07 May 2013

Singapore, 7 May 2013 - You love your mother, you will take care of her in her old age, you would do anything for her, but… would you add your mother on Facebook? As crazy as it sounds, StarHub is challenging Singaporeans to do just that this Mother’s Day.

StarHub is all about communicating and connecting with people. That is why this Mother’s Day, StarHub is encouraging everyone to connect with their mum in a simple, fundamental and yet highly unusual way: by befriending her on ubiquitous social networking site Facebook.

“We wanted to stay away from the usual tear-jerking Mother’s Day campaign this year”, said Ms Wang Li-Na, Vice President of Consumer Marketing, StarHub.

This is a sentiment echoed by Ms Rowena Bhagchandani, Managing Director at DDB Group Singapore, which provides creative services for StarHub. “We were looking for something fun and cheeky, yet meaningful and relevant at the same time. And I think we hit the sweet spot.”

Ms Wang explained that the rationale behind this campaign was the high smartphone penetration rate in Singapore coupled with the fact that, despite Singaporeans being incredibly busy, we always seem to be able to maintain our Facebook accounts.

“So we thought, why not use Facebook to maintain a relationship with our mum,” laughed Ms Wang. “When we’re too busy for dinner with mum or cannot make that late night phone call, Facebook is a great and fun way for mum to stay informed on the latest in our lives.”

However, many young people are worried that what their mother sees or says on Facebook will get them into trouble.

“There may be some challenges,” admitted Ms Wang, “perhaps coping with new technology or the sudden plethora of updates.  But if we actually give our mum a proper chance, we could be surprised by how relevant and cool she can be. And the reward of a stronger bond with mum will be well worth it!”

StarHub’s campaign to Add Mum on Facebook was launched today with the release of a whimsically entertaining video that introduces Singapore to their campaign hashtag: #AddMumOnFacebook.

This will be followed by a number of Mother’s Day videos created by popular YouTube stars like Munah and Hirzi as well as Noah Yap from Ah Boys to Men.

In line with the tongue-in-cheek nature of the campaign, these videos will explore the different kinds of relationships people share with their mum, both on and outside of Facebook.

A number of mini-contests will also be held on StarHub’s Facebook page throughout the campaign, inviting people to share their thoughts about adding their mother on Facebook.