The Metropolitant Team first met Mr Sai Tzy Horng at the launch of The Best of You, a social movement started by biscuit manufacturer Julie’s. As the consultant and the spokesperson, Mr Sai told us shared with us, “The Best of You was based on a simple, universal notion of appreciation and affirmation. Since our launch, we have received overwhelming support from the public in the form of many heart-warming, inspiring and empowering stories. The exhibition is an ideal platform to share the spirit of our movement through the spectrum of works from our public submissions, our emerging talents, creative veterans, and the participating organisations that have supported and been inspired by it,”
What inspired Mr Sai to start this social movement? We speak to him to know more.
M: What inspired you to launch this social movement?
TH: The Best of You movement is about asking individuals to share stories of appreciation. We hope that people would take time out of their busy lives to appreciate their accomplishments and those around them. We felt that there are few opportunities in our busy modern lives to do so. At the heart of The Best of You movement, it is about the people and their stories.
People are capable of great things in life, and can be a source of inspiration to each other. The Best of You provides a contemplative space that prompts people to slow down and share their stories, and gives visibility to real people in acknowledging and celebrating their accomplishments, in even the most mundane and ordinary of everyday moments, and efforts. Ultimately, we hope to cultivate the willingness in people to find opportunities where they, too, can bring out the best in others.
The Best of You idea is also a natural demonstration of Julie’s belief in doing good to do well in our business. It was also created to offer Julie’s internal team a space to share their stories and to build camaraderie. It’s a simple gesture from our part to stay connected to the community.
M: This campaign centers on people rather than the brand – What is it about people that inspire you?
TH: I think there are many unnoticed moments in our everyday lives where we are doing great, courageous, and things borne out of love, passion and conviction. And I think we need to pay attention to, take stock of, and honor these moments. And when we do, they are a source of courage and energy.
The Best of You movement is created to allow everyday people like you and me to share our stories, and to inspire others in the process as well.
M: Coming to the second year of the campaign, what are the highlights for this year, and any new submissions that impacted you?
TH: The Best of You movement expands its community outreach this year and continues to remind people to take time to reflect and find strength in their or others’ personal accomplishments and milestones, whether extraordinary or typical.
The unveiling of The Best of You Mini Exhibition at VivoCity in June this year marks the first of many activities to engage the community and to inspire them to share their stories.
Activities lined up for the year include collaborations with local schools through The Best of You School Play and Mini Exhibitions, and eventually a Public Exhibition in October, paying tribute to the stories shared with the movement.
There are so many stories that the movement has received over the past year, and all of them are touching and impactful in their own ways.
M. Who would you say brings out the best of you?
TH: It would be my close friends. When I meet up with them, it is akin to taking time out to reflect on our lives, and enjoy good conversations and good food – sometimes the conversations are serious, sometimes light-hearted. But those moments are rare because we are all busy (laughs) but I guess because they are rare, I treasure them a lot and they bring out the best of me.
M: Moving forward, what would you like to see this campaign evolve into? Are there any social causes that Julie will be embarking on as a result of this campaign?
I think it will naturally evolve. What I mean by the last statement is that the movement is very much comprised of stories from people and the space that The Best of You provides will change according to the different stories that emerge. When we experience the stories, we encounter many themes and certain many social topics of our time. For example, the many stories that pay tribute to parents reflect the few opportunities there are for many working adults to interact with their parents – these stories shore up questions of increasing work mobility characteristic of our modern times and how it affects our families, private and leisure lives. Reading these stories may prompt us to question our lives on the grander scheme of things.
And as Singapore continues to develop and grow its society and economy, I see having more opportunities and spaces for people in Singapore to contemplate current practices and social arrangements as crucial checkpoints for a stronger community. In many ways, I hope that through the stories shared through The Best of You movement may throw light on social concerns that have lurked “under the radar”, the social concerns that may have been unnoticed or from marginalized groups of individuals that have little voice in society.
We take this opportunity to thank Mr Sai for his time and do visit http://the-best-of-you.com for more information.