Sentosa – Virtual Sentosa

When COVID-19 lockdowns kept travellers at home, Sentosa needed a way to keep its audience engaged with the island even as visiting it became impossible. Virtual Sentosa was Singapore's first branded virtual destination — a digital recreation of the island built inside Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the game that had become a cultural phenomenon during global lockdowns. Built in 12 days, the experience let visitors "travel" to Sentosa without leaving home: exploring beach bars, nature trails, the Skyline Luge, and yoga by the beach, all rendered in-game with a level of fidelity that mirrored the real-world destination.

I was the digital producer on the build and launch, working alongside the creative, gaming consultancy, and creative technology teams to deliver the experience inside an unusually compressed timeline. Twelve days from concept to launch is a working schedule that doesn't allow for the normal sequencing of approvals, asset production, and platform testing — the production discipline had to compress accordingly, with parallel workstreams and same-day decisions on details that would normally have taken weeks.

The campaign generated over 7.5 billion media impressions globally and 300+ press stories, and went on to win 18 awards across the Webby Awards, Cannes Lions, One Show, Caples, and CCA Gong Show. Condé Nast Traveller called it "a case study in how tourism marketing can innovate and connect with future travelers."