SUB CATEGORY :

RESILIENCE THROUGH CREATIVITY

COMPANY ENTERING :

BLKJ HAVAS, SINGAPORE

TITLE :

BUSKERMERCIALS

BRAND :

MEDIACORP

ADVERTISER :

MEDIACORP

AGENCY :

BLKJ HAVAS, SINGAPORE

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER :

ROWENA BHAGCHANDANI

MANAGING DIRECTOR :

FIONA HUANG

CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER :

JOJI JACOB

EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR :

KHALID OSMAN/LESTER LEE

CREATIVE DIRECTOR :

GUILHERME MACHADO/TRONG RONAKIAT

ART DIRECTOR :

DALTON CHOO

COPYWRITER :

ISHAN VENKAT

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER :

K CHENG

AGENCY PRODUCER :

DEBORAH CHIA

ANIMATION SPECIAL EFFECTS :

ADZREEN ISMAIL

ILLUSTRATOR :

KAI CHUAN KOH/WEILIANG CHEW

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR :

SHA OMAR

ACCOUNT MANAGER :

YAN TING TAN

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE :

LENA HUANG

STRATEGIC PLANNER :

SKANDA LOKESHWARAN

RESILIENCE THROUGH CREATIVITY CONTEXT EXPLANATION :

Due to the pandemic, 350+ buskers weren’t allowed to perform in Singapore for over a year.

As a national radio network and strong supporter of local creativity, Mediacorp found a way to give these street performers a new avenue to monetise their talents and earn a living again. Because music may have been banned from the streets, but there’s one place where it never left: commercials.

With brands looking to increase media exposure and reduce their commercial production costs, Mediacorp identified a business solution to give brands what they want. And buskers what they need.

This was how Buskermercials, a new format of advertising to give street buskers a new stage, was born.

As an ever-growing platform, Buskermercials connect local buskers with world-famous brands, equipping them to write, perform, and engineer promotional songs. These are then aired on Mediacorp Radio, with the musicians earning 100% of the production cost.

This has resulted in buskers earning avg. $3,000/month (roughly 60% more than their pre-pandemic income) and approx. 3.7 million listeners (compared to only hundreds on the streets). Participating brands have also seen positive results – with Pizza Hut recently reporting an increase in brand recall and sales.

ENGLISH CONTEXT EXPLANATION :

THANKS TO RISING COVID-19 CASES, EVER-EVOLVING VARIANTS, AND STRICT SAFE-DISTANCING RULES, BUSKING WASN’T ALLOWED ON THE STREETS OF SINGAPORE FOR OVER A YEAR. THIS RESULTED IN 350+ BUSKERS LOSING A MAJOR SOURCE OF INCOME, WITH SOME REPORTING THAT THEIR EARNINGS DROPPED ENTIRELY TO ZERO.

DESPITE ATTEMPTS TO PERFORM ONLINE – VIA THEIR OWN FACEBOOK LIVE STREAMS OR OTHER VIRTUAL EVENTS – THEY WERE MET WITH POOR TURNOUTS AND INCOME DUE TO THEIR TINY SOCIAL FOLLOWING.

UNABLE TO LAND PAID, PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, MOST BUSKERS WERE FORCED TO TAKE UP LOW-PAYING, UNSKILLED GIGS LIKE FOOD DELIVERY, CONSTRUCTION WORK, ETC.

AS A NATIONAL RADIO NETWORK AND STRONG SUPPORTER OF LOCAL CREATIVITY, MEDIACORP WANTED TO GIVE THESE STREET PERFORMERS A NEW AVENUE TO MONETISE THEIR TALENTS AND EARN A LIVING AGAIN.