Aryanee Nair
Singapore – known for the best airport in the world and its relations to the film ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ by John M. Chu, adapted from the novel by Kevin Kwan. For those who are unfamiliar with the film, it is set in Singapore, revealing the opulent world of Singapore’s elite. The film explores themes of love, identity and the complexities of family ties against a backdrop of lavish lifestyles. Given its success, prestigious awards, and over $200 million in global earnings, how has Singapore benefited, particularly in its arts and culture sector?
As a Singaporean myself, it fascinates me whenever the people around me associate Singapore with luxury lifestyles as this does not properly encapsulate what Singapore is. Nonetheless, it cannot go unnoticed, what an excellent marketing technique Singapore chose to pique the world’s interest in making Singapore their next holiday destination, but also, how this film has catapulted their reputation across the globe and box offices. I argue that this film beautifully captured the high points of Singapore and what it has to offer. Thereby, planting the seeds for Singapore to become Southeast Asia’s major culture hub.
What was Singapore’s role in the film?
Singapore Film Commission (SFC) provided ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ with a Production Assistance grant, which ‘supports up to 40% of qualifying costs, including manpower, equipment, and intellectual property’ so long as the film engages with Singapore talent. This policy is just one of the many possible grants given by the National Arts Council (NAC) in Singapore. For such a small country, having such grants makes them more attractive to film makers seeking monetary support whilst simultaneously benefiting Singapore’s reach internationally.
How has Singapore benefited?
Cultural visibility
Unbeknownst to many, Singapore is a multicultural society, boasting a vibrant demographic of Chinese, Indians, Malays and Eurasians, coexisting alongside a plethora of religions all in one small dot. The beauty of such a society allows for there to be multiple celebrations from all cultures and a diverse range of cuisines to feast on. Moreover, Singapore’s landscapes are popular tourist attractions, where traditional post-colonial infrastructure beautifully intersects with futuristic design.This lets tourists experience Singapore's history and witness its rapid industrialization and status as a major financial centre and trade hub firsthand.The film perfectly captures all the nuances of Singapore, portraying its unique character and charm. By doing so, Singapore’s cultural visibility gets enhanced and hence, I argue, is an excellent marketing strategy to invite the rest of the world to visit Singapore. Ultimately, changing Singapore’s representation from one that is trade-focused to one that is multi-faceted.
Tourism Boost
With Singapore’s visibility being broadcasted around the world, it is certain that there would be a spike in tourism. This greatly benefits Singapore’s economy and growth as a country. Kayak, a search engine and online travel agency, saw a 41 percent jump compared to the same time period as the previous year and a 15 percent increase in the week of the movie’s release in 2018. This demonstrates just how much of an impact the movie had on the surge of interest in Singapore. Noting that tourism contributes 4% to Singapore’s Gross Domestic Product, it is crucial to understand the depths of which the outcome of this film propelled Singapore’s economy to greater heights. This is evidenced in the data given by Statista stating that Singapore’s tourism revenue was at US$2790.53 million in 2018, as compared to US$2590.41 million in 2017. Moreover, the revenue of this market is projected to reach US$4177 million by the end of 2024 with an expected growth of 3.67% annually. The Singapore government has clearly planned out which sectors would generate the country the most revenue and hence strategically chose to invest their money here, within tourism. By doing so, they have killed two birds with one stone; benefitted a multitude of industries like food and beverage, hospitality, whilst increasing their visibility internationally.
What does the future look like?
Looking ahead, starting from 2025, Singapore will have a home-porting of Disney Cruise Line’s latest cruise ship, Disney Adventure. This is part of the Singaporean government’s 2024 budget stating a S$300 million injection into their Tourism Development Fund ‘as part of a plan to grow the local economy and reinforce its global business-hub status’. Moreover, since ‘Crazy Rich Asians’, Singapore has launched a S$10 million fund to attract international productions to work with local filmmakers to widen Singapore’s visibility even more. Lastly, Singapore is now set to focus on sustainable tourism as part of its Tourism Sustainability Programme. All these avenues will boost Singapore’s tourism and hence improve Singapore’s economy collectively.
Singapore as a cultural epicentre in Southeast Asia
Although Singapore’s growth and development does not simply rest on the outcome of ‘Crazy Rich Asians’, it cannot go unacknowledged that the added visibility, boost in tourism, has truly increased and benefited Singapore as a whole. Personally, I suggest incorporating other means of strategic marketing policies, specifically, within the arts and culture sector to further enhance Singapore’s visibility and tourism. Such examples include pumping in more money for local artists – both in music and fine arts – as well as investing in local fashion brands like: Charles and Keith and Beyond The Vines, which have all already entered into the international market. Or, judging by how much attraction Asian food gets within the West, assess the possibilities of opening up chain stores of local food stores around the world. Being able to market a country in a way that is more subtle, seems to come across as more elegant and classy rather than aggressive and direct. This examination might help cater towards the generation of tomorrow and help secure Singapore’s position as the major cultural epicentre in Southeast Asia, not just as a major financial centre and trade hub.
Summary
The momentum generated by the film ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ continues to reverberate in discussions about Singapore. However, the intricacies of how the government strategically harnessed this opportunity to elevate Singapore into a major cultural epicentre in Southeast Asia remains largely unexplored. This cinematic phenomenon represents a marketing masterclass – an artful blend of storytelling and branding – yet there is considerable room for refinement. By further capitalising on this success, Singapore can enrich its arts and cultural sectors, creating a more vibrant tapestry that reflects the nation’s diverse heritage and dynamic creativity.
References
Hod, Itay. “'Crazy Rich Asians' Effect: Singapore Travel Searches Spike Since Movie Opened.” TheWrap, 30 August 2018, https://www.thewrap.com/crazy-rich-asians-prompts-triple-digit-spike-travel-searches-singapore/.
Kotoky, Anurag. “Singapore Starts S$7.5 Million Fund to Woo Next Crazy Rich Asians.” Bloomberg UK, 5 April 2023, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-05/singapore-starts-7-5-million-fund-to-woo-next-crazy-rich-asians?embedded-checkout=true.
National Arts Council Singapore. “Overview of the Production Grant - Singapore.” National Arts Council, 21 February 2024, https://www.nac.gov.sg/support/funding-and-schemes/production-grant/overview.
“Singapore hotels get 'Crazy Rich Asians' boost.” The Straits Times, 19 December 2018, https://www.straitstimes.com/business/property/singapore-hotels-get-crazy-rich-asians-boost.
“Singapore Tourism Statistics and Top Tourist Attractions.” Budget Direct Insurance, 27 March 2024, https://www.budgetdirect.com.sg/travel-insurance/research/singapore-tourism-statistics.
“Taylor Swift: Singapore prime minister defends deal to secure exclusive access to Eras tour.” The Guardian, 5 March 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/mar/05/taylor-swift-singapore-exclusive-southeast-asia-eras-tour-deal..
“Travel & Tourism - Singapore.” Statista, https://www.statista.com/outlook/mmo/travel-tourism/singapore.
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