The Secret Little Agency and Mandai close a rich creative chapter together

The Secret Little Agency (TSLA) and Mandai Park Holdings will close off one of “the most creatively fulfilling chapters in both our companies’ histories” as the result of a recently completed creative tender called by Mandai, managed by R3. TBWA\Singapore has been appointed as the new AOR.

Eunice Tan, Group CEO at The Secret Little Agency, said: “Together with Mandai, we created something special that all Singaporeans can be proud of globally, shifting Mandai from just a zoo brand, to a global platform for wildlife conservation and biodiversity. The entire team at Mandai have been fantastic collaborators, and at this moment, there is only a sense of appreciation and deep pride for what we’ve been able to achieve together.”

The Secret Little Agency’s appointment was first announced in 2017 after highly competitive pitch where the agency was appointed globally as lead creative and branding agency for Mandai.

In 2021, Mandai Wildlife Group unveiled a new masterbrand and brand world, as the multi-year rejuvenation of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve continued. Undertaken by Anak (TSLA’s global brand practice), the main task then was to bring Mandai’s group branding ambitions to life on both a domestic and global level. This was no easy feat considering most of the precinct was still under construction, and the sheer number of brands under the group – which included park brands such as the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari and River Wonders, as well as institutional and foundation brands that fund wildlife conservation – required a branding solution that was both flexible and distinctive.

From naming, brand strategy to brand architecture, and visual development across thousands of touch-points both digital and offline, the 4 year branding journey was written about here with the end result garnering critical acclaim around the world with many calling the new Mandai brand “a new playbook for biodiversity.” More recently, TSLA and Mandai launched the highly-anticipated Bird Paradise, effectively migrating both brand and production from the former Jurong Bird Park into what is today the world’s largest free-flying aviary. The highly successful campaign saw the Mandai’s net promoter score peak at +60, a gold standard customer experience metric with uplifts in both footfall and revenue as a result of the campaign.

“In this changing of the guard, we want to thank our long-standing partner, The Secret Little Agency, who journeyed with us for seven years, and with our stakeholders, laid a solid foundation for the Mandai brand world. We are grateful to have strong partnerships, both present and future, as we transform the Mandai Wildlife Reserve from a collection of world-leading wildlife parks to a globally iconic destination,” said Belina Lee, Deputy CEO, Transformation & Growth, Mandai Wildlife Group.

Creating a new brand identity for Mandai Wildlife Group (2021)

Inviting the world to Take off to Paradise at the all-new Bird Paradise (2023)

Created Choose Good With Mandai, a platform to help Singaporeans make better food and lifestyle choices (2022/2023).

Created a campaign to communicate that every ticket purchased comes with Conservation Included (2019-2023).