How did the concept of the ‘Faces of Singapore’ campaign come about? What inspired you to take this unique approach for OPPO’s newest launch?
2023 is actually a very special year for OPPO. This year marks OPPO’s 10th anniversary in Singapore, which makes it extra timely for us to throw a bigger celebration for Singapore. With the Faces of Singapore campaign, creating memories together with Singaporeans was key for us to resonate with the Singapore market.
What the Faces of Singapore campaign does is to capture the spirit of unity, shared heritage, and values of Singaporeans in a magazine of 30 unique Singaporean portraits, shot through the lens of the OPPO Reno10 Pro+ camera, and the hands of acclaimed photographer Ivanho Harlim.
At the heart of this campaign is really our show of love – from OPPO to Singapore. Even the concept behind the look of our campaign is also led by red-white colour schemes – truly all about Singapore.
Also Read: Cyberview Appoints Kamarul Ariffin Abdul Samad as CEO to Further Develop Malaysia’s Tech Hub
At OPPO, we have always been committed to being service-first where quality service and user experience is a priority. And this is what we’ve done for this campaign – to put our consumers first – up front and centre.
Could you describe the process of capturing 30 unique portraits using just a smartphone? What were the challenges and how did you overcome them?
We had to shoot all 30 portraits in one single day and were working with different personalities who were all not professional models. That meant that communication was very important, and we had to capture them in the most natural setting as much as possible, which was where Ivanho helped a lot.
Furthermore, we had to take into consideration that shooting photographs with a mobile phone is different from shooting with a traditional professional camera.
But given how our OPPO Reno10 Series is designed with Portrait Expert in mind, for anyone and everyone, shooting with the OPPO Reno10 Pro+ came very intuitively and with ease. To give you a better picture, the Reno10 series is supported by advanced algorithms that can better separate the subject from the background, and even anti-facial distortion algorithms that makes every portrait picture perfect. And it is the groundbreaking level of innovation we brought to the Reno10 Series that made the seemingly impossible, possible.
Can you talk about the technological advancements in the OPPO Reno10 Series that make it particularly suitable for portrait photography?
The Reno Series itself has always had a strong legacy of being a Portrait Expert.
For the Reno10 series, we continue this legacy in introducing the Ultra-clear Portrait Camera System, the most significant upgrade in Reno’s history. The Ultra-Clear Portrait Camera System is made up of a Telephoto Portrait Camera, an Ultra-Clear Main, a Selfie Camera, and an Ultra-Wide Camera. As mentioned, the telephoto portrait camera on Reno10 Pro+ 5G also comes at 64MP, which is the highest megapixels of any smartphone with a telephoto camera for the perfect portrait shot.
Paired alongside this incredible line-up, the Reno10 Pro+ also provides amazing imaging features that includes Pro-Portrait Mode and Pro-Portrait Video to deliver pro-level shots. With all these features, we’re making sure everyone can shoot portraits like a professional.
How does the ‘Faces of Singapore’ campaign align with OPPO’s broader mission and values?
OPPO’s broader mission and values are guided by our brand theme, “Inspiration Ahead”. What “Inspiration Ahead” means is that we look to create a better future through ongoing people-centric innovation.
This aligns closely with how the Faces of Singapore campaign was created to celebrate Singapore’s progress with inclusivity and its people at the heart of it. We hope that through this project, we can inspire Singaporeans to make more memories through their mobile phones, and in doing so make each moment count.
How does this campaign contribute to the celebration of Singapore’s 58th birthday?
As we spell out a love letter to Singapore on her 58th birthday with our Faces of Singapore campaign, the best form of celebration we thought we could give was to recognise the different people in Singapore.
There’s no better way to present an ode to the country than to spotlight its unique blend of people. Across the 30 portraits, we featured a mix of all ages, races, ethnicities, and occupations for Faces of Singapore that can encapsulate the melting pot that is Singapore. With the Faces of Singapore campaign, we wanted to contribute to the celebrations by creating fond memories together with Singaporeans through them, in portraits.
