Running a simple Google search for controversial Singaporean ad campaigns will tell you there aren’t too many contentious adverts from the Singaporean marketing landscape. In fact, I ended up plucking hair off my head while trying to find such ads for our previous controversial Singaporean ads blog. The long 2-year delay between these two blogs explains how difficult it is to scout across the web to find such adverts. But you know, I have got a knack for finding such adverts online. And I am in no mood to leave you folks disappointed today either.
So, here we are with 5 controversial Singaporean ads that ruffled quite a few feathers.
1. Circles.Life: Do Your Own Thing
Imagine your parents walking in on you while you’re watching porn. I know, it sucks, right? Well, this 20-second spot by the Singaporean mobile network operator Circles.Life wanted its audience to believe otherwise.
The ad shows a young guy enjoying his alone time as e watches some porn video on his phone. But when his mom walks in on him, he inadvertently clicks "screen mirroring" in a bid to hide his phone and the explicit video plays on the TV instead. But just when you expect the mother to go berserk, she surprises us all by breaking into a grin and passing her son a pair of headphones.
Social media users ripped the ad apart and called out the creators for airing something so “inappropriate” on TV and making them watch the ad with their family members around them. The telco didn’t take down the ad but apologized for releasing it.
I wonder what my mom and I are going to do if we were to ever find ourselves in such a situation🙈
2. Abercrombie & Fitch: Low-Hanging Jeans
Abercrombie & Fitch have always been known for their racy advertisements. But one of its 2011 billboards brought the brand under some serious criticism from many.
The billboard in question featured a man’s navel and some very low-hanging jeans. Many felt that the ad was too explicit, leading the Media Development Authority (MDA) and the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS) to eventually suspend the advert. Although Singapore is quite a modern society, the general Singaporean mindset continues to incline toward the conservative, much like all the other Asian societies.
3. Samsung: Muslim Drag Queen
As I said above, although Singapore is a modern society, conservatism is deeply rooted in the country’s overall culture and any attempt to meddle with it isn’t taken too kindly. This 2022 banned Samsung advert is proof of that.
The ad shows a Muslim mother expressing support for her drag queen son. The backlash that followed wasn’t too surprising honestly considering that Singapore, with its sizeable Muslim population, is yet to legalize sex or marriage between people of the same gender. Following the backlash, Samsung removed the advert, which angered the Singaporean LGBT community.
Samsung, next time either stick to your decision or think it through beforehand if and when you decide to get this adventurous with your ad campaigns.
4. SAFRA National Service Association: Sexist Gym Advert
Casual sexism in the workplace is nothing new for women around the world. But when this sexism follows you to more private spaces such as gyms or clubs and makes its way to the ad campaign of the social and recreational club for Singapore’s armed forces, it’s bound to raise quite a lot of eyebrows.
This SAFRA ad shows a couple of men leering at a woman who’s working out. The ad even exhorts people to get the club’s membership by saying there would never be a “dull moment” there. Wow, that’s some way to get more people to sign up for the membership!
5. NCPG Singapore: Kick The Habit
Well, this 2014 advert by NCPG Singapore wasn’t exactly controversial but it surely made the anti-gambling agency the butt of all jokes.
The 30-second video shows a few kids talking amongst themselves and discussing who they felt would win the 2014 FIFA World Cup. One of those lads, who speaks at the end, says that he hopes that Germany would lift the Cup since his dad had gambled all his money on Germany’s victory.
While the advert was quite impactful considering that it successfully conveyed the message that the biggest victims of gambling aren't always the gamblers, it surely goofed up with Germany winning the World Cup. Well, Andy and his dad surely must have made some good money after all!
Wrapping Up
And that was a wrap of some of the most controversial Singaporean ads. You’d seldom see anything too controversial coming out of the Singaporean marketing world. But when it does, we assure you that we’ll bring it straight to you.
We’ll be back with more wonderful videos for you. Till then, stay tuned!
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