UnAwkward
SG Enable
TBWA\Singapore
The Challenge
Despite being one of the most progressive countries in the world when it comes to disability, research found that in Singapore, 6 in 10 persons with disability feel socially excluded and unable to contribute in ways they really want.
When surveyed, 1 in 25 Singaporeans have said that they wouldn’t initiate a conversation with persons with disability (PwDs), and the main obstacle was awkwardness. We then interviewed PwDs across Singapore and found that this awkwardness causes real problems with their integration into society–across communities, workplaces and even in schools.
Most disability campaigns take a sombre approach, creating even more awkwardness. SG Enable, an agency for disability inclusion and education in Singapore, decided to disrupt the category and use humor to give PwDs the power to turn the tables and #UnAwkward Singapore.
The Solution
The #UnAwkward Campaign uses the power of humor to highlight the real problem, and a solution that lies among those without disability.
We started with a film that cast real PwDs in authentic awkward situations they faced in their daily lives. Launched digitally, this film led viewers to take easily actionable pledges online, that encouraged small meaningful actions to affect real change.
Our integrated campaign turned #UnAwkward into a movement in Singapore. Our social media page supported our campaign with real insights, myth-busting, and tips to break the barrier, such as the Instagram series ‘I Wish You’d Ask’. We even turned our film’s cast into influencers, challenging people to #UnAwkward by answering the internet’s most Frequently Awkward Questions on TikTok.
The Results
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The unexpected approach helped create a campaign that delivered on all the objectives set. Not only did the UnAwkward campaign reach a total of 16.5m people in Singapore and beyond, it made SG Enable the main go-to resource for disability education and inclusion, achieving a +19.9% increase in ad recall. The ‘Wish You’d Ask’ series alone reached 2.8m people, and as of December 2023 there were over 2,300 pledges on SG Enable’s website indicating the audiences’ understanding and intent to have more meaningful conversations around disability.
Lastly, the TikTok content series turned intent into action, where we saw meaningful conversations both on the streets of Singapore and online with over 270.9k engagements. Social listening confirmed that positive conversations were sparked, with many users sharing their burning questions, showing the effectiveness of TikTok as a platform to facilitate conversation and action.