Why is this work relevant for Creative Strategy?

For the DBS Live Fresh product, it was literally adapt or die as entertainment spending hit an all-time low in Lockdown. We honed in on a deeply cherished local icon of good times past to demonstrate to our consumers that we understood more than most, the good times they were missing. A first for the brand, we entered the gaming world in a big way by creating Singapore's first virtual club. Whilst our competitors all said they were here for their customers, we showed them by anticipating & re-building an online space for the New Normal.

Background

DBS Live Fresh card is the cashback credit card for Singaporean millennials, aiming to unlock new and exciting experiences. With a huge emphasis on entertainment, the pandemic and the subsequent shutting down of nightlife in Singapore took a huge toll on the card’s relevance in our audience’s lives. Recognising that the situation wasn't likely to improve anytime soon, we needed to find new and exciting ways to keep nightlife alive, all while keeping to a limited budget.

The Interpretation of the Challenge (30% of vote)

The DBS Live Fresh card is unique in providing cashback on nightlife and entertainment. In light of the pandemic and the lockdown, the challenges were multi-layered: 1. Night life wasn't going to recover anytime soon. How do we deliver experiences that are relevant to their new normals? 2. Brands were all promising that 'they are here' for their consumers, how do we go beyond lip service and do something real for them? 3. Marketing budgets were frozen, in light of uncertainty of market recovery. We needed to think beyond paid media, to inject ourselves into our audience's new realities, sticking to our promise of delivering fresh entertainment experiences.

The Insight / Breakthrough Thinking (30% of vote)

In the height of lockdown, we observed that gaming quickly became an alternative for people to connect virtually. We started monitoring our audiences closely and saw that Singaporean millennials were leaning into nostalgia as a pandemic coping mechanism. Using social listening and Google trends, we saw #throwback hit an all-time high as our audiences pined for experiences lost. Behaviorally, they were exploring new outlets to satisfy their party cravings with channels such as Twitch and Houseparty. So to remain relevant, we needed to give our audiences a place that reminded them that nightlife wasn't over.

The Creative Idea (20% of vote)

To keep nightlife alive we revived the greatest icon of clubbing history. Zouk was home to many global DJs but more importantly, it's a rite of passage for Singaporeans' coming of age story, one that will strike a chord with the nostalgia millennials were fully embracing. Completed in 8 weeks, we launched Singapore's first virtual club: the Live Fresh Club in Fortnite. Leveraging Fortnite's cost-free creative mode, we recreated Zouk down to the very last detail by referencing original blueprints and over 150 hours of archival footage. To ensure maximum nostalgia, we meticulously reconstructed every memorable element: the iconic rooms, bathroom fountain and the infamous hot dog stand. The club also featured gameplay where players raced to collect cashback coins in the fastest time, mirroring the card's proposition. It was exactly what entertainment-starved people needed - a chance to reminisce with friends, party with loved DJs, safely from home.

The Outcome / Results (20% of vote)

• More than 118k in social engagement, 12% increase in card applications and 12.3% increase in card usage without any paid media investment. • Over $1.5 million worth of earned media in the form of editorial coverage by key publications. • Unlocked a new category of spend that other major credit cards weren’t playing in. • Pivoted from traditional marketing to embed ourselves in the lives of our target audience in a culturally relevant way. • Signalled the card’s proposition to a completely new audience segment for DBS i.e. gamers.

Please tell us how disruption in your market place inspired the work

A credit card designed for nightlife during a long nationwide lockdown, was at risk of total disruption. It was imperative for the brand to bring the experience into a different space to remain relevant - one where the brand's audience were already hanging out in organically. It was a world first for a bank to enter the gaming world so immersively, and to create a new space for its audience during a difficult time. This experience redefined our customers' expectations of how their bank could support them in times of need.