A masseuse on a bus gives a man an unusual massage to stop “tech neck”.
The tutorial is a ruse. Having your neck screwed like the lid of a pasta sauce jar is not going to help tech neck (which may well be a real thing) – but the film is a PSA for terrorism awareness. Looking up from your phone and you might notice a strange bag, a person who makes you uncomfortable…
It’s very sad that this campaign is important. But it is, and VML’s humour is making sure that the importance gets through. The film is part of SGSecure’s ongoing efforts to strengthen public awareness and community vigilance against the threat of terrorism. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and VML Singapore have launched the film, Bye Tech Neck, to encourage members of the public to look up from their phones and be more aware of suspicious items in public spaces. By highlighting the impact of excessive phone use, the short film reminds the public that vigilance starts with simple and small, conscious choices – like looking up from screens and paying attention to surroundings.
Nimesh Desai, chief executive officer, VML Singapore, statedm “With the threat of terrorism remaining high, the need for vigilance is ever present. It is critical that our communications resonate in ways that are relevant and relatable, capturing attention while clearly underscoring the importance of vigilance.”
Matthias Chew, Director (SGSecure Programme Office, MHA), added, “In our SGSecure social experiments last year, we observed that many people walked past suspicious items without noticing them. Often, people were just glued to their phones. We hope the humour behind ‘Bye Tech Neck’ will help everyone to remember to look up from time to time – and if we can do so, we will be a much more vigilant and safer society.”
The film, directed by Thai director Suthon Petchsuwan and produced by Seven Sunday Films and Mum Films, is running through March across MHA and SGSecure social media accounts, as well as public transport nodes in Singapore, including bus interchanges and MRT stations.
Credits
Agency: VML Singapore
Chief Creative Officer: Mateusz Mroszczak
Group Creative Director: Gerald Chue
Associate Creative Director: Gelo Lico
Senior Copywriter: Aslinda Khanafi
Art Director: Ee Min Goh
Strategy Director: JS Foo
Business Director: Fred Eng
Account Director: Hazel Lim
Account Managers: Liming Yu & Bernice Wong
Senior Account Executive: Ru Ying Kang
Associate Project Director: Gisela Sim
Production: Hogarth Singapore
Executive Producer: Kimie Ong
Producer: Gwynne Chan
Production Company: Seven Sunday Films x Mum Films
Director: Mum (Suthon Petchsuwan)
Executive Producer: Afeeq Nadzrin
Business Director: Fon Pornsiri
Producers: Perdana Batangtaris & Fern
DOP: Worawoot Sukasem
Head Editor: Supachai Supakij
Co-Editor: Rino Gautama
Colourist: Parallel Studios
Online Artist: Pawan Sanjaya
Audio Engineering: Spacebar Audio Productions
