Trump-Kim Summit: Branding History in the Making
The only kind of 'fire and fury' will come from the weather, fingers crossed
Come June 12, Singapore will host the Trump-Kim Summit, which will see a sitting POTUS meet with a North Korean Supreme Leader for the first time ever.
After more than 2 years of verbal tantrums from both sides, the summit aims to make them a thing of the past and signal a new beginning of friendlier ties between North Korea and the US (and ultimately the rest of the world).
For an event which just might change the course of history for the better, you can bet that everything about the summit would be branded nothing less than spectacularly. Let's look at some of the more outstanding 'artifacts' which will eventually come to brand the summit.
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| A thing of the past? |
Event Identity
In a bid to cement our newly minted brand identity in the minds of summit watchers, our logo was proudly showcased on the summit's Gotham font-typed wordmark as well as goodie bags for international media teams. Putting 'Singapore' in the wordmark shows a reluctance to make the SG logo represent Singapore exclusively.
Granted, the SG logo is still new and thus unfamiliar to many, but using it alone would be a bold statement - just imagine media teams coverage explaining what this 'edited copyright symbol' means.
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| Opting for a clean look with minimal patterns involved |
Interestingly, the US embassy in Singapore opted for a different logo, which, as of this time (11th June), has been seen by far more people than the one we created, thanks to Trump giving a speech against a backdrop featuring the alternate logo. RIP consistency :(
President @realDonaldTrump delivering remarks to @RedWhiteBlueDot team, and their families, in Singapore - ahead of tomorrow’s historical #SingaporeSummit pic.twitter.com/6UyiTwj6k7— Dan Scavino Jr. (@Scavino45) 11 June 2018
The metallic wallpaper backdrop and the serif font certainly makes the logo more formal, in sharp contrast to the causal style created by Singapore. I like (or dislike?) both identities equally, but in such an important event such as this, using very different graphical representations of the event hurts both identities, which is a signal that teamwork is lacking.
Whether intentional or not, it is important for every future media appearance to be consistent with the guidelines of the event identity, to achieve cohesiveness in the branding.
UPDATE: It's official - Singapore's logo for the summit was nowhere to be found on international media, unlike the one created by the US delegation.
Homegrown Everything
In an attempt to make sure people remember that the summit was held here, everything was made as Singaporean as possible. This is most notably seen in the goings-on in the international media centre at the F1 Pit Building.
ST Goodie Bags
ST Goodie Bags
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| Goodies by The Straits Times - the new SG identity in action! (Source) |
SME showcase
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| Straits Times Press |
Food
Surprisingly, it is T-minus-1 day to the summit and not a single news outlet reported on the food (not even the news correspondents on their private social feeds), which was supposed to be 1 of the highlights of Singaporean hospitality. The 45 dishes from 15 different cuisines will include the usual suspects - chicken rice and laksa, along with more exotic foods to suit every palate.
Of course, they can choose to go to Suntec's KFC and order some KFC.
Of course, they can choose to go to Suntec's KFC and order some KFC.
Coin of an era
Both the White House Gift Shop and the Singapore Mint created limited edition commemorative coins for this event.
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| White House Gift Shop commemorative coin |
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| Commemorative medallions by The Singapore Mint |
Design-wise, The Singapore Mint's coins clearly trumps the White House Gift Shop ones. Too many rings with words on the American coin makes it resemble a mini stock exchange, and the cluttered nature together with the embossing effect only adds to the headache when you look at it.
The opposite can be said about The Singapore Mint's coins. It was no coincidence to place North Korea on the left and USA on the right - according to the product page, it was designed to reflect each countries' position on the political spectrum.
If the summit proves to be successful, not only would these coins increase in value, those people who purchased the White House coins when they were advertised as the 'deal of the day' would now be owning arguably 1 of the most important coins of the Trump era. Looks like Trump and his supporters are getting the last laugh this time.
Flower Siloso
Perhaps the most symbolic non-human photograph to come out of the summit is this:
All 60 cannons at Fort Siloso were decorated with flowers, signifying peace which this summit aims to focus on. Although I'll admit that my first reaction was a giggle, this gesture is surely something which is history book-worthy.
Ah Lee Pay
Understandably, the idea of footing the bill for the North Korean delegation's accommodation angered some Singaporeans, and when PM Lee put the cost of the summit at an estimated S$20m, the memes started flowing in.
It did not help that our foreign affairs minister seemed contented for Singapore to 'serve coffee and tea' during the summit.
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| (Source) |
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| (Source) |
Majulah
All eyes will be on Trump and Kim to see we are 1 step closer to world peace during the summit. The summit's legacy will help brand not just the North Korean and US administrations, but also the Singapore's. As such, branding the summit itself is of all 3 countries' upmost priority.
Amidst uncertainty about the outcome of the summit, 1 thing is for sure though - we can be sure that we were great hosts to both leaders and their delegations.
Amidst uncertainty about the outcome of the summit, 1 thing is for sure though - we can be sure that we were great hosts to both leaders and their delegations.
