CPF Board gets tut-tutted by netizens for its 'Tsk' ad's portrayal of the elderly

Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB) has copped flak from netizens for its "Tsk" ad which shows senior citizens expressing their annoyance with a "tsk". According to netizens who deemed the ad "distasteful", the ad portrays senior citizens in a bad light for tut-tutting and said it is not the way to promote retirement planning. Another netizen commented that this ad was an example of a stereotype that does not go in line with inclusiveness and cohesiveness the nation is working towards.

Posted a month ago, the ad was released on social platforms and as TV commercials. The spot takes viewers through a bus ride which has a mix of elderly and Millennials commuting. A teenager with headphones on enters the bus and is seen fixated in a game on his mobile and giving commentary out loud. This then annoys the elderly who all take turns to tut-tut at the teenager, shaking their heads in disapproval while letting out a "tsk".

A lady also on the bus observes the senior citizens' annoyance and lightly smiles to herself. Towards the end of the video, the teenager gets in the way of the lady while alighting, which she subconsciously responds with a "tsk". The spot ends by saying, "1 in 2 Singaporeans live beyond 85. You might be one and 'tsk' others too."

Explaining the objective of the ad, a CPFB spokesperson said to Marketing that prior to the release of the ‘Tsk’ commercial on its social media platforms and TV channels, message testing was conducted with Singaporeans across a range of ages, including those in higher age groups. According to CPFB, "a good number" of the respondents in the focus group found the ad "relatable" and was able to resonate with the early retirement planning message.

"The respondents also found the light-hearted treatment of the TV commercial easy to relate to. Since the launch, while some viewers may not have received the TV commercial positively, others felt that the TV commercial was memorable and made them realise the importance of planning for their retirement," the spokesperson said.

The creative agency behind the ad, Saatchi & Saatchi told Marketing that the campaign was created to convey the importance of the need to plan for early retirement, in light of longer life expectancies of Singaporeans. "Through research focus groups, we found that a light-hearted and tongue-in-cheek approach was the preferred way to convey this message. It was not our intent to portray the elderly in any negative way," the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, CPF Board was also under the spotlight last year for encouraging married individuals to top up their spouse’s CPF Special Account as a birthday gift. This sparked a conversation online, with reactions ranging from sarcasm to discussions on whether or not doing so was a good idea.

A CPFB spokesperson told Marketing then that the series of videos was aimed at different audience segments and “spur” them to start planning for their future.