MANILA – An ad meant to draw Filipino tourists to Singapore has instead drawn heavy criticism from viewers and pundits online.
The ad, which was posted on the Singapore Tourism Board’s YouTube channel, was removed by the STB last week after viewers’ negative reactions went viral.
The 3-minute ad, produced by ABS-CBN for STB, starts out with a Filipino couple planning their yearly anniversary trip to Singapore. The couple arrive and take a walk, with the woman excitedly pointing to every attraction she sees, and the man monotonously indulging her.
On a cable car, the man motions to present his wife with a surprise in a velvet box, but is beat to it by his wife, who presents him with a velvet box of her own. The man, evidently curious, asks his wife what’s inside, and she answers, “surprise,” though the contents of the mysterious box are revealed only at night, as the couple enjoys the sight of Singapore all lit up. Against fireworks, of course, the man gives the woman a necklace.
In return, the woman resurfaces the mysterious velvet box from the cable car. The man opens it finally, and the surprise is truly unexpected: a used pee-stick indicating the woman’s pregnancy.
“We thank readers for their interest in how STB promotes Singapore overseas,” STB executive director Oliver Chong said in a statement to the media.
“When shared on STB’s Facebook page for the Philippines, the video attracted over 3,400 likes in the first week and garnered some 900 comments, largely positive. Nevertheless, we thank readers for their feedback on the video and acknowledge that some aspects of it could have been done better,” Chong said.
Despite the heavy criticism, one viewer said that he liked the video. Posting on the YourSingapore Philippines Facebook Page, Timothy Tang said, “I actually like the video that was taken down. It is not so rushing like the other commercials. It is suitable for romantic people who like things slow.”
