OFF THE RECORD: Is SG60 A Marketing Opportunity or Obligation?🤔

Candid conversations with real CMOs over lunch at a secret location in Singapore 🤫

Photo by Joshua Ang on Unsplash

Welcome to 'Off The Record', a monthly series of posts based on candid conversations with real CMOs over lunch at a secret location in Singapore.🤫

The format is simple, between each course one of the 2-3 CMOs in attendance picks a card from our stack and reads out the question to be discussed before the aperitif, the appetiser, the entrée, the dessert and the coffee.

The CMO's will remain unnamed but rest assured they are working at the highest levels in the most dynamic industries and are prepared to share with us only on the condition of anonymity.

This months topic? Is Singapore celebrating 60 years independence - 'SG60' a genuine marketing opportunity or simply a patriotic obligation brands must fulfill to remain culturally relevant?

🥂 Aperitif: Brands and Identity

Do you believe brands have a role in shaping national identity or collective memory during moments like SG60? Why or why not?

The first question of the lunch was met with an immediate and firm “yes.”

“In a previous life,” said one CMO for a homegrown finance firm, “my entire work was about shaping collective consciousness with the content that you produce. That was your revenue. That’s what the parade is about, that’s what the National Day specials are about.” In other words, marketing and memory-making have long been intertwined.

The table buzzed with other nostalgic examples. “The Milo truck,” one foreign participant offered, “I have a weird, inherited nostalgia from my wife about it, even though I didn’t grow up here.” That feeling isn’t just historical - brands like Milo continue to trigger emotional responses today. “Now they have these little plushies that come in the packs. My friend doesn’t even drink Milo, but he’s collecting all of them.”

Brands, it was agreed, don’t just reflect identity - they actively construct it.

🥗 Appetiser: Lessons from the Past

Looking back at previous national milestones like SG50, what lessons or inspirations can we draw as we approach SG60?

When the conversation turned to SG50, the mood became reflective.

The sombre tone of 2015, marked by the passing of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, complicated brand engagement. “It was more about celebrating his legacy, not really about branding.”

And logistically? “They created too many hoops for you to jump through,” explained an automotive CMO. “If you wanted to use the SG50 logo, there were a lot of rules. It wasn’t easy.”

In contrast, he said, SG60 appears more inviting. “This time, the government is actually encouraging brands to be part of it. The guidelines are simple. You can use the logo - it just needs to go in the top right corner.”

And social media has shifted the dynamic entirely. “You can’t command and control the way you used to. It lives on social now.”

🍽 Entrée: Patriotism vs Promotion

How can brands strike the right balance between genuine patriotism and commercial messaging when engaging with SG60?

For international brands, it's about striking the right balance. “The brand I represent is is not local,” explained the car marketer. “So even, let's say National Day, I tend not to go patriotic, but rather, more for the occasion, the colours that I use on the cars, but I wouldn't go full patriotic. That doesn't feel right."

For others, SG60 is a chance to anchor brand storytelling in something meaningful. The finance CMO is building their entire content strategy around the themes of “resilience, progress, and legacy” - themes deeply resonant in both national and personal terms. “We’re sponsoring things like Netball Singapore and wheelchair rugby,” the CMO shared. “It's really about content first, not product. We’re telling stories on social, on LinkedIn. It’s not a media buy. It’s participation.”

That distinction proved critical: “You don’t just pay the money and hope they give you deliverables… You make deliverables."

🍰 Dessert: Iconic Moments

What makes a brand moment truly “iconic” in the Singaporean context? Can you share an example that’s stuck with you?

The table struggled with the question - not because there were no examples, but because so many of Singapore’s most iconic brands, such as Tiger Beer and Raffles Hotel, are no longer locally owned.

Singapore Airlines stood out as an exception. “When they brought in the world’s first A380, it wasn’t just aviation news - it was a point of national pride. Everyone talked about it.”

Another cited a recent campaign that paired luxury hotels with hawker fare. “That blend - global brand meets local soul - that’s what sticks.”

Local technology brands came in for some criticism though, with one famous ride hailing app being described as transactional but not tangible enough to truly impact local culture. "It's convenient," said one CMO, "I wouldn't say it's something I love."

☕️ Coffee: Your Brand’s Role

For your brand, is SG60 more of a brand opportunity, a business opportunity, or a responsibility? How do you navigate that?

“It’s definitely an opportunity,” claimed the auto CMO. “But it depends how you approach it.” His brand chose to sponsor an official SG60 sporting event. “I’ve got 109 cars on the road with (event) plates. I’m halfway through selling them. But that’s not the full story.”

His team went way beyond the deal. “We worked with a local illustrator to create a reusable bag. We shot our own video with the national (athletes), one of whom was an intern with us. That’s the kind of thing that makes it real.”

In fact his brand took on a number of local athletes as interns who struggled to find other companies that could accommodate their training regimes thereby truly contributing to national pride, not just badging it.

Final Sip

SG60 isn’t just a celebration of 60 years - it’s a test of what brands stand for. Those who treat it as a box-ticking exercise will get exactly what they pay for: a logo and a lukewarm response. But those who lean in with sincerity, relevance and purpose may find that SG60 is more than an opportunity or an obligation - it’s a moment to matter to Singaporeans.