Cathay Pacific prescribes the ultimate cure for burnout

Singapore has once again ranked among the most overworked cities in the world, with 62% of Singaporeans admitting they rarely use all their vacation days in a year, according to Expedia’s 2024 Global Vacation Deprivation report.

To address the burnout, Cathay Pacific has teamed up with Leo Singapore to launch “Tripment”, a campaign fronted by Dr. Teck M.C, an AI character built using OpenAI GPT, Whisper and ElevenLabs’ custom voice tech. Billed as the world’s first “vacation deprivation specialist,” Dr. Teck M.C offers live teleconsultations to prescribe personalised “Tripments” for ailments such as “Monday-itis” and “Corporate jargon-xiety.”

Applicants can book a real-time consultation via the campaign website, where they share their work woes and receive a customised “Vacation certificate.” Each certificate recommends a travel destination and includes an exclusive Cathay Pacific promo code.

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Developed with Leo Singapore and PXP Studios Australia, the campaign runs across Meta and TikTok, supported by local KOLs. Cathay Pacific hopes the initiative will encourage Singaporeans to swap burnout for boarding passes.

“Our goal is to inspire the vacation-deprived to embrace their annual leave and prioritise a healthier work-life balance. In our view, the cure begins the moment you board a Cathay Pacific flight, with one of the world’s largest inflight entertainment libraries and a menu inspired by the best of Hong Kong," said Jonathan Ng, head of customer travel and lifestyle for Southeast Asia and Oceania at Cathay Pacific. 

“We regularly see ads about prioritising our mental health. But traditional ads are about as effective as yelling ‘Relax!’ at a stressed person,” added Gayle Lim, creative director at Leo Singapore. “So we created Dr. Teck M.C to deliver a more playful reminder: stop feeling guilty and book that holiday.”

This quirky push follows Cathay Pacific’s recent campaign with Hong Kong-American actor Jimmy O. Yang. The airline rolled out three short films that reimagine in-flight dining as a cinematic experience, with Yang taking on gut-wrenching, heart-pounding, and palate-pleasing roles to spotlight the Michelin-starred flavours available onboard.

The campaign, developed with VaynerMedia APAC, aimed to serve up Cathay Pacific’s dining experience with a dash of humour and Hollywood flair.

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