The top 10 SG50 social campaigns

Turning 50 is always a big deal, and when you’re talking about a country celebrating its 50th year of independence, even more so. So when it was time to commemorate Singapore’s 50th independence day, the entire city-state and its people went all out.

From parades to contests to flash mobs, there was no stone left unturned to make the holiday weekend unforgettable. And how did brands join the festivities? Here’s the top 10 most engaging pieces of #SG50 content published by brands.

1. YourSingapore

It makes sense that some of the most engaging content came from the Tourism industry. YourSingapore’s multiple Facebook pages encouraged Fans in India, Thailand, Vietnam, and other neighbouring countries to make the trip and take part in the festivities. Posts like the one below highlighted aspects of Singaporean culture including food, attractions, and the many official celebration events. YourSingapore (Thailand) posted the image below, and garnered more than 64,000 views—making it the most liked Facebook post for SG50.

2. Changi Airport

As everyone’s first introduction to the city, Singapore’s Changi Airport couldn’t have been left out of the occasion. Not only was there a Changi Airport contingent at the parade, the airport also had a complete campaign on social media, using #ChangiHomeSpots to run a fun contest in the leadup to the weekend. The post below, one of multiple #SG50 related posts, was the most engaging from the campaign, with more than 17,500 Likes and 1,880 Shares.

3. HomeAway Asia

Another tourism brand to make an impression with #SG50 related content was HomeAway Asia. A discount capitalizing on the event’s hashtag apparently struck a chord with the brand's audience, as the post was liked more than 23,000 times.

4. Lego Singapore

The evolution of Lego into a cultural touchpoint has made it one of the most successful brands in the world. Never far from the spotlight, Lego finds a way to get involved in cultural events and to get its audience involved as well. For #SG50, the toy brand released a limited edition LEGO® SG50 Big Minifigure that could be won through a lucky draw. This innovative concept got plenty of tongues wagging online, where the post received 8,500 likes and nearly 100 comments.

5. Coca-Cola Singapore

We definitely saw more brands engage with their fans on Facebook, but brands like Coca Cola, Sony Music Singapore, Rolls-Royce MotorCars, Singapore Airlines and Changi Airport also shared their content on Twitter. The post by Coca Cola Singapore on Twitter reflected one of the themes of #SG50 - to be thankful for everything Singapore has provided its people with, and citizens were encouraged to pick up the mantle and make their nation proud - a sentiment obviously shared by their audience. The tweet received our highest Engagement Score of 1000.

Majulah Singapura! #ItsOnUsNow #SG50 pic.twitter.com/WTpkWX5aYJ

— Coca-Cola Singapore (@CocaColaSG) August 8, 2015

6. Singapore Airlines

Singapore’s flag carrier made its presence felt across social media with engaging posts on Facebook and Twitter. A big part of Singapore’s identity, the airlines had a contingent in the vintage part of the National Day Parade and their A380 even got a whole new outfit for their big day! Decked out in a special Singapore flag-themed design livery, it was one of 50 airplanes participating in the Parade’s aerial flypast. The video they uploaded on YouTube was a behind the scenes look of this change and it racked up more than 17K views since being uploaded.

7. McDonald’s

Also getting in on the action was the QSR industry - McDonald’s celebrated Jubilee Week with a special offer. While the offer did receive good engagement, the complaints on the post were swiftly replied to and sorted out.The best part was that plenty of happy customers replied to the post with pictures of their own sweet treats.

8. Starbucks

Although it often seems like offers and contests are the only way to ensure high engagement on social media, sometimes a simple greeting can go just as far. This post on Facebook received more than 8,000 Likes on Facebook and was one of the most engaging #SG50 related posts.

9. Jack Daniel’s Singapore

Multiple brands released exclusive products with a #SG50 tie in, like the LEGO example above. The whiskey brand chose to do this as well with a special commemorative Single Barrel, specially selected by their Master Distiller.

10. Gardens by the Bay

One of the best parts of the entire #SG50 campaign was the discounted rates of entry to some of Singapore’s many public parks and attractions. Gardens by the Bay made sure to amplify this fact on social media with multiple posts highlighting some of its most popular attractions like the Flower Dome and the stunning firework display.

Plenty of other brands in Singapore joined the conversation to wish the country a happy 50th anniversary. Which ones caught your eye?

Aishwarya Krishnamurthy is a marketing executive at Unmetric. Follow her on Twitter @AishwaryaNotRai