Finding the real Singapore: how research helped everyday Singaporeans quit smoking
Sonal NarainOgilvy Singapore
Singapore is derided for many things – a stentorian government, draconian laws, restricted freedom of speech and expression – but what wins the contest for 'most popular topic for derision' is a purported 'lack of soul'. While, in post-Lee Kuan Yew Singapore, many of these stereotypes are being challenged, there is one aspect in which the 'lack of soul' remains unchanged: advertising.
Advertising in Singapore is highly codified and formulaic; typically it features a 'pan-Asian face' and a lifestyle shot in a resort-style condo. It...