Fathers Day & Football in Ogilvy Singapore's SingTel Spot

SingTel, Asia’s leading communications group, has launched a new TVC, digital and social media campaign by Ogilvy & Mather Singapore, to celebrate and pay tribute to dads across the nation, just in time for Father’s Day (June 15) and the kick off of the World Cup. 

“Dads, and Asian dads especially, are not known for their declarations of love and affection. Instead, they convey their love in indirect or roundabout ways. We depict a moment where watching a football match becomes an opportunity for the dad to use his team as a metaphor through which he can express his pride in and love for his son who quickly catches on and reciprocates the compliment. Singaporeans are sure to recognize this emotional, yet undoubtedly masculine, scene as one that is close to their own hearts and families,” said Melvyn Lim, Executive Creative Director, OgilvyOne Singapore. 

“Customers are at the heart of our brand. SingTel’s brand strategy is to engage and start dialogues with our customers and community. To connect with our customers on a more emotional level. 

With Father’s Day coming up, we want to thank our customers for their loyalty while also paying tribute to dads for the vital roles they play in their children’s lives. This video – and its insight into how dads tend to communicate – or sometimes not communicate - their feelings - creates a wonderful opportunity for Singaporeans to share their own stories and connect with their loved ones,” said Johan Buse, Vice President of Consumer Marketing at SingTel. 

From late May-June 2014, the 60-second TVC runs on local Singaporean TV channels in the run up to the World Cup and Father’s Day, as well as in cinema chains across the island, on SingTel’s #DadsOwnWay campaign page, and on the brand’s social media sites including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. 

To further stimulate the conversation, SingTel’s YouTube page directs viewers to a dedicated campaign site where consumers are encouraged to tweet examples of how their own fathers show their love and affection. All tweets containing the #DadsOwnWay hashtag are then aggregated and appear directly on the campaign site. SingTel will reward the most interesting and unique stories to be posted by this Sunday, June 15, with special gifts. The video has already garnered more than 106,000 views on YouTube and nearly 4,000 likes on Facebook. 

Internationally renowned Singaporean film director and producer Eric Khoo, said, “Being a father of four boys, I know how difficult it can be for me to reveal my love for my sons in a straightforward manner. Being a parent, especially with the younger generation, you’re not really sure how to reach out. But in this simple TVC, when I first read the script, I just felt ‘wow,’ this is the way to go. Sometimes less is more and that’s what we see in this piece. I’m honored to have been a part of it.” 

Credits

Project title: Dad’s Own Way 

Client: SingTel 

Brief: Celebrate and pay tribute to Singaporean fathers 

Creative agency: Ogilvy & Mather Singapore 

Chief Creative Officer: Eugene Cheong 

Executive Creative Director: Melvyn Lim 

Creative Directors: Stephen Kyriakou, Shawnn Lai 

Art Director: Daphne Tann 

Senior Copywriter: Martin Loh 

Agency Producers: Cora Chee, Danli Lok 

Managing Partner: Chee Yan Yi 

Account Management: Cheang Yitshan 

Media agency: MEC 

Production house: Zhao Wei Films 

Exposure: TV, cinema, social media