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David Beckham fronts glitzy campaign for Singapore casino giant Marina Bay Sands

Singapore casino giant Marina Bay Sands has launched a regional brand campaign led by David Beckham and created by American ad agency AR New York.

In a polished two-minute film directed by Anthony Mandler, the English footballing star plays a first-time sampler of the complex’s luxury shopping, fine dining and glamorous bars with views of the Singapore skyline. The casino is not featured in the ad, which ends up with Beckham drinking and socialising with beautiful people at MBS’s roof-top bar at Sands SkyPark.

The multi-million dollar “Never Settle” campaign aims to show the “iconic architectural marvel” through Beckham’s eyes in print and TV ads.

David Beckham in Marina Bay Sands

The director and photographer Anthony Mandler said: “It was essential for us to capture the excitement and energy of Marina Bay Sands with this commercial. We wanted to show our audience that when they visit, they should and will never settle, with the very best dining options, the ultimate entertainment, the most coveted luxury shopping and more. David is our master of ceremonies, taking us with him through the cinematic adventure that is the Marina Bay Sands experience. At every turn, there’s something more dramatic, more exuberant and more beautiful.”

Four print ads will appear in local and regional dailies, magazines and billboards across Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and China. The TV ads will run on digital platforms, TV and network cable channels across the region.

David Beckham Marina Bay Sands ad

Beckham said: “I have collaborated with Marina Bay Sands on a wide range of projects ranging from charity events, inspirational workshops and festive celebrations. This is a brand that always aspires to be the best in everything it does. That’s why I love Marina Bay Sands. I am thrilled to be part of its story for the ‘Never Settle’ campaign, which is about a celebration of an amazing destination.”

David Beckham in Marina Bay Sands ad

Alongside the advertising, MBS is running an online competition to win a two night stay in Marina Bay Sands hotel and shopping vouchers. Open to players in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, contestants need to identify 10 locations and experiences around the complex to win. Participants can double their points if they share their results on social media.

The press release announcing the campaign featured the following behind-the-scenes snippets:

  • Filming took place over two days, involving overnight shoots that began at 4am on the first day. Most of the filming was done within cordoned off areas, under tight security conditions and in the wee hours of the morning – this was to ensure minimal disruption to the guest operations of Marina Bay Sands, which welcomes nearly 110,000 visitors on a daily basis.

  • A total of 25.5 hours were spent filming the commercial to gather eight hours of footage, which were edited down to a 2 minute full commercial, and shorter 30- and 60-second versions.

  • Over 100 Team Members were involved in the filming process to support the 125-pax professional crew on site. These behind-the-scenes heroes, spanning across MICE and Hotel operations, banquet, Visual Media, security, butler service and facilities, were responsible for providing a total of 500 hot meals, coordinating traffic flow, transporting tons of equipment from various locations, providing security and helping set the stage for each scene.

  • The production offices which housed wardrobe and equipment for the commercial was as big as a Sands Expo and Convention Centre ballroom, which is equivalent to a 3-room HDB flat.

  • One of the taxi stands was temporarily moved to the Convention Centre in order to cater for David Beckham’s drive-in scene.

  • The ArtPath installations provided a key backdrop for many of the scenes in the commercial. As one of the largest art commissions ever completed as part of an integrated architectural process, the Art Path comprises 11 large-scale art installations created by eight internationally renowned artists.

    • At the Lion’s Bridge, David Beckham is seen looking at the shiny surface of Zhan Wang’s Artificial Rock #71 and #86 which are abstract sculptures inspired by The Scholar’s Rock in China. In other scenes, Antony Gormley‘s Drift, the 3D stainless steel matrix that hangs cloud-like in the air at Hotel Tower 1, makes its appearance. David Beckham was also filmed in front of Ned Khan’s Wind Arbor, made up of 260,000 aluminum metal “flappers” covering the facade of the Hotel.
  • Due to the secrecy of the campaign, David Beckham had to travel to the various locations through the back-of-house routes, and only appearing right before filming commenced. The tons of equipment also follow the same routes in the labyrinth of passages known as the Heart of House — an area that has its own 7-Eleven store, ATM machines, clinic, a Uniform Room and Dining Rooms that serve over 8,000 meals a day for Team Members.

  • Still, David Beckham took a walk around The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands — much to the delight of guests, who took quick snaps of the star during these rare public moments. The pictures went viral on social media and gave rise to speculations that Beckham was in Singapore to film an advertisement for a fashion brand, when it was actually for the ‘Never Settle’ campaign.

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