Why is GOMO cutting hair to sell broadband plans?

GOMO by Singtel (GOMO) has launched its broadband offering with an experiential campaign that uses premium haircuts as a metaphor for value, positioning affordability as something that does not require compromise.

The “Budget done better” campaign was developed in collaboration with 35A Studio, led by creative director and co-founder Junz Loke, and centres on the idea of “Cut costs, not your standards”.

At the heart of the campaign is a category tension familiar to broadband consumers: the trade-off between price and perceived quality. While lower prices and faster speeds dominate telco messaging, GOMO identified a more human concern beneath the specifications: what “cheap” actually costs in terms of reliability and experience.

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According to Lynette Poh, head of brand, engagement and loyalty at Singtel Singapore, that tension is what shaped the creative direction. Haircuts, she said, offered a universally understood reference point for that trade-off.

"Everyone knows a bad budget haircut story. You tried to save money, and you paid for it, just not in the way you expected. That gap between the price paid and the experience received is exactly what we wanted consumers to think about. The insight is simple: people don't fear cheap. They fear what cheap costs them," said Poh. 

As part of the activation, GOMO offered members of the public a signature haircut experience by Junz and the Studio 35A team, typically valued at over SG$200, for SG$29.99. The experience was designed to translate the broadband proposition into something physical and immediate, despite broadband itself being an intangible service.

Rather than relying on conventional messaging around affordability, the activation placed consumers directly inside the proposition, allowing them to literally choose between a budget haircut or a premium experience at an accessible price point.

The format, Poh said, was intentional in shifting the conversation from explanation to experience, particularly in a category where trust is difficult to earn and competitors often default to technical specifications.

"'Trust us, it's good' is probably the oldest and least convincing message a brand can deliver. Especially in a category where skepticism is baked in, and others default to talking about prices and technical specifications because they're the easiest things to communicate," explained Poh.  "We wanted to do the opposite. Rather than tell people that paying less doesn't mean compromising, we wanted them to experience it for themselves through the haircut. In our case, you're either in the chair or you're not."

The campaign also leaned on creative partnership to reinforce its message. Junz Loke and Studio 35A were selected not for celebrity appeal, but for their reputation in craftsmanship and quality, a deliberate reflection of the “Budget done better” positioning.

Their involvement extended beyond endorsement, with the salon experience itself acting as proof of concept. Customers were not just told about quality at a lower price; they experienced it firsthand through the service delivered.

To extend the idea beyond the salon, GOMO rolled out a flashmob across Everton Park, Chinatown and Little India featuring walkers in intentionally mismatched purple wigs. The street activation was designed to inject visibility, curiosity and contrast into everyday environments.

The wigs represented the opposite of the campaign promise and served as a visual shorthand for “budget done badly”, where cost-cutting comes at the expense of standards. By placing these moments in public spaces, GOMO aimed to turn the campaign into an interactive street-level conversation rather than a static brand message. 

According to Poh, awareness and consideration shifts for GOMO Broadband will be key measures of success, with the brand aiming to strengthen consumer understanding of its broadband offering and position itself as a credible and reliable option when selecting a home broadband provider.

Beyond traditional performance metrics, GOMO is also looking at softer brand signals, particularly whether the “GOMO” brand resonates beyond the campaign itself. Ultimately, success would be reflected in whether consumers, media and creators begin associating GOMO by Singtel with the idea of “Budget done better”, and organically use the phrase in conversations around broadband value and pricing.

GOMO has consistently positioned itself as a digital-first, value-driven challenger brand in Singapore’s highly competitive telco market, targeting consumers who prioritise flexibility, transparency and affordability over traditional bundled telco plans.

In 2023, the brand rolled out a 360-degree campaign for its “Data bank” feature, aimed at tackling unused mobile data. Developed with Publicis Groupe Singapore, the campaign took a social-first approach, encouraging users to share real-life examples of data wastage via Instagram stickers and user-generated content. It was supported by out-of-home executions and influencer collaborations with creators such as Austin and Ashley Soon (@soonbros) and Nicole Liew.

The initiative sought to reposition leftover data as recoverable value, reinforcing GOMO’s broader focus on utility, transparency and everyday savings.

The latest broadband campaign builds on this value-led positioning, extending the brand’s approach of translating abstract telecom propositions into tangible, lifestyle-led experiences.

The launch comes amid a broader shift in Singapore’s telco landscape, where operators are increasingly moving beyond price-led messaging to build lifestyle-driven brand ecosystems. Most recently, players such as Circles.Life have also expanded in this direction, with its “Live unhinged” platform and Circo mascot reflecting efforts to embed the brand into everyday consumer culture beyond connectivity.

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