So… apparently Singapore tragically suffered the collapse of a Southpoint Mall on August 17. Three memorials have been placed at bus shelters around town, with names, photos and even flowers dedicated to the memory of the victims “whose lives were innocently taken”.
But before you rush off to google the facts of the case, let us stop you right there. It’s fake “news”; there’s no such disaster; and this is all just an unconventional publicity stunt by Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) to promote its annual Halloween Horror Nights. (Although there actually is a Southpoint in Tanjong Pagar, only it’s an office building and it’s still standing.)
Basically, these “memorial walls” are just a marketing ploy to offer fans a preview of the upcoming scare-fest, which features scare zones, haunted houses and a new zombie laser tag experience this year.
An RWS spokesman told The Straits Times that, while the campaign admittedly did draw some flak, the display also “generated a lot of conversations among commuters”. Plus, it’s not the first time RWS has done something provoking for its Halloween event — previous bus shelter display ads included spooky paper effigies in 2015 and Chinese talismans last year.
In the social media realm, netizens’ reactions were divided (of course). Some remained chill and praised RWS for its attention-grabbing marketing tactics.
Unfortunately, not everyone was amused — especially since, y’know, the Hungry Ghost Festival is going on right now.
Guess you can never win everyone over.
P.S. if you’d like to see the ads for yourself, check out the bus stops at Bugis Village, Clarke Quay and Hotel Rendezvous.
