People can’t travel for fun right now but they are spending a lot more time online. Online games have been surging. BBH Singapore has made the most of both these facts of life in a campaign that has created Singapore’s first branded virtual destination on the Nintendo Switch game, Animal Crossing.  Sentosa Crossing allows visitors to experience the island from the safety of their homes, until the end of the government frees them from lockdown. It features all of the island’s popular landmarks and attractions. Beyond the in-game experience, the game will engage its audience through topical videos and other content on streaming and social platforms including Sentosa’s owned platforms.

Rebecca Ash, head of strategy at BBH Singapore, commented, “Necessity is the mother of invention – the pandemic has seen people find creative ways to carry on with parts of their pre-COVID lives, and the whimsical world of Animal Crossing has provided a timely escape from the depths of confinement. Amazingly, how people were spending their time in the game mirrored how they chose to spend their time on the island – from exploring to eating, dancing to dating. The opportunity just presented itself.”

Omar Sotomayor, creative director at BBH Singapore, added, “While cooped up at home, the creative team had this brilliant idea of creating a getaway island that allows everyone to get away while staying safe at home. That idea gave birth to Sentosa Crossing. Everything on the virtual island has been painstakingly designed so that it reflects the attractions on the real island. But it goes beyond that and moves Sentosa into the Animal Crossing world. So in the coming weeks, Sentosa’s social media channels will broadcast the life and experience on this new island, and we’ll also be hosting tours and events.”

Explore the Sentosa Crossing campaign.

To #maketime for a virtual break and escape to Sentosa, players can register for one of the 36 free slots available each day to visit Sentosa Crossing.

Credits
Agency: BBH Singapore
Chief Creative Officer: Sascha Kuntze
Group Creative Directors: Janson Choo & Khairul Mondzi
Creative Director: Omar Sotomayor
Senior Copywriter: Adeline Siow
Senior Art Director: Kenneth Foo
Senior Designer: Deng Hui Heng
Designer: Shervin Low

Gaming Consultant: Stanley Tang
Creative Technologist: Jiarong Sng
Business Director: Ross Henderson
Account Director: Manavi Sharma
Account Manager: Shu Li Tan
Head of Strategy: Rebecca Ash
Strategist: Zoe Chen

Content Strategists: Faith Huang & Cheryl Koh
Content Producer: Sam Lynas
Community Managers: Chelsea Auo & Tricia Vergara
Operations Director: Eddie Jackson
Head of Delivery: Lesley Chelvan
Executive Producer: Wendi Chong
Digital Producer: Sean Thambiah
Editor: Christopher Leow

Client: Sentosa Development Corporation
Chief Marketing Officer: Lynette Ang
Director, Brand, Marketing and Communications: Mira Bharin
Senior Assistant Director, Brand & Marketing: Elaine Quek
Deputy Manager, Brand & Marketing: Wendy Tan
Deputy Director, Digital: Ivan Teo
Deputy Manager, Digital: Mohameed Zaki bin Jufr