Could you share a memorable experience or story from the making of the ‘Faces of Singapore’ campaign?
What left an impression on us were the first-hand insights gleaned from the Singaporeans featured in the magazine on how much technology has made an impact on their lives.
Speaking to Usman Choo, a 44-year-old TikTok Coach, we were struck by his passion to up-skill other Singaporeans in digital technologies. Particularly, how he leverages technology to showcase the different virtues and faces of Singapore was a nod to us that we are on the right track with this campaign.
How does OPPO plan to connect with the Singaporean audience in the future? What can we expect to see from OPPO in the coming years?
We intend to keep a hand on the pulse and connect with Singaporeans through novel yet relevant ways that resonate strongly with Singaporeans.
In the past, we rolled out compelling Reno campaigns where we’ve partnered with the likes of local musicians to livestream through OPPO devices during the pandemic lock-down in our #ClearlyTheBestYou campaign, and our endeared Singaporean ice cream Uncle Chieng to encourage our users in Singapore to co-create multi-night scenarios in #LowLightInspired. Some of our recent Reno campaigns had also been fronted by actor Lawrence Wong in his ambassadorship.
Our product portfolio will also continue to be as dynamic as always – always in tune with the trend of what consumers want in the market. Foldables are currently the talk of the town and the next big thing. To that end, just earlier this year we launched the first-ever OPPO flip phone in the market, the Find N2 Flip, which was extremely well loved by our Singaporean consumers.
In the coming years, OPPO will continue to stay relevant and in tune with Singapore consumers, and challenge ourselves in refining and expanding our expertise to capture the hearts and palms of Singaporeans.
In your opinion, what does this campaign signify about the relationship between technology and art?
Technology continues to stretch the limits of creativity. And the progress of science and technology is a step forward in helping people expand their artistic creation. Faces of Singapore is a show of the deep connection between technology and art, and how technological advancements enhance our artistic endeavours to make them shine more than they did before. This also ties into our larger ethos of “Inspiration Ahead”, where people are central to our innovation.
The Reno10 Pro+ camera system for instance unlocks new possibilities in capturing unique portraits, and reshaping our perceptions of mobile photography. The campaign not only underscores how far OPPO has come with its innovations, but it also immortalises the beauty of each moment that cannot be fully captured by traditional art forms.
How did the collaboration between OPPO and Ivanho Harlim come about for this campaign?
Ivanho has always been on our radar as he has a signature style that feels natural. As smartphone photography is all about capturing the moments that count, and he was the best person for this campaign. With OPPO Reno10 Series, we hope to achieve pro-level imaging capabilities that allow users to shoot portraits like a professional at a simple click – and Ivanho demonstrated exactly just that with Faces of Singapore.
Moreover, this was possible as the Reno10 series is equipped with cutting edge technologies that can snap the perfect portrait shot. In fact, the Reno10 series is powered by a 64MP telephoto portrait camera. This is the highest megapixels of any smartphone with a telephoto camera.
Could you share some behind-the-scenes insights about the creation of the ‘Faces of Singapore’ campaign?
When conceptualising our Faces of Singapore campaign, we understood that capturing the unique Singaporean identity – and doing it well – was not going to be an easy task. Authenticity would be key to deliver the campaign impactfully. It is to this end that we asked everyone to bring along a personal item that represented themselves as a Singaporean, their passion, or what it means for them to be a Singaporean.
Some of the interesting personalities you can see in OPPO’s Faces of Singapore magazine include Elaine, a bright consultant in her 20s who brought a packet of tissue paper for the photoshoot. She shared that a packet of tissue paper is a uniquely Singaporean understanding to ‘chope’ seats. There’s also Moon, a florist in her 70s that brought Singapore’s National Flower, the Orchid; and Izad, a writer and photographer in his late 30s who brought a local-favourite dish, Nasi Lemak, to the photoshoot.
If you want to see more of such portraits, come on down to any OPPO concept stores across Singapore to get your hands on a free copy of our Faces of Singapore magazine!
