Singtel unveils part 2 of 'His Grandfather Road' CNY film sprinkled with product plugs

Singtel has launched a sequel to its 2020 Chinese New Year festive film titled "His Grandfather's Road". Aptly titled "My Grandmother's House", the film features the same families as last year, with their friendly feud reignited enroute to Grandma’s house where they are both headed to pay their respects.

The six-minute film opens with the same frenzied scramble as last year's as both families hit the road in search of Grandma’s house. When they encounter each other enroute, the journey turns into a competitive race the moment they realise they are both headed to the same place. Given that the latest COVID-19 regulations only allow households to receive up to eight visitors, they strive to reach Grandma’s before the other party does as they’re unsure if she already has other visitors. Upon arriving, hilarity ensues as the adults fall back to their old ways of one-upmanship, with the women vying for Grandma’s attention, and the men jostling to outrank each other on a mobile game. The film then takes an unexpected turn, with Singtel's 5G connectivity saving the day eventually in a heart-warming ending. Conceptualised by the Singtel brand team, the film will air on Singtel TV and various social media channels. 

Lian Pek, Singtel’s vice president for group strategic communications and brand said: "Chinese New Year has always been a great time for us to underscore Singtel’s brand message that connections in the deeper sense of the word should be esteemed, hence the film’s tagline, 'Stay connected to what matters'." She added that this is more pertinent as Singapore eases into Phase three with renewed hopes of post-COVID recovery. Singtel also wanted to bring some fun and cheer through the film that everyone can relate to. This also includes a subtle reference to social app TikTok, which was called "Click Clock" in the film. 

Commenting on the 5G references in the film, Lian said it is a tongue-in-cheek way of illustrating how this next-generation technology can deliver positive new experiences and possibilities. "As a company that’s been leading in the next-generation connectivity stakes, we made a subtle nod to the benefits of 5G – from faster GPS downloads which gets the family to their destination earlier to faster gaming speeds and highdefinition video calls."

“My Grandmother’s House” is said to be part of Singtel’s on-going branded story-telling strategy, centred around short films that allow the group to articulate its brand values of family, community, diversity and inclusivity.

Last year’s festive film campaign paid tribute to the Singapore spirit of tenacity and perseverance, which took on new importance against the backdrop of the health crisis. Lian also said last year that the telco has changed gears and moved away from its trademark poignant films with emotive storylines, as a light-hearted offering still allows the company to affirm its values of family, community and inclusivity. However, the telco is still touching hearts with its films. Last month for Christmas, Singtel produced an uplifting short film, titled “Seniors go digital too!”. The film tells the inspiring stories of three seniors who attended weekly digital clinics run by Singtel staff volunteers under its Digital Silvers programme, and showed how these seniors picked up digital skills that will help them stay connected and overcome the social distancing brought on by the pandemic.

Related Articles:
Singtel spotlights silver generation in documentary-style this Christmas
#MarketingEventsAwards 2020 highlight: Singtel bonds with younger gamers by 'keeping it real'
#MarketingEventsAwards spills: Singtel's relentless expansion into esports