Passion Made Possible tagline faces online scrutiny
Singapore
JUST days after its unveiling, the tagline "Passion Made Possible", part of Singapore's latest branding exercise, has drawn derision, with netizens saying it was cribbed from the title of a self-help book published two years ago.
The first joint branding effort by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Economic Development Board (EDB), the branding campaign aimed at both tourists and businesses features Singapore personalities telling their stories about chasing their passion and showing Singapore as a place where this can be done.
But netizens have accused the campaign of using the title of a book by Celeste Tomasulo, whose work seeks to help people find their inner strength and pursue their passions.
In a meme, the netizens said STB "spent millions and supposedly interviewed 4,500 people to come up with a tagline that is the title of a self-help book published in 2015".
Asked by The Business Times about this, director for brand at STB Lim Shoo Ling said the tagline was developed, "based on qualitative and quantitative research on what Singapore stands for to people".
She reiterated that, from talking to almost 4,500 respondents in Singapore and 10 other countries, STB "found that the themes of 'passion' and 'possibilities' best captured the Singapore spirit".
"Possibilities is seen as a key anchor for Singapore as a destination, as a place that continually delivers new possibilities for progress. Both Singapore residents and stakeholders saw this as something worth celebrating as a destination, while leisure and business travellers saw this as a draw to visit," said Ms Lim.
"But what really fuels these possibilities is passion - the willingness to put in one's all to strive for what one truly believes in. At the heart of Singapore's differentiation lies its unique spirit, attitude and mindset. So, more than just showcasing Singapore's product offerings, we believe it is timely to celebrate the deeper stories and authentic experiences of Singapore. 'Passion Made Possible' was based on these considerations."
EDB and STB had enlisted their respective creative agencies, The Secret Little Agency (TSLA) and TBWA\Singapore, to co-develop the brand, she said.
"Since its launch, the brand has received good comments and our video This is Where has attracted over 9.5 million views, more than 53,000 'likes' and almost 6,000 shares across our various VisitSingapore Facebook pages worldwide and our VisitSingapore YouTube channel."
She added: "While 'Passion Made Possible' may be applicable to individuals, it is less often seen coming through at a national level - from individuals to companies and industries.
"This is what we hope to achieve with our unified brand. We believe Singapore can own this space, drawing from its history and heritage till today."
