[video_popup width="805" height="454" video_link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OneiouCecbk" video_image_link="https://www.tnooz.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Singapore-tourism-board-ad-689x300.png"]
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) launched a destination marketing video that went viral in social media for not-so-positive-reasons, and the situation was stirred further when STB pulled the video down.
Recently, a marketing video targeting Philippines users was uploaded into STB's official YouTube channel and its Philippines Facebook page.
In the first week (after upload), the video in the Facebook page attracted more than 3,400 likes and 900 comments, largely positive, claims the STB.
The video portrays a couple travelling to Singapore on their anniversary, visiting key attractions like Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the bay. At the end of the video, the lady tells the man that she is pregnant, and hands over a "gift" to him that turns out to be a pregnancy test kit.
This video went viral in social media with users pointing out negative reasons such as - poorly dubbed and illogical flow of events.
A slightly better resolution of this video can be watched - here.
The STB took prompt action by simply deleting this video from its official YouTube channel and its Philippines Facebook page, this action increased the curiosity among users and further increased the virality.
When asked why it removed the video, executive director Oliver Chong says:
"We often share our marketing videos on the STB YouTube channel. At the end of its TV run in the Philippines, we decided to also share this particular video on YouTube. We subsequently removed it as it was not resonating well with audiences.
"In the meantime, we have found some of the responses and spoofs that have been shared online to be creative and clever."
The video was produced for the Philippine market by Philippine network ABS-CBN, explains STB.
Chong adds:
"Nevertheless, we thank readers for their feedback on the video and acknowledge that some aspects of it could have been done better."