Singapore Airlines - Unexpected Journeys

Singapore Airlines - Unexpected Journeys

Is Singapore just a colourful city populated by ‘crazy rich Asians?’ Singapore stand up comedian Rishi Budhrani set out to prove otherwise as part of the new ‘Unexpected Journeys’ campaign, on behalf of Singapore Airlines and the Singapore Tourism Board.

How did he try and shatter misconceptions about Singapore? By first of all travelling to three places, whose name suggests there’s not a lot going on in them - the towns of Dull, Bland and Boring, which are actual locations in Scotland, Australia and the USA.

Not only are they real places, they form membership of an exclusive club - ‘The League of Extraordinary Communities’. According to Scotland’s Sunday Post newspaper, Bland and Boring are both named after early residents of the area – William Bland and William Boring – and Dull is believed to have got its name from the Pictish word for field.

In each of these places he tried to show how the name doesn’t actually fit. For example, his trip to Dull, Scotland, involved Rishi Budhani bungee jumping off a bridge, and taking a swim in a lake, where the water temperature was only 4 degreescelsius.

The second part of each of the three videos then saw him bringing local residents back to Singapore. In the Dull video, this involved the local hotel owner and three of his friends, who were flown to Singapore first class on a Singapore Airlines A380.

In Singapore, the three Scots were taken around the city with the focus being on unexpected experiences. For example, they were serenaded by a local Singapore bagpipe band, participated in a satay speed-eating challenge and took part in a pro-Wrestling match versus a Singapore team.

According to a Singapore Airlines,

the film series was created by SIA and STB to the unexpected experiences that Singapore and Singapore Airlines have to offer travellers. The series authentically showcases the depth and breadth of Singapore and the distinctive experiences travellers can enjoy in the destination as well as on board Singapore Airlines.

The campaign was developed by TBWA, which is the creative agency for both the Singapore Tourist Board and Singapore Airlines.

Singapore’s national airline and national tourist board have collaborated before on marketing campaigns, with the 2017 destination themed safety video gathering over five million views on social media.

Why this campaign works

This is a great campaign, which we liked for a number of different reasons. The initial focus on Dull, Boring and Bland provides quite a nice twist on what’s ultimately a destination promotion for Singapore.

The videos are watchable with genuine funny moments. The short films obviously have their fair share of Singapore Airlines product placement, but it doesn’t seem forced.

The campaign does focus on some of the unexpected sides of Singapore (for example that it has WWF style wrestling teams), and so carry the message that there’s more going on that meets the eye.

Finally, the campaign is scaleable. It lends itself to lots of different executions, and you could imagine Singapore Airlines and the National Tourist Board commissioning a second series next year, or adopting the same theme (discovering the unexpected, more than meets the eye) but with a slightly different treatment and creative.

The full films can be viewed on the official YouTube channel for the campaign: www.youtube.com/UnexpectedJourneys