How Real-Life Pool Umbrella and Sunbed Journeyed Through City to Arrive at METT Singapore

With a twirl in its step, a pool umbrella and an accompanying sunbed, find themselves irresistibly pulled through the streets of Singapore towards the lure of the ‘Simply Magnetic’ METT Singapore in a film by Forsman & Bodenfors Singapore.

The campaign, which included Instagram teasers, saw the pair teetering through popular city spots including Tiong Bahru, Lau Pa Sat and Fort Canning Park on their journey to the transformed heritage hotel.

In the main film, when the duo finally arrive at the property, the curious sunbed finds itself cruising past L’Amo Bistrò del Mare, METT’s ode to premium Italian coastal dining, while the excitable pool umbrella can’t seem to decide where to go next. The two friends reunite at their natural habitat – the poolside. Together, they claim the film’s narrative ‘Some Places You Discover, Others Draw You In.’

Michelle Co, creative director at Forsman & Bodenfors Singapore says, “To us, METT Singapore is more than a place to stay. We approached this film the way we would a luxury brand, something that evoked a feeling. In a world where advertising delves into inauthentic scenarios and CGI, we wanted to create a real moment. That