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For Christmas, Singtel made a 5min 30sec film about an entitled teen who insists on getting what she wants, in this case, the newest phone.Singtel

Singtel's Christmas film is about an entitled teen who must have the latest phone - and we can probably all relate, Business Insider - Business Insider Singapore

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Christmas is almost here, and so the battle of the touching videos on social media begins…

Singtel is the first major telco in Singapore to join the race this year, dropping a 5min 30sec-long film called “The Gift” on Friday (Nov 29) morning.

Unlike last year’s video (which amassed 11 million views), this year’s Singtel Christmas film features no cute puppies, generous strangers or innocent children who believe Santa Claus is real.

And instead of making you go “aww”, The Gift will likely make you feel annoyed with the main character in the film.

The reason for this is that the film’s main star is an entitled, self-absorbed teen – a character who is probably all too relatable to many Singaporeans with the latest gadgets, makeup, bags, toys and more.

In the film, the teen loses her phone and needs another urgently so she can contact her friends and get to a Christmas party. When her father offers to lend her his old phone, the frustrated girl responds: “I can’t be seen with that phone.”

Sound familiar?

According to Singtel, various studies have shown that people spend more time on their phones than with family.

Read also: WHO says close to 80% of Singapore’s adolescents are not active enough

Most parents in Singapore also do not limit their children to only the call and text functions on their mobile devices, Singtel said.

In its own commissioned study, Singtel found that more than half of all parents are prepared to give their child a mobile line equipped with mobile data.

“In our hi-tech world of shiny gadgets and devices, parents often feel compelled to indulge their children, even if their demands are excessive, Lian Pek, Singtel’s vice president for group strategic communications and brand, said.

Describing Christmas as the “perfect time to reframe the spirit of giving in our increasingly digital society”, Lian said that the message the brand was getting at was that people need to prioritise family and make actual connections with each other.

“Our films are not solicitations to transact with us, but rather, to appreciate our values which would hopefully spark some desire to interact with our brand for the long haul,” she said, adding that customers in the digital age “want to support and engage with companies that have heart”.

You can watch Singtel’s The Gift here:

 

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