Amazon SG & BLKJ Havas Singapore create crazy rich Asian spin off about real Singaporeans
This Chinese New Year, against the usual tide of celebrity brand commercials and sale shoutouts, Amazon Singapore partnered with BLKJ Havas Singapore to champion the real deal by standing up for all Singaporeans, beyond doling out great value, to creating its own rendition of the famed Crazy Rich Asian film, featuring the original film’s “original Singaporeans” – the extras.
Following the recent announcement of the Crazy Rich Asians sequel, Singaporean netizens revived the social media debate around the inaccuracies surrounding how Singaporeans and their lives were being represented.
Amazon SG and BLKJ Havas seized the opportunity to continue its approach of engaging with Singaporeans and helping them to “spend less, smile more” – by delivering entertainment value on top of great retail value.
The tongue-in-cheek film, more than 3-minutes long, follows two Singaporean newlyweds going through the hurdles and mounting pressures of hosting the perfect reunion dinner for the first time in their new home, to impress Ah-Ma, the tough resident matriarch. Of course, Amazon.sg saves the day with its offerings – Next Day Delivery, Amazon Fresh, Free 15-Day Returns and its wide product selections. And so the story ends on a celebratory note – with the most authentic and Ah-Ma approved Chinese New Year reunion dinner.
“Amazon’s focus on quality, reliability and value mean that the brand has the opportunity to be relevant to Singaporeans in a way that no other retailers can. The disconnect between Crazy Rich Asians and reality offers us that perfect way-in to show Singaporeans how Amazon can fit into their lives.” Says Trong Ronakiat and Guilherme Machado, Creative Directors at BLKJ Havas
The campaign rollout even took the form of a movie premiere, from a movie trailer to nationwide outdoor placements that replicate the style of movie posters.
Above and beyond, Amazon SG even extended its efforts to champion Singaporeans in every way possible, to the creative industry. The brand readily partnered up and joined Mediacorp’s new Buskermercials pilot initiative – working with buskers whose livelihoods had been disrupted from Covid, commissioning and giving them a stage to express their creativity.
Acoustic busker trio,Two Cheers & A Toast, collaborated with Amazon SG to create a catchy Chinese New Year song for its seasonal offerings. This is currently airing on Mediacorp’s audio platforms, Spotify and YouTube. Link to listen here.
Credits
Diana Lim, Marketing Lead, Amazon Singapore
Miguel Martins, Head of Marketing & Prime (CMO)
Guilherme Machado, Creative Director, BLKJ Havas
Trong Ronakiat, Creative Director, BLKJ Havas
Natalie Goh, Writer, BLKJ Havas
Joslin Ong, Art Director, BLKJ Havas
Nana Arshad, Producer, BLKJ Havas
Soon Yong En, Senior Account Manager, BLKJ Havas
Elizabeth Cai, Senior Account Executive, BLKJ Havas
Atikah Rahman, Creative Services, BLKJ Havas
Fiona Huang, Business & Brand Lead / General Manager, BLKJ Havas
Ed Cryer, Director
All the good folks at Reel Loco Productions
