Singtel rides the BLACKPINK wave with month-long fan activation
A look inside how Singtel blends connectivity, tourism, and fandom to elevate the concert experience
Singapore telco Singtel is proving that you don’t need an official tour sponsorship to dominate concert season. Ahead of BLACKPINK’s highly anticipated shows, the company rolled out a month-long experiential activation that blurs the line between telco, tourism, and fandom.
Dubbed “The concert pass,” the initiative runs from 24 November to 24 December at Kallang Leisure Park. It offers fans — especially tourists landing in Singapore — a curated space to connect, create, and celebrate. From immersive photobooths to ultra-fast 5G+ connectivity, Singtel’s setup doubles as both a fan playground and a subtle sales funnel.
This article explores how Singtel is reframing event marketing around connectivity, creator culture, and concert fandom without paying for headliner rights.
Short on time?
Here is a table of content for quick access:
- What happened: a pop-up that connects fans and creators
- The telco playbook: own the cultural moment
- Why this matters for marketers
Patrecia Meliana
A pop-up that connects fans and creators
Singtel partnered with experience design agency Dollop and event ops firm Butler Experiences to build out the space. The result is an Instagram-friendly zone where BLACKPINK fans can shoot content, pick up concert-themed freebies, and tap into the telco’s fastest network.
Think rotating cameras in car photobooths, DIY stations with collectible merch, and premium photo strips — features designed to make tourists and superfans alike linger longer. Tourists buying a Singtel SIM are welcomed with exclusive perks, all before even setting foot in the concert venue.
The activation doesn’t end at aesthetics. Singtel Postpaid 5G+ Priority customers can redeem premium gifts, while a SG$5 digital pass via the MySingtel app unlocks 48-hour access for anyone else.
Own the cultural moment
Singtel’s Shilpa Aggarwal, Vice President of Mobile Customer Solutions, framed the activation as a strategy to "extend the concert experience beyond the venue." Rather than chasing a logo on stage, the brand is aiming to own everything else around the hype — arrival moments, pre-show hangs, and post-show sharing.
This isn’t the telco’s first move into culture-based marketing. With earlier support for crowd-heavy events like Coldplay’s Singapore stop and the F1 Grand Prix, Singtel has been refining a formula that treats high-demand events as brand opportunities, not just network stress tests.
Aggarwal said the BLACKPINK activation shows how concerts act as "peak cultural moments" that deserve brand-level participation beyond technical coverage.
Why this matters for marketers
Singtel’s strategy highlights a growing trend: brands activating around cultural moments without formal sponsorship. Here’s why it works and what to take away:
1. Concerts are content hubs. Marketers should meet fans where the cameras are.
By designing ultra-aesthetic, user-generated-content-ready spaces, Singtel taps into the creator economy. Fans aren’t just attending — they’re documenting. Helping them do that well is the new way to win affinity.
2. Telco as experience layer, not just service layer
Instead of just selling SIMs, Singtel positions itself as a local enabler of memories and moments. The 5G+ tourist SIM isn’t just about data — it’s part of a broader content experience that starts at the airport and runs through city landmarks via AR.
3. It’s possible to outmaneuver official sponsors
Singtel’s move underscores that brands don’t need to outspend to outshine. By owning the surrounding fan journey — arrival, wait time, social content — Singtel builds equity in the experience without fighting for logo rights.
4. Concert marketing equals tourism marketing
Targeting tourists with connectivity and interactive cultural guides makes this more than just a concert week gimmick. It’s an integrated push that leverages music to convert short-term tourists into long-term brand users.
As global touring picks back up post-pandemic, more brands will compete to own "the moment" without paying for the headline. Singtel’s "concert pass" is a smart example of how telcos and other experience-heavy brands can turn audience obsession into a branded journey.
The playbook? Think like a fan, move like a creator, and market like a local host.
