Give Me a Break
Fed up with selfies, Singapore's Merlion throws a rockstar tantrum — and drags travellers to its hidden Side B.
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AI Translation Summary
Singapore Tourism Board and Scoot Airlines turned the Merlion into a rockstar sick of tourist selfies. Voicing its frustration through a power-ballad music video, "Give Me a Break" begged travellers to explore beyond the clichés and discover Singapore's unexpected "Side B." The campaign turned a static landmark into a TikTok sensation and a genuine engine for bookings.
Cultural Context
The Merlion is Singapore's official tourism mascot — a half-lion, half-fish statue and the country's most photographed landmark. "FYP" (For You Page) is TikTok's algorithm-driven main feed, and "Side B" plays on a vinyl record's flip side to signal Singapore's lesser-known attractions.
Entry Information
Summary
Travellers search TikTok for their next place to visit. When they search Singapore, they see the same famous spots like the Merlion, over and over, making it seem like there's not much to see. So, they visit other countries instead. Singapore Tourism Board and Scoot Airlines needed to change the algorithm and get new Singapore attractions on people's FYPs. The Merlion, Singapore's most famous icon, a rockstar in the world of tourist pics, was the perfect spokesperson. Not for a typical endorsement, but for a rockstar tantrum. Introducing "Give Me a Break," a campaign of an icon tired of the spotlight and selfies, begging tourists to visit other places in Singapore. We gave a voice to the Merlion's pain with a power ballad dropped on TikTok. His plea: pose somewhere else.
Strategy
STB and Scoot sought to get adventurous young travellers to discover Singapore. But Singapore was seen as small and limited. Because on TikTok, where travellers seek their next destination, they saw the same spots. Which they then visited, posting identical photos, and repeat. No symbol embodied this more than the iconic Merlion. Our strategy was to use this problem as an opportunity: instead of just showing them new places, we used the Merlion to break the cycle. We reimagined it as a rockstar sick of fame, photographed to death, desperate to be given a break from tourist selfies. The mission: drag travellers away from the clichés and into Singapore's unexpected Side B. By posting those new spots to TikTok, the algorithm revealed a different side of Singapore.
Execution
Our "Give Me A Break" campaign turned a tired landmark into Singapore's most unexpected travel influencer. -The Music Video: We gave the Merlion a voice, a rockstar sick of the same poses. He complained, broke free, urged everyone to take their shots somewhere else. Side B visuals, quirky moves, instant attention. -The #MerlionMadeMeDoIt Challenge: Dared travellers to strike new poses, but only in Singapore's Side B spots — gamifying discovery and turning users into content creators. -KOLs Join the Chat: Top influencers took on the challenge, showcasing new sides of Singapore to their audiences. -From Viral to Visit: Every piece of content, from the music video to digital banners with flight deals, pushed the "Singapore: Side B" narrative, guiding travellers from discovery to booking.
Results
The campaign redefined the way STB and Scoot do destination marketing, proving that bold content can drive active participation, and generate real commercial results. -Our content inspired user-generated content to challenge the image of a one-dimensional Singapore. We turned users into creators actively sharing content promoting diverse "Side B" locations. We got 1,218 TikTok Challenge Submissions from people posting their poses in less visited Singapore destinations. -With over 94.6% average view through rate in a campaign containing a 2 mins video, we turned a static icon into a social media rockstar. -We transformed content into inspiration to book a flight, generating 27,318 New Bookings from our key markets. The equivalent of filling over 83 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircrafts.