Yakult Singapore, partnered up with ADK Singapore to introduce Joseph Schooling in its Billions Strong publicity campaign, offering a rare glimpse of Schooling’s rigorous journey before he emerged under the spotlight.
Joseph Schooling has an impressive swimming career that shows no signs of stopping. In the 2016 Rio Olympics, he bear an 8-year old Olympic record held by world renowned swimmer Micheal Phelps in the 100m butterfly that earned him a gold, the first Olympic gold medal won by Singapore. More recently, Schooling bagged two gold medal for the 100m and 50m butterfly and two bronze medals for the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relay events at the 2018 Asian Games.
The brand is a strong supporter of the Schooling family since the earlier days, as well as Singapore Swimming Association. Schooling’s parents Colin and May had to fork out over U$1 million (S$1.42 million) from their own pockets to fund his studies and training in the United State, years before the swimmer was awarded the SpexScholarship by the government.
According to Joseph Schooling’s mother, her family has been engaging Yakult home delivery service since Joseph was a little boy. He still takes Yakult today as part of his daily regimen to help maintain a healthy digestive system.
Like Joseph Schooling, most children grew up with Yakult and is valued by parents for its health benefits. The nation’s most trusted probiotic drink has been a favourite family staple in Singapore homes since it was introduced in 1979.
Commenting on the partnership between Yakult and Schooling, Mr Kiyotaka Sakurai, Managing Director of Yakult Singapore, said, “Joseph is a talented, hardworking, and remarkable athlete. I believe nothing is greater than the support of his family and the people around him. In regards to that, we’re very honoured that Yakult has always been there for him, to be part of his journey. Likewise, we’re also very grateful to support intestinal health for everyone.”
Speaking more about the campaign, Ronald Wong, Executive Creative Director of ADK Singapore, added, “Champions are not made overnight; like us, they have their ups and downs. Joseph’s journey has never been easy, but the one thing that always come through is the support system he has, which never failed him.” Alicia Goh and Fong Wei Kit, the senior creative duo behind the work, also weighed in, “We hope Joseph’s narrative can inspire many more Singaporeans to achieve great things for themselves.”.
Fresh from Joseph Schooling’s triumphant performance at the 18th Asian Games, the Billions Strong campaign pays homage to the little things that made his dreams possible, and was made more special with the appearance of Colin and May Schooling – Joseph’s constant pillar of support.
