Singapore Tourism Board goes with JWT and reappoints XM Asia Pacific to digital work

The Singapore Tourism Board has named JWT Singapore as its creative agency of record after a hotly contested pitch that involved more than 20 advertising agencies, including incumbent of the past four years BBH Asia-Pacific.

JWT Singapore will create campaigns for markets in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia as part of its remit. STB, which called the pitch in January as part of its agency review cycle, is one of Singapore’s largest advertisers. In addition JWT’s digital arm, XM Asia Pacific, which has served as digital agency of record for the Singapore Tourism Board since 2009, retained the business in the pitch.

Shortly after STB invited agencies to submit proposals, JWT tapped its planning leads in seven different markets, on three continents, to conduct research on Singapore’s image as a travel destination. That research underpinned the strategy and creative idea that JWT pitched to the Singapore Tourism Board.

“Our entire team is humbled and thrilled. Singapore is a world-class country that embodies the best of Asia’s beauty and diversity. But more importantly, it’s where we call home. So it’s an honor for us to be given the noble task of showing the world what Singapore truly is,” said Frank Bauer, JWT Singapore CEO (above).

JWT Singapore, which also was named agency of record for the Changi Airport Group in January, has gone from strength to strength in the last quarter. Bauer, who joined JWT as the Singapore CEO in January, has moved quickly to revamp and energize the agency, and last month promoted Valerie Cheng, who has been named Digital Creative of the Year by the Institute of Advertising Singapore two years in a row, to the role of CCO.

“STB is one of Singapore’s most sought-after clients, and I’m thrilled they’ve chosen to partner with JWT,” said Tom Doctoroff JWT Asia Pacific CEO. “The entire regional and global network of JWT is committed to pulling out all the stops to support JWT Singapore’s bid to establish Singapore as Asia’s premier travel destination,”

“It has been a four-year journey culminating in an intense pitch battle amongst the full roster of blue-chip agency brands. I can only sum it up with two words; “Heart” & “Soul”. Those were the key differentiating factors for us,” said Paul Soon, XM-Asia, CEO.

“Our suits, planners and creatives were able to meld their smarts with teamwork and passion, to work tirelessly in developing a digital strategy that was insightful, inspiring and fresh. The fighting spirit was bordering on the apocalyptic and I am very proud of them for being able to achieve this epic result in XM’s history. We have learnt that where there is unity, there is always victory. “

Over the last four years, XM Asia revamped the STB’s portal to the new YourSingapore portal, and created additional local language versions of the site to target travellers from Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Indonesia and China. XM Asia also developed the user experience, content strategy and creative application of the brand in the digital space, and expanded STB’s digital brand presence from its website to a variety of assets, including Facebook, Youtube, LinkedIn and Flickr channels, to improve its ability to engage travellers online and on social media. XM Asia also worked on integrated campaigns for the STB’s key markets, including Australia, China, India, Indonesia and Malaysia.

In February 2013, the STB also awarded XM Asia its GEMS UP project, which is an initiative to improve the quality of service in Singapore. XM, which is best known for its digital work, is tasked with creating integrated campaigns, including print, radio, digital, mobile and activation, for this project.

“We’re very proud of the thinking, body of work and effectiveness story that we have produced together with STB, and maintain an excellent relationship with the individuals and the organization as a whole. STB have moved to a new stage of their organisation’sdevelopment and we wish them the very best in this endeavour”. said BBH Asia Pacific’s CEO John Hadfield.

According to STB statistics, Visitor arrivals in Singapore rose from 9.7 million in 2009 to 14.4 million in 2012.Tourism receipts grew from $12.6 billion in 2009 to an estimated $23 billion in 2012.

Over the past four years, a diverse range of BBH outputs for STB have won great acclaim across a range of global, regional and local effectiveness and creative awards, including multiple Campaigns of the Year at the Hall of Fame Awards (Campaign of the Year, Digital Campaign of the Year, Press Campaign of the Year, Media Campaign of the Year) as well as the Effies, Webby’s, One Show and Spikes.

In celebration of the work BBH created for STB, the agency has gathered a selection of creative highlights at itsyoursingapore.com