Singapore Airlines retiring iconic ‘Singapore Girl’

SINGAPORE – Singapore Airlines is taking a measured step away from the iconic ‘Singapore Girl’ who has traditionally been at the heart of its advertising campaigns.

SINGAPORE – Singapore Airlines is taking a measured step away from the iconic ‘Singapore Girl’ who has traditionally been at the heart of its advertising campaigns.

In a new series of advertisements set to air next week, tagged The Lengths We Go To, the airline shifts the emphasis from its highly recogniseable flight attendants towards the airlines’ overall attitude of customer service, particularly around providing the experience and comfort of ‘home’.

Ahead of the advert’s debut, Singapore Airlines has released a five-minute video clip about the making of the campaign.

In the new spot โ€“ shot in China, Venice and Scotland โ€“ it’s more about the passenger than the flight attendant.

“The campaign is very much about the spirit of Singapore Airlines and the lengths that we go to make sure that each and every customer feels at home, feels that their needs are anticipated and taken care of” explains Sheldon Hee, Singapore Airlines’ VP of marketing communications and development.

(The ‘comfort of home’ factor rates high in SQ’s book, with the airline using similar terms to describe the inflight environments provided by its new first class suites and business class seats.)

The spots have been created by agency TBWA, whose head of strategy Robin Nayak says “as times change, the brand needs to evolve with those changesโ€ฆ what we wanted to do was create a fresher, more relevant, contemporary look for the airline.”

The ‘Singapore Girl’ first appeared some 40 years ago, and she’s since become a powerful brand ambassador for Singapore Airlines and a unique differentiator from other airlines โ€“ although not without attracting criticism for being sexist and portraying a stereotypical Asian woman.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

Share to...