​Have ads by NTUC Income and CPF Board backfired? Two ads accused of vilifying elderly

Lianhe Zaobao, page 4

Advertisements from NTUC Income and CPF Board, that urged Singaporeans to look at financial and retirement planning, were accused of vilifying the elderly. Asst Prof Chen Lou from NTU Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information said that both ads tried to strike a chord with with the audience, but the NTUC Income ad deviates from the traditional value of filial piety that prevails in the East Asian society. She said, “I guess this may deviate from the traditional image of parents seen in mass media and can backfire among those who value filial piety.” She also thinks that advertisements should generally not create stereotyped portrayals but these two ads, more or less, challenged this norm.