1a. DBS PayLah Hawker Nation_Film Still.jpg

HAWKER NATION

Singapore’s hawker heritage is at risk.

With the cost of food on the rise, hawkers are struggling to keep the lights on. Yet many of them have been quietly absorbing the inflation, to avoid passing that burden on to their customers. It is stories like these that remind Singaporeans of why they continue to support them.

Hawker fare isn’t merely a meal, it’s a national expression of love. 

Meanwhile, Singapore was electing its next President. So Singapore’s leading consumer bank DBS leaned into this pivotal political moment, to create the Hawker Awards and give the nation’s unsung hawker heroes the presidential treatment they truly deserve.

The film used familiar political campaign tropes to create visual metaphors that spotlighted the unique quirks, skills and dedication of hawkers - honouring their stamina withstanding hours of wok-heat, the decades-long commitment of generational stallholders, acing complex drink orders by heart, and the generosity of extra rice.

Out-of-home buys, featured real hawkers paired with statements reflective of relatable everyday “expressions of love” from them. 

Reactive posts were created in response to real-time events. 

A campaign truck typical of the general elections was parked alongside hawker centres and roving around heartland neighbourhoods, with the film’s manifesto at full blast.

No political campaign is complete without its campaign merch - Think goodie bags, drink carriers and badges emblazoned with slogans in colloquial slang to remind people to vote for their favourite hawkers.

The film reached and resonated with 43% of the total population on National day, boosted business for our featured Hawkers, and saw Hawker Award votes at its highest in three years. 

As featured on: Campaign Brief Asia, Branding in Asia, Marketing Interactive, Little Black Book, Marketech APAC and Adobo Magazine.


  • Creative Director: Zara Kok

  • Head of Planning: Valerie Lim

  • Senior Copy: Pan Jie / Art: Shervin Loh

  • Biz: Jonathan Tan / Sophie Tan / Natasha Allnutt

  • Production: Xiaoyu Liu