Content Champions: Singtel (Singapore)

Headquartered in Singapore, Singtel is Asia's leading communications technology group with 140 years of operating experience and over 675 million mobile customers around the world. It offers businesses an array of solutions including 5G, IoT, workforce mobility, data hosting, cloud, network infrastructure, analytics and cybersecurity.

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 shortlisted for Marketing Events Awards 2023 and chosen for coverage by the editorial team at MARKETING-INTERACTIVE. 

Brand: Singtel
Campaign: From mudflats to smart nation

Challenge 

The 2023 National Day film was special for Singtel. Along with the brand turning 58, the year was also the 100th birth anniversary of our founding Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew. Singtel also wanted to pay tribute to our founding father of the nation, and thank him for his vision, which paved the way for Singtel to support the nation’s development and shaped the organisation it is today.

One of the biggest challenges it faced however, was in finding a balance between messages about the nation, the brand and Lee.

Many are aware of Singapore’s economic success but less well-known is the key role that telecommunications played in turbo-charging its progress and enabling a small city-state to leapfrog ahead of competition, giving Singaporeans a head start in nation building.

Another challenge Singtel faced was to present the information in a manner that would be easy for viewers to digest. Lastly, it also had to gain access to the right archives and footage to make a compelling piece of content that would resonate with its audience.

Strategy 

One key strategy the brand needed to ensure was that one message didn't overpower the other. As such, Singtel took immense care to balance the documentary style content on former PM Lee and the brand so that the two would go hand in hand in celebration of the nation’s success.

Titled "From mudflats to smart nation", the documentary was structured in three acts. The story was captured through rarely seen footage and photos of Singapore and Lee, that would transport viewers through time from rural Singapore to thriving urban powerhouse.

The title alluded to Lee’s famous quote from Singapore’s first year of independence in 1965 when he spoke of turning Singapore from mudflats into a metropolis.

Despite the key role that Singtel has played in Singapore’s transformation journey, it was careful to keep the overall tone objective while trying to build brand affinity. Hence, the script was carefully crafted to ensure that the film came off more educational than promotional.

Execution

The film was released in celebration of Singapore’s 58th birthday and to commemorate Lee's birth anniversary.  Besides delving into his vision for Singapore, the 23-minute documentary charted its rise from a fledgling nation to a global economic hub through a telecoms and technology lens. It explored how Singapore leveraged connectivity, communication and digital content to advance economically and become today’s smart Nation.

Treated with Parallax visual effects, the photos were rendered into 3D, vividly depicting the lives and times of Lee and generations of Singaporeans. Older Singaporeans could enjoy a nostalgic walk down memory lane while the younger generation can appreciate Singapore’s humble beginnings and see how far it has come as a nation.

Through the conversations, the film reveals the forward-looking strategies that have propelled both Singapore and Singtel from a rural village to a smart nation today.

The film also highlighted how its focus on innovation and strategic investments have helped Singaporeans to get ahead, even through the recent global pandemic. This showcased the critical role of telecoms and technology in enhancing the lives and livelihoods of our community. As 5G opens the next chapter in its Smart Nation journey, it is useful to take stock of Singapore’s clever use of technology and the key attributes that have contributed to the building of the Singapore brand.

For the first time, the Singtel Group’s leaders were also roped in to share their unique perspectives on Singapore’s growth story– a remarkable journey of reinvention that they have been part of. The leaders were carefully chosen, considering their prior experiences and current roles, each contributing a distinct perspective, encompassing aspects of business, technology, and history.

Singtel worked with Akanga Film Asia and award-winning filmmaker, K. Rajagopal to produce the film. The trailer and film were posted on YouTube, as well as Facebook and LinkedIn. The shorter version was also aired on Singtel TV, at Singtel Shops, Singtel website, and on My Singtel App to reach a wider audience.

Information about the campaign and behind-the scenes details about the film were sent to targeted mainstream media, online news channels, and regional trade publications in Singapore in a press release.

Check out the other winners here.