After Cristiano Ronaldo, Shopee Now Engages Phua Chu Kang as Its S’porean Brand Ambassador

It seems that Shopee has a real taste for celebrities.

Lest you’ve forgotten, the Singaporean e-commerce platform somehow managed to charter the services of famed footballer Cristiano Ronaldo sometime last year, and even got the suave Juventus player to do this:

Which evidently didn’t go down well with fans, though it did spawn a 10-hour version loop that has since been viewed no less than 242K times.

Well, you know the drill.

It’s not wrong if it works.

And now, fresh from its success with Cristiano Ronaldo, it seems that Shopee is, yet again, turning its sights to another celebrity.

And though this particular celebrity is admittedly slightly less popular than the worldwide-recognised football star, he has still garnered an impressive list of achievements, including rallying an entire country against multiple epidemics.

Yes, folks. It’s a celebrity we know and love, and one that’s a lot closer to home:

Phua Chu Kang.

After Cristiano Ronaldo, Shopee Now Engages Phua Chu Kang as Its S’porean Brand Ambassador

According to Shopee, the e-commerce platform has appointed cultural icon Phua Chu Kang as its first Singaporean brand ambassador, ahead of the yearly 9.9 Super Shopping Day event.

The partnership is a supposed reflection of Shopee’s continued commitment to the local cause, including homegrown businesses, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

In other words, it’s time to support local.

It also marks another milestone for the platform, as it continues to build on a hyper-localised approach.

Just last year, Shopee launched its regional headquarters in Science Park Drive, fortifying its commitment to elevating Singapore and its attractiveness as the Silicon Valley of the region.

Why Him?

A household name amongst Singaporeans young and old, Phua Chu Kang’s ability to resonate with and unite local communities aligns closely with Shopee’s long-term vision of connecting with Singaporeans – making him a perfect fit for the brand.

In his role as local ambassador of Shopee, Phua Chu Kang will work with the e-commerce platform on a wide range of initiatives and campaigns as it heads into the year-end shopping season, aimed at engaging and uplifting users as e-commerce continues to gain greater significance in the lives of Singaporeans.

Phua Chu Kang will be the face of various Shopee campaigns, starting with Shopee’s signature annual shopping event, 9.9 Super Shopping Day.

In particular, he will join Shopee across various initiatives to engage and connect with Singaporeans, including exclusive appearances on ShopeeLive and other marketing campaigns.

“We are excited to bring onboard our first local brand ambassador ahead of 9.9 Super Shopping Day,” said Zhou Junjie, Chief Commercial Officer at Shopee. “As a proud homegrown company, we believe Phua Chu Kang’s attributes parallel our deep understanding of Singapore and its culture.”

“Phua Chu Kang has always been a celebrated local icon and at Shopee, it was particularly meaningful for us to appoint an ambassador that creates a sense of oneness amongst local communities.”

Well, Phua Chu Kang has indeed served as a Singaporean cultural icon for many years, and his addition will surely act as an asset to Shopee’s advertising ranks.

And yet, one can’t help but hope that Phua Chu Kang will, somehow, be able to avoid the crippling fangs of the ‘Baby Shark’ wave.

Though if even the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo had to do it, we can’t really see the local comedian escaping anytime soon.