New ad encourages SG citizens to think back on the 700 years of history

The Singapore Bicentennial Office unveiled a new ad encouraging citizens of the Lion City to think back on the 700 years of history. The one-minute film is the latest part of an ongoing integrated communications campaign led by J. Walter Thompson Singapore. The film brings viewers through a journey into the history of Singapore, mentioning notable names such as Sir Stamford Raffles and others. This comes following the recent disappearing statue act by the Singapore Bicentennial Office. Upon Raffles’ reappearance soon after, four additional statues of important historical figures such as Sang Nila Utama, Naraina Pillai, Munshi Abdullah and Tan Tock Seng were included. Speaking about the campaign, executive director of the Singapore Bicentennial Office, Gene Tan said the launch film delivers the Singapore Bicentennial narrative succinctly, as well as presenting the history in a "refreshing and interesting" way. Tan also said the film aims to invoke thought and curiosity about the longer history of Singapore, as the campaign has already sparked conversations and paved the way to engage a growing audience. Also in line with the 200th anniversary of Stamford Raffles’ arrival in Singapore, the Singapore Bicentennial office launched a new bicentennial logo. However, the logo does not just commemorate the 200 years of history but aims to mark Singapore’s history since the 1300s. Reflecting the nation’s journey, the new logo comprises seven poly-shapes, each representing one century for a total of 700 years of Singapore’s history. According to a statement, the poly-shapes are refined into a circle to symbolise the nation’s transformation throughout time, adapting and evolving to become present-day Singapore. Embarking on the hype around commemorating the 200th anniversary, National Heritage Board and National Parks Board invited Singaporeans to experience history for themselves through an augmented reality (AR) trail. This comes with the launch of a sophisticated mobile application BALIKSG, which was developed by appointed experiential media agency Digimagic Communications (DIGIMAGIC) over nine months.