YouTube and Native Discovery platforms such as Zemanta and Yahoo Gemini.

Popular influencers and chefs such as Tam Chiak, Annette Lee, and Chef Eric, who were aligned with HPB's goal of promoting healthier eating, also supported its campaign by lending their credibility and authenticity. Their involvement helped simplify low-sodium cooking and demonstrated that healthy eating can be both delicious and uncomplicated.

Check out the other winners here.