Singapore, 17 September 2014 – The Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) today kicks off its 2014 media campaign to encourage kindness and graciousness, but this time, with an awkward plot twist. This year’s campaign continues with “A Nation of Kindness Starts with One” as its central theme, and plays around with the idea that even though one person can’t do everything, everyone can do something to make someone’s day. Everyone… including a well-meaning but terribly awkward young man named Ah Seng.
“Awkward Ah Seng” is a new character developed for the 2014 campaign. A series of six videos were developed around him and will be released over the campaign period on the makesomeonesday.sg microsite. The videos follow Awkward Ah Seng through a series of painfully humorous situations related to everyday graciousness.
Dr. William Wan, General Secretary of the Singapore Kindness Movement, said,
“The ‘Nation of Kindness’ message has been well received, but one significant barrier to getting you and I to step up and be kind to each other has been the fear of awkwardness. What if this person doesn’t actually need help? What if this person rejects my kindness? Or what if the people around us misjudge my intentions? That would be very lau kui, right? The character of ‘Awkward Ah Seng’ may help us better understand, and overcome, these fears that stand in the way of us making Singapore into a nation of kindness.”
Aside from the videos, the makesomeonesday.sg microsite will also host four flash games based around kindness and graciousness. These games were developed by second-year students from Singapore Polytechnic’s Diploma in Games Design & Development course, in collaboration with SKM. From brain-teasing puzzle game Kind of a-Maze-in to SNAP, which challenges players’ typing skills, the students brought their own interpretations of “A Nation of Kindness Starts with One” to virtual reality.
Mr Woo Ming Wei, Course Chair for the Diploma in Games Design & Development at SP, said,
“Very few of us would take time to think deeply about kindness and consider how we can be kinder individuals. By working on these games, the students could use their creativity and apply their skills in games design and development to bring the message to the public in a fun and engaging way. I believe that in the process, they also broadened their own perspectives on kindness and graciousness.”
The campaign extends beyond the microsite and will include social media, print, broadcast, and out-of-home advertising. In keeping with the theme of ‘A Nation of Kindness Starts with One’, the advertising will shine a spotlight on the personal responsibility for kindness and graciousness, using relatable personalities and real-life stories to inspire ordinary Singaporeans to make someone’s day.
This year’s campaign will start from 15th September 2014 and will continue through to the end of the year. For more information, please visit http://kindness.sg.