SINGAPORE – Changi Airport brings its brand values to life with ‘I’m Home’, an online campaign created by J. Walter Thompson Singapore to celebrate the company’s vision and culture, and pay tribute to the nation’s 50th birthday.
Working with Benjamin Kheng, cofounder of the popular Singaporean indie band The Sam Willows, and award-winning directors Wee Li Lin and Charles Lim, J. Walter Thompson Singapore created “I’m Home”, a song and film that celebrates the commitment to service, and attention to detail, that has defined the Changi Airport brand, and turned it into the world’s most awarded airport – as well as a national icon.
“I’m Home” sets Kheng’s vocals to scenes of Changi familiar to all Singaporeans – a young family admires lilies in the Enchanted Garden, children run to greet a homecoming parent, tired travelers sink into massage chairs. “The little things that mean the world,” Kheng sings. “The little things that feel like home.”
“We wanted to bring the brand, and all it stands for, to life with an emotive story that celebrates what Changi is all about. And it’s all about home,” said Valerie Cheng, Chief Creative Officer of J. Walter Thompson Singapore.
“It starts with the people who work there, from the CEO down to every employee. They all pay attention to the small things, they love the place like their own home and share an incredible sense of pride in where they work and what they do. That’s what makes this airport the best in class. And that’s what makes people who both work here and travel through here feel like they’re home.”
That ethos and passion has made Changi the most recognized airport in the world, with over 480 awards to date. For Singaporeans, the airport is a shared national experience and a point of national pride. A record 54.1 million passengers passed through Changi last year and many Singaporeans are avid travelers. Changi Airport is both a first touch-point back home, a symbol of Singapore’s success and, for many day trippers, a destination in itself.
The campaign was part of a series of special events by Changi for the nation’s 50th anniversary, including an online photo contest, “My Changi Story.” Singaporeans are invited to send in an old photo of taken at Changi, and to share a short anecdote of the significance of that photograph. The contest closes April 19 and there are 3 pairs of tickets to selected destinations up for grabs.
J. Walter Thompson brought in an award-winning team to work on the campaign. Lim, who is both an artist and director, was the first Singaporean to win an award at the Venice Film Festival and is representing Singapore at the 2015 Venice Biennale. Wee, whose films have travelled to prestigious festivals such as the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, has won the ‘Best Director’ award at the Singapore International Film Festival.
Working on the video brought back memories and emotions for everyone on the project. Wee remembered coming to Changi in the late 1990s to pick up Mr. Lim, then her husband-to-be, who was studying in London. In those pre-Skype and Facebook days, she said, “We would not see each other for months…there was a lot of anticipation!” Kheng, who said Singapore has inspired much of his music, said “I’m Home” struck a deep chord.
“The lyrics of the song are intensely personal and really resonated with me while I was recording. There’s a bit in the song that goes “The look of love that’s in your eyes / It’s like a timeless work of art”. That really hit me,” said Kheng.
“I’m Home” and the photo contest were launched on February 17 at www.changiairport.com/SG50.
