You may not be anywhere near the office water cooler right now, but we still want to spotlight the most talked about creative from the brands that should be on your radar. Today, we look at Singtel's Chinese New Year ad.
Singtel has reprised its comedic take on family life in a story about how a competitive family saves Chinese New Year by using 5G technology.
The characters from 2020’s ‘His Grandfather’s Road’ return and are as kiasu as ever, racing to get to grandmother’s house first in order to be within the eight-person limit (a nod to Singapore’s safe distancing rules).
The story focuses on the grandma being reminded of a school friend she sorely misses by watching a concert she went to with her childhood friend. The memory turns a jovial gathering into a sad one until the children of the competing families come together with a plan to find her, using the internet.
Lian Pek, Singtel’s vice president for group strategic communications and brand said, “Chinese New Year has always been a great time for us to underscore Singtel’s brand message that connections in the deeper sense of the word should be esteemed, hence the film’s tagline, “Stay connected to what matters”. This is all the more pertinent as Singapore eases into Phase 3 with renewed hopes of post-COVID recovery. Ultimately, we’re all in this together and we should continue to help each other out of the woods. We also wanted to bring some fun and cheer through a film that everyone can relate to, as people look forward to better things ahead.”
Throughout the film, references are made to 5G and faster connectivity, which is a core message for the telco brand this year as Singapore starts to roll out 5G coverage.
Lian said, “As a company that’s been leading in the next-generation connectivity stakes, we made a subtle nod to the benefits of 5G – from faster GPS downloads which get the family to their destination earlier to faster gaming speeds and high- definition video calls. As we roll out our 5G network and coverage, this is a tongue-in-cheek way of illustrating how this next-generation technology can deliver positive new experiences and possibilities.”
The film is part of a long-term strategy from Singtel to produce short films that tap into cultural insights while focusing on the brand’s values of family, community, diversity and inclusivity.
