With Singapore gearing up for the full recovery of its tourism
industry, the country is pulling out all the stops in beckoning
international tourists to visit its shores. One of the country’s more
unique marketing methods at re-engaging travel is its adoption of anime
tourism.
Speaking at STB’s Year in Review 2021 press conference held on 25
January 2022, Terrence Voon, director of communications and marketing at
Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said: “The growth that we are seeing and
the fact that we are well positioned to recapture demand really is
credit to the work of our regional offices, they have been doing to
inspire travel to Singapore and to keep our audiences warm.”
Ultraman saves Singapore from giant monsters
The Ultraman video series aims to drive anticipation for travel into Singapore. Photo Credit: Tsuburaya Productions/Visit Singapore
Voon referenced STB’s marketing campaign launched in December 2021
that leveraged the popularity of Japanese anime, Ultraman, to generate
interest in Singapore, while simultaneously celebrating 55 years of
diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The
three-part video series was directed by Kiyotaka Taguchi, the original
director of Ultraman Z (2020) and Ultraman Orb (2016) and produced by
Japanese special effects studio Tsuburaya Productions.
The videos feature Ultraman battling giant monsters as they ravage
popular tourist landmarks around the city, such as Gardens by the Bay,
Jewel Changi Airport, Sentosa, Marina Bay Sands, and Merlion Park. The
final video of the series culminates in an epic battle where a character
modelled after the Merlion emerges to assist Ultraman in saving
Singapore.
The campaign’s aim of conveying the charm of Singapore from a
different perspective certain seemed to hit a mark. Voon reported that
the series racked up close to one million views within three weeks of
its launch.
Even Singapore’s prime minister Lee Hsien Loong joined in the fun by
sharing the video on his Facebook page and following up with a tongue in
cheek comment: “Relieved to know that one of my regular jalan jalan
[walking] spots is safe under the protection of Ultraman!”
Join the Eevee-lution in Sentosa
Visitors have to register for an electronic ticket to catch the Eevee parades. Photo Credit: Sentosa Development Corporation/Pokémon
In its ongoing anime tourism initiatives, STB also partnered The
Pokémon Company to debut the Eevee Dance Parade in Sentosa in December
2021.
The event has since expanded to include Eevee dressed in various
ponchos representing each of its eight Eevee-lutions and the Eevee
Adventure where fans can participate in a virtual game that offers them
the chance to win Eevee prizes.
This
isn’t the first time that Singapore has harnessed the brand power of
Pokémon for its tourism campaigns. In 2020, the Pokémon Go mobile game
added 300 new locations where players can capture Pokémon or engage in
virtual raids.
The virtual locations were situated at hotels, F&B
establishments, attractions, retailers and tour ticketing booths across
Singapore. When players arrive at these locations, they would see an
in-app banner for the SingapoRediscovers campaign that they can click on
to discover the SingapoRediscovers promotions available at these
establishments.
Enter a world where humanity faces extinction
The Southeast Asia premiere of Attack On Titan: The Exhibition will feature over 180 artworks by the manga’s creator. Photo Credit: ArtScience Museum
Much excitement was generated among the manga and anime world after
news broke that Singapore’s ArtScience Museum will be hosting an
exhibition, from 19 February to 3 July, showcasing the origins of
cult-favourite Japanese manga and anime series, Attack on Titan — a
series that takes place in a dystopian world where the last humans fight
for their survival against mindless man-eating giants.
The exhibition promises to offer visitors an immersive look into the
characters, themes and intricate world building of this global
phenomenon created by Hajime Isayama. This will be the series’ first
presentation of its kind in Southeast Asia, and will showcase new
artworks that have not been displayed anywhere else in the world.
On the topic of securing partnerships with the various anime
production companies to bring popular anime touristic offerings into
Singapore, Chang Chee Pey, assistant chief executive of STB’s marketing
group credits Singapore’s “international office network as well as our
headquarters” who have toiled for “months and even years” to establish
collaboration.
“We’ll continue to seek out the partners we want to work with and
work towards engaging them to establish common grounds for these
initiatives and marketing campaigns,” Chang concluded.