Iconic Singapore Mascots and Their Forgotten Precessedors
The former mascot for water conservation had horrible water habits 🐘
Before Singapore’s modern mascots went viral and stole the show at National Day Parades, a pioneer generation of campaign icons laid the groundwork for promoting civic duty through lighthearted ways. Here are three notable examples from Singapore’s mascot history:
The Anti Mascot: Bobo
An elephant seems like an odd choice for a water conservation ambassador. Given their massive size, elephants consume vast amounts of water and are often portrayed splashing around with their trunks. Yet, in 1973, national water agency PUB (then the Public Utilities Board) launched Bobo the elephant as their first ever mascot.
The mascot idea came from the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies (Singapore), which turned the stereotype on its head by pointing to the elephant’s trunk as a symbol of water wastage. Bobo debuted in a five-part cartoon series in which the pink elephant mascot learnt how to save water with the help of two human friends, Willie and Lulu.
Even though Bobo was featured widely in PUB collaterals, especially those aimed at children, very few artifacts or online records remain today. The uniquely pro-water conservation elephant was eventually retired for Water Wally and Sally, anthropomorphic water droplets who have many doppelgangers overseas, including in South Korea, Australia and USA.
The Mascot who was Promoted: Doritan / Little Durian Star (榴莲小星)
Japan popularised mascot culture, so it was only natural that the Singapore Tourism Board Japan Office created one in 2007 to encourage Japanese tourists to visit our sunny island.
Enter Doritan, a five-year-old Singaporean boy who once lived in Japan. He wears a durian hat and a red bodysuit featuring a Merlion design. A transliteration of his name is Lil Durian: “Dori” is short for durian in Japanese (dorian ドリアン) while “tan” (たん) is an honorific used for babies.
Because Doritan was tailored specifically for the Japanese market, few Singaporeans knew he existed. That was until the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, where he was chosen to represent the Singapore pavilion under a new name: Little Durian Star or 榴莲小星. His backstory was also expanded to include international travels with his musician parents.
Doritan made his return in 2016 as Singapore’s mascot for SJ50, celebrating 50 years of Singapore-Japan diplomatic relations alongside Japan’s Hello Kitty.
In 2018, STB introduced Merli, a friendly Merlion who succeeded Doritan as the global face of Singapore tourism, including at subsequent World Expos.
The Mascot Prototype: Smiley
Before Singa the Kindness Lion, a smiley face used to front the annual National Courtesy Campaign since 1979, which also doubled as the campaign’s logo. Though basic and somewhat generic, Smiley adorned bookmarks, pins, and promotional materials encouraging (or gently demanding) courtesy as a way of life.
“Men are not offended by excessive courtesy.
All doors open to courtesy.
礼多人不怪
有礼人不拒
Courtesy brings honour to you and your nation. பணிவன்பால் உங்களுக்கும் நாட்டுக்கும் சிறப்பு
Life is short, but there is always time for courtesy”
-National Courtesy Campaign, 1979
When the campaign committee slapped the smiley face on a human body, that was the embodiment of “excessive courtesy”. Why does this mascot look like she is trying to tell us there is no war in Ba Sing Se?
The smiley face’s tenure was short-lived as Singa was introduced just three years after, in 1982.
It was a missed opportunity to bring back the smiley face when Singa “resigned” in 2013. If the committee had modernised the smiley face’s eyes with CCTV cameras, the horror would have compelled kindness instantly, Big Brother style.
Thank You, Next
Though these pioneer mascots have retired, they paved the way for modern icons like Water Wally, Water Sally, Merli, and Singa. They continue to live on in memories of those who have interacted with them.
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Discover more about Singapore’s mascots by visiting the Mascotdex.
