1. Roam Talk Series: A Brief History of Transport Networks in Singapore's Urban Landscape
Jalan with researcher Eisen Teo as he unpacks our city’s multifarious transport networks and the social memories attached to them!
While carpooling to head into work is fairly common today, it wasn’t as easy to organise in the early 20th century.
Mosquito buses gamely rose to the occasion, meeting the needs of the island’s working class. Drivers, most of whom were ex-rickshaw pullers, planned routes around passengers’ destinations and needs, packing their seven-seaters to capacity. It was a cheap, fast and popular mode of transport.
Not everyone was a fan. The authorities found them pesky and worrisome due to reckless driving and spikes in road accidents. Eager to swat them aside, regulations were introduced.
There’s lots more to unpack. Head down to the Rise of Asia Museum to hear from Eisen Teo, the author of Jalan Singapura: 700 Years of Movement in Singapore who will talk to you about the drivers of different commuting trends and discuss the backdrop against which they unfolded. You’ll probably see your daily bus or MRT journey in a new light!
2. The Cultured Tiger Earns His Stripes: The Tiger Car Story
To expand his Tiger Balm empire, Aw Boon Haw decked out a small fleet of cars in stripes, repurposing them to look like tigers on the prowl. These fierce vehicles allowed his brand to travel our streets before advertising on public buses became mainstream.
To market his cure-all ointment, Tiger Balm King Aw Boon Haw came up with an ingenious idea — outlandish Tiger Cars to roam our roads.
His all-out, in-your-face approach to advertising helped transform his brand into a roaring success.
Boon Haw, whose name means “Cultured Tiger”, was certainly a master at guerilla marketing. If you take a walk around Haw Par Villa today, a park he built for the public, you might notice the product nestled in the palms of several of its statues.
While none of his original Tiger Cars remains, you can get a sense of how they looked via a replica at Haw Par Villa. Swing by for a special talk which will walk you through the gears which drove Boon Haw’s marketing genius!
