S'pore wants ads to be funny and provocative: poll

SINGAPORE: Almost half of the little more than 700 Singaporean respondents in an online survey claimed they liked their ads to be shocking and controversial. The findings from an online survey conducted by NFO and Recipio appear to be at odds with ad agencies' claims that local clients are likely to jettison provocative campaigns for safe ones. Respondents also claimed to like advertising that was original, funny and well produced. Cancy Tan, managing director of NFO, said: "Singaporeans like to be challenged but in a tasteful way. They appreciate ads with a surprise twist but still expect it to be relevant to the product." Wealthier consumers shied away from ads that use 'hard sell' tactics, Tan said, adding that respondents were also turned off by ads that "tried too hard" and were badly produced. The findings show consumers only pay attention to one in five commercials and that most people switch channels or leave the room during commercial breaks. Respondents named Coca-Cola, Singapore Telecommunications, Tiger Beer, McDonald's and Nike as their favourite advertisers. There was an even gender split among respondents, and 73 per cent were 21 to 35 year olds and 19 per cent were 36 years or older.

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