MCI's prequel to anti-diabetes kungfu spot shows a hero rice-ing

The Ministry of Communication and Information has launched a new spot which builds on last year’s viral “Kungfu Fighter, Hidden Sugar” campaign, part of the government’s Let’s Beat Diabetes campaign.Meant to be a prequel to the spot, the new video spotlights the use of brown rice to help reduce the risk of diabetes and brings back the Guardian of Health. Called “Kungfu Fighter: A Hero Rices”, the spot follows the journey of the protagonist as a disciple-in-training, embarking on her first diabetes-beating mission.This is through discouraging the consumption of only white rice in diets by defeating the Rice Lord and his sidekicks and emphasising the consumption and benefits of brown rice. The heroine then emerges victorious, reminding viewers to replace one quarter of each rice serving with brown rice.Since its launch earlier this month, the spot has garnered around 331,000 views, 1,300 shares and 1,800 reactions at the time of writing. The campaign also coincides with the recent Dragon Boat Festival, and includes other content elements which showcase simple, easy ways to eat rice dumplings made with brown rice.The campaign looks to drive home the message that a simple diet change offers Singaporeans additional health benefits such as higher vitamin, mineral, and fibre intake. Agencies working on the campaign include Tribal Worldwide Singapore for creative and PR and Starcom for media buys.The integrated marketing campaign will be amplified on a range of platforms to reach Singaporeans, such as free-to-air (FTA) television, cinemas, out-of-home (OOH) screens, radio channels and social networking sites, such as Gov.sg’s Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.Aside from this 96-second TV commercial, our integrated, multi-media campaign also includes a cooking tutorial video and a blind taste test video, targeting the general population and households. The campaign also includes call-to-action element in this integrated campaign is stronger as promotional activities such as free samplings of brown rice dumplings nudge Singaporeans to take the first step.“Through storytelling and a good dose of Kungfu moves, the message of how including whole grains in our diet can go a long way in preventing diabetes, has resonated with audiences. We will keep enhancing government communications by being bold and innovative in our approach,” said Karen Tan, senior director of the public communications division at MCI.“Instead of simply spreading a message, we wanted to ensure Singaporeans are given the right tools to create healthier habits – better yet if we can make them entertaining,” Jeff Cheong, President of Tribal Worldwide Asia, explained.