Part of a multi-agency effort, Tribal Worldwide encourages Singaporeans to plan ahead
The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) and Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), with support from the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), Ministry of Health (MOH), GovTech and Public Service Division (PSD) will embark on a concerted effort to raise awareness of the importance of planning ahead and encourage Singaporeans to make their Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPA) and Advance Care Plans (ACP).
The campaign comes after a recent survey by the Public Service Division among Singaporeans aged between 30 and 79 found that there was room to increase the level of awareness of LPA and ACP, which were at 64% and 28% respectively.
As part of the campaign, an emotive short film created by Tribal Worldwide Singapore was unveiled on 22 July 2023, about three friends, Scissors, Paper and Stone, who bonded over a childhood game of chance, but chose to determine their future by choice, with the LPA and ACP.
The objective of the campaign is to raise the profile of pre-planning tools like the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) and Advance Care Planning (ACP) and how it can give families a greater peace of mind when a loved one loses his or her mental capacity due to unexpected events like a stroke, an accident or dementia.
“Pre-planning is a hard topic to broach, as it deals with the unpopular topic of mental incapacitation. We brought it closer to home by fronting it with a story about the bond between a parent and child, to touch heartstrings and convince Singaporeans to take action,” said James Tan, Business Director of Tribal Worldwide Singapore.
Directed by award winning local filmmaker Royston Tan, Scissors, Paper, Stone gives an honest glimpse into the struggles that families can face, when a member of their family loses the cognitive ability to make daily decisions.
“Shooting Scissors, Paper, Stone made me reflect on the unexpectedness of life. We don’t know what will happen in the next minute, much less tomorrow. Like what macik says in the film, “sediakan payung sebelum hujan” which translates to ‘prepare your umbrella before it rains’. This saying summarises what the LPA and ACP can do for us and our families,” said Royson Tan, Director.
“The truth is that incidents can happen quite suddenly. Rather than leave things to chance, it is better to convey our wishes early on and identify the people we trust to advocate for us and make decisions on our behalf,” said Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli at the launch of the campaign on 22 July at Our Tampines Hub.
MSF hopes to see more than 240,000 Singaporeans aged 50 and above make their LPAs by the end of 2025.
The launch of the hero film is followed by a series of key visual extensions across OOH, BTL, digital and social channels for additional recall and conversion. To aid the public in finding out more about these pre-planning tools, a series of roadshows and mobile clinics will also roll out from July 2023 onwards across various locations. At these mobile clinics, free LPA certification and ACP facilitation by pro bono certificate issuers and facilitators will be offered for eligible individuals. Community partners and corporations have also come on board to support the cause, including Lawyers@M³, Central Provident Fund Board, Families for Life, healthcare clusters, Pro Bono SG and Singapore Hospice Council, among others.
