Coca-Cola Singapore and the Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf), set off on a life-changing experience to deliver a Christmas message with a difference. According to an article by Chinese publication Lianhe Zaobao, an estimated 8% of Singapore’s population is hearing-impaired. Clearly at Christmas, a time of joy for seemingly evervyone – many were being left out. Instead of bringing joy, carols like “Silent Night” were an ironic and bitter reminder of how society disregards the hearing impaired. The deaf somehow lived a world apart from society, and this was made all the more apparent, when the songs we all take for granted, have never even been heard by them. Coca-Cola, partnered up with the SADeaf to bridge the gap and bring the magic of Christmas alive for all with a unique event: the ‘Sign’-Along Carols. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, the Hearing learnt to sign and the Deaf learnt to sing. Local celebrities, volunteers and online tutorial videos were all used to teach and encourage more to learn. And on Christmas Eve on Orchard Road Singapore, they made the true meaning of Christmas a message loud enough to be heard by everyone. The event captured the attention of people of all ages on the street. Hundreds of volunteers signed up for sign language courses and $4,500 was raised in just one night (the average contribution being only $500 a month). “Coca-Cola has always been a catalyst for bringing people together,” said Gill McLaren, General Manager, Coca-Cola Singapore. The most beautiful thing about the ‘Sign’-Along Carols was the positive response from the people who watched and talked about sign language for the first time.
Advertising Agency: OgilvyAction, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Published: December 2012
