Stig&Xi says ‘Provocateurs Welcome’ via new campaign to launch Mondrian Singapore Duxton

Misfits and mavericks now have a Singapore home to call their own. Mondrian Singapore Duxton, a new byword for everything inspired and chic; it’s the place to make everything groovy.

A light on the hill in an otherwise stable, obedient and highly competitive marketplace for the hospitality industry. No one does anything risqué or revolutionary in Singapore.

To create standout, Stig&Xi launched “Provocateurs Welcome” for the Mondrian hotel brand’s newest offering in Singapore.

Mondrian Singapore Duxton. Imagine a place where De Stilj reigns supreme. A haven of creativity and a hub for artists of every persuasion.

A north star for the brand was created, whereby everything they did had to be provocative. They wrote a manifesto – a declaration of policy, an appeal to attitude, to the artists and rebel rousers, a statement of support for the Singapore underground that they had a place now.

Every aspect of the journey to launch had to pass the test. PR was fundamental to the entire journey. It drove the dialogue for an entire year before launch. Provocative art. Provocative cuisine. Provocative events. And last but not least. Provocative Talent.

“Bring an open heart and a creative soul, an appetite for deconstruction, and a feeling for the future. The playground is now open,” said Robert C. Hauck, the General Manager of the Mondrian Singapore Duxton.

Celebrated chef Dario Cecchini collaborated for a provocative feast where a butchering and a cookout of every part of the animal was dished up. Snout, tail, hoofs included.

The hotel reached out to community agent provocateurs for engagement. Art lovers. Literary revolutionaries. Musicians. The Singapore underground.

For hiring, the recruitment process was viewed through the lens of ‘Provocative Talent.’ Hiring those who didn’t have a job. Ex-convicts given a second chance. Retirees. Olympic sportsmen. Adrenaline junkies. Those with no experience in the hotel industry. Why staff a hotel like everyone else? For a hotel gets its identity from the people who work there.

To recruit, instead of going to job fairs, posting job notes or offering internships, they gave out “We Like Your Style” cards to prospective employees. Cards were given to people off the streets, tattoo conventions, clubs and even hawker centres. Only for those of uncommon character and memorable personality were considered.

Everything culminated in a Provocative Party where a six-meter high bronze sculpture by the renowned art provocateur KAWS was unveiled in an event inspired by the hedonism of Amsterdam’s red-light district.

“Brave clients make for brave work,” said Nils Andersson, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Stig&Xi.