In vibrant, multicultural Singapore, fostering strong bonds between neighbours goes beyond mere politeness—it's a key ingredient for societal harmony and collective well-being. Unfortunately, neighbourly disputes are rife – especially over noise and messy common areas.
Our mission was clear: Amp up the call for kindness and gracious living to build a resilient, harmonious, and flourishing Singapore.
No doubt, it was a tough ideal to achieve. On top of scale and ambiguity, how could our messaging transcend linguistic and cultural barriers, stand out amidst the cluttered space of public affairs messaging, and be something different than the years before?
Our solution: Music.
The reasons were simple:
Led by a one-of-a-kind hip hop music video featuring homegrown talents, this tradition-breaking approach to public communications leverages the dynamic combination of music and art. SKM also tapped into the vibrant Singaporean art scene, collaborating with local artists to bring the message to life, making it a truly made by Singaporean, for Singaporean project.
With an integrated online to offline approach, we let kindness take centre stage in Singapore with a three-pronged campaign dubbed “B-Greater”.
Firstly, the “B-Greater” Song and Music Video rallies listeners to reflect and strive to be greater versions of themselves in the context of neighbourliness. The music video aims to deliver a powerful message: kindness, portrayed realistically and vibrantly, has the potential to transform individual experiences, foster community connections, and contribute to the creation of a kinder, more supportive society.
Next, The Great Jams Catalogue took over City Hall with a spectacular out-of-home advertising event that featured clever album spoofs, each reimagined to deliver powerful messages about kindness and community spirit. The initiative aimed to accompany Singaporeans on their morning commute by merging popular music with the celebration of kindness.
Lastly, Project HeARTlands was a thought-provoking exhibition in the heartlands of Singapore—in Limbang, Admiralty, Punggol and Toa Payoh. The immersive experience prompted residents to consider their roles in creating a positive and supportive community. Showcasing 4 exhibition booths with doors mimicking those of a HDB, we tried to rekindle memories of the good old days of the ”kampung spirit”.
Music Video Dissemination
At the heart of our B-Greater campaign is a synchronised launch of the music video across major streaming platforms – Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music. Featuring "SKM" as an artist reinforced our commitment to the local arts scene, marking a lasting investment in leveraging the arts for impactful messaging.
Our social plan targeted the youth demographic through Instagram and TikTok, key drivers for music discovery and promotion. TikTok's short-form videos efficiently conveyed visually compelling snippets. Dance challenge covers and tutorials catalysed user-generated content. On Instagram, our strategy involved transforming short-form snippets into Instagram Reels. Teasing the launch involved dropping native platform trend-infused Easter eggs, a LoFi girl spoof of SKM’s mascot Singa, and album cover teasers with the song release date. Post-launch, sustained hype was propelled through a series of creative posts – from memes featuring MV talents to trend-jacking and influencer partnerships.
For our secondary audience (potential partners and non-profits), we leveraged LinkedIn to share how the campaign supports the messaging and purpose of SKM. Q&A videos of the MV’s key players also shared perspectives and insights in the making of the video.
Out-of-Home Musical Oasis
To extend our campaign's reach beyond digital platforms, the offline activation, The Great Jams Catalogue boosted physical presence in a high-traffic location. City Hall’s concourse was transformed into a record-browsing aisle with pop vinyl illustrations, infusing the space with humour, enjoyment, and nostalgia.
Project HeARTlands: Offline and Online Fusion
Launched as a hands-on extension, Project HeARTlands fostered deeper connections with our communities. Spaces like HDB lifts and phone booths were transformed into immersive, thought-provoking experiences. Reimagining commonplace settings unlocks the potential for fresh perspectives, fostering empathy, understanding, and kindness in our heartlands, while encouraging attendees to explore practical tips on becoming better neighbours. Beyond physical spaces, our strategy also extends to social platforms—an invitation for participation, creating a digital echo.
The campaign was a massive success, garnering a total of 2,074,594 interactions (likes, shares, comments, and video views) across various SKM social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube). Evidently, our audiences were highly engaged and receptive towards our content.
Overall Achievements: 2022’s campaign vs 2023’s campaign
Notably, the 2023 campaign outshone its predecessor. Compared to 2022’s campaign, 2023’s campaign saw significant improvements in terms of views and engagements.
Social Achievements
Our key metrics during the campaign period (Q3) also experienced notable increments compared to the previous quarter (Q2) and time frame (Q3 2022) in terms of followers, video views, link clicks, and post reach.
Project HeARTlands
We recorded a total daily average of 60,000 footfalls across all four installations.
Other notable feature
B-Greater’s launch was featured in Hear65's I Play SG Music Initiative, a platform that delivers Singapore music into the daily commute. The inclusion of "B-Greater" in Hear65's Spotify playlist further enhances its accessibility, ensuring that the song reaches individuals in diverse settings, reinforcing the message in various contexts.
Overall, the resounding success of B-Greater – both online and offline – is a testament to the effectiveness of music as a medium of creative storytelling. Blending localisation, nostalgia and visual appeal, the campaign captivated people from all walks of life and bridged them through a universal language. Combined with strategic amplification across multiple touchpoints, this allowed us to influence perception and inspire action, achieving our goal of reminding Singaporeans to choose kindness for a greater society.
