Yeo's special edition packaging using Lee Kuan Yew's image falls flat

Asian food and beverage company Yeo Hiap Sing, better known as Yeo's, has drawn criticism for its special edition packaging of its Chrysanthemum Tea drink to commemorate the late Lee Kuan Yew’s centenary. Netizens have voiced their objections to Yeo's controversial use of the late Prime Minister’s image on their product, according to media intelligence company Truescope. Online conversations about the new packaging have deemed the move inappropriate and disrespectful, asserting that Singapore's founding Prime Minister should remain beyond the reach of commercial endeavours.

Truescope found that traction on this issue continued since 31 August 2023 following a post by Yeo’s. Notably, discussion has surfaced on popular forum HardwareZone and The Straits Times Facebook Page.  Many netizens have decried this move as both inappropriate and disrespectful, asserting that Singapore's founding Prime Minister should remain beyond the reach of commercial endeavours. Critics have argued that it is disheartening to witness attempts to "milk profit" from the legacy of the late Lee Kuan Yew, even after his passing.

Furthermore, concerns have been raised about the environmental impact of this marketing strategy, with critics pointing out that the packets bearing the late Lee Kuan Yew’s image are destined for bins or worse, scattered on the streets once the beverage is consumed. This, they argue, is a blatant disregard for the respect that he deserves.

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Yeo’s chief executive Ong Yuh Hwang clarified to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that the company had consulted the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and its initiative that used his name and image was in line with published guidelines.

The commemorative packaging also deliberately abandoned the brand’s signature bright yellow and red colours and the prominent position of its logo. Instead, a green colour to pay tribute to the legacy of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, explained Ong. Ong also added that none of the 500,000 limited-edition packets are available for sale but are given away for free at various collection points in Singapore.

"We purposefully focused on the educational message of Singapore integrating gardens into our urban landscape," said a spokesperson from Yeo's.

"We thoughtfully found like-minded partner organisations to distribute the commemorative packs in an educational setting," the spokesperson added. "These partners include Gardens By The Bay, the National Museum of Singapore, Children’s Museum Singapore, National Parks Board, army camps, SAFRA clubs and schools."

Is it worth the risk of using images of the deceased?

Despite its efforts, brand sentiments for Yeo’s in Singapore have dipped. According to media intelligence company CARMA, prior to the release of the packaging, the brand had 65% positive and 7.4% negative sentiments. However, since the incident picked up traction, positive sentiments for Yeo’s fell to 0% positive and negative sentiments rose to 13.3% on social media.

Using images of icons of the yester years before their passing is not uncommon. For example, Pepsi MAX recently partnered with late hip-hop artist, The Notorious B.I.G. to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop in an international campaign. Audrey Hepburn to Steve McQueen are also some others whose images have been used to promote brands long after their passing. Hepburn was revived to promote Cadbury’s Galaxy while McQueen for Ford Puma.

Dubbed "necro-advertising", this advertising tactic is no new phenomenon. However, it doesn’t always work in the favour of a brand – as in the case of Yeo’s.

In a prior conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE, Ambrish Chaudhry, head of strategy at Design Bridge and Partners, said that necro-advertising should be approached with caution. While a viable option to lure consumers, it is high at risk of lacking in taste. Given the loaded political blowbacks to often well-meaning campaigns, marketers should tread these lines of ethics carefully. He added:

Like most things that are technology related, the mantra for marketers should be ‘just because you can, does not mean you should’.

Meanwhile, owning the rights to a celebrity’s image does not necessarily mean that they should be used to endorse a cause – that is unless the celebrity stood by that cause when they were alive, explained Jodh Dheensay, a partner at Sambal Lab.

Dominic Mason, managing director at Sedgwick Richardson also shared that the end of the day "authenticity is critical for posthumous endorsements, honouring and respecting the values, purpose and personality of the brand”.

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