Passion Made Possible tells Singapore's story
STB, EDB launch S'pore's new brand, which will target tourists and businesses
The Singapore brand received a makeover yesterday with the unveiling of the tagline: Passion Made Possible.
The latest tagline broke new ground on two fronts: It is the first time the tagline contains no explicit mention of Singapore and the first time the brand will be used to woo tourists and businesses.
The unified brand is a joint effort by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Economic Development Board, and will be used by agencies under the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
At the launch, STB chief executive Lionel Yeo said it "captures the idea of the determination to pursue something truly worthwhile and possibilities made real is the promise of Singapore".
The tagline is accompanied by a logo of the letters SG inside a circle, drawing on the SG50 logo's popularity.
"We are calling it the SG Mark, and this can be applied to visuals or text to immediately connote the Singapore stamp of quality and trust, which underpins our spirit of passion made possible," said Mr Yeo.
A key feature of the new campaign is an emphasis on storytelling. Instead of talking about what a tourist may do in Singapore, STB will use local personalities and they will share stories about their passions.
Noting that Singapore's iconic attractions and efficiency were already well known, Mr Yeo said: "We will build on this by telling stories of Passion Made Possible to develop an even more positive affinity towards Singapore."
Passion Made Possible was launched yesterday at Infinite Studios, near Ayer Rajah, by Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) S. Iswaran. It will launch today in Japan and later in 14 other cities.
Mr Iswaran said this campaign is relevant to start-ups, big businesses or tourists: "Passion Made Possible, really, is about people who believe that they have something valuable and different to offer."
The revamp comes on the back of stiffer competition for tourism dollars from other countries, and also at a time when the tourism sector here is growing. The number of visitors rose by 7.7 per cent to 16.4 million last year, while tourism receipts grew by 13 per cent to $24.6 billion.
This is Singapore's fifth such campaign since the then Singapore Tourist Promotion Board kicked off with Surprising Singapore in 1977.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic's tourism senior lecturer Michael Chiam thought the slogan is good in that it is flexible for business and tourism purposes.
But as with previous rebranding efforts, there were mixed reactions. Mr Kevin Cheong, immediate past chairman of the Association of Singapore Attractions, thought the word "passion" could be misconstrued.
He said: "Passion is so subjective. It can be provocative and sensual. Is it about romance, about coming here for a fling? We need to speak the language of the market and not try to be too smart."
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