DBS brings online content marketing push to life with musical as it turns 50

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, DBS Bank has brought its content marketing push to life commissioning a musical based on its 10 episode web mini-series, SPARKS. The musical version of SPARKS will be performed from 3 to 5 August 2018 at Capitol Theatre.Online, the 10-part mini-series garnered over 150 million views, and the musical by Singapore theatre company Pangdemonium will aim to showcase Team DBS’ camaraderie and passion for serving their clients, as well as their trials and tribulations. It serves as a tribute to the bank’s pioneers, as well as leaders and staff who have shaped DBS over the years. In SPARKS: The Musical, local actor Adrian Pang reprises his role as Chester Teo, a no-nonsense DBS banker who cares deeply about his clients, as he reminisces about his experiences - personal and professional.DBS chairman Peter Seah said in his opening speech, “In 2016, when we conceived the idea of a mini series on bankers, it was an experiment in content marketing. We wanted to celebrate our people, and the lengths they sometimes go to help our clients. We wanted to bring their stories to life.”He added, “While we live in a fast-changing world, and continue to reimagine banking, one thing that we remain true to is our sense of purpose – that what we do impacts lives and livelihoods. From Development Bank of Singapore to Digital Bank of Singapore, we’d like to take the opportunity to celebrate all of you.”The gala show, held on the evening of 4 August, was attended by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as well as many of the bank’s leaders and employees from the early years, including S Dhanabalan, Ang Kong Hua, Patrick Yeoh and Ng Kee Choe.Seah added, “DBS’ beginnings 50 years ago were humble but its mission was crucial – namely, to finance the industrialisation of Singapore. And as time would tell, its vision was grand and towering. Propelled by a strong sense of purpose and belief, over the last 50 years, the bank has played a key role in shaping the physical landscape of Singapore, diversifying its economy and catalysing the nation’s development as a global financial centre. Sometimes, the initiatives pursued by the bank were groundbreaking, frontier-pushing. Oftentimes, there were no set paths. We had to find our own way to blaze a trail.”Marketing has reached out to DBS for more comments.Meanwhile, in May this year, DBS also changed its tagline from “Living, Breathing Asia” to “Live more, Bank less”, the former being the company’s brand promise since 2006. An initial investment of SG$30 million had been set aside to bring this new brand proposition to markets the brand has a presence in across Southeast Asia, Greater China and South Asia, the bank revealed at a media conference.Following the move, the bank also rolled out a new brand marketing campaign across all markets it is present in coming months, starting with Singapore. This includes 10 video collaterals in a campaign which also comprises digital assets, print, out of home, cinema as well as content marketing.As an iconic Singapore brand, DBS was previously known as the Development Bank of Singapore, was formed in 1968, three years after the independence of Singapore, with the express purpose of financing the industrialisation of Singapore. Over the years, it has financed a multitude of industries, from manufacturing to shipbuilding; led the way in property development and aided in taking many of Singapore’s most iconic brands including Singapore Airlines and Singtel public.Today, it is a leading bank in Asia, and recognised globally for its digital leadership. In July 2018, Euromoney named DBS the World’s Best Digital Bank for the second time, and World’s Best SME Bank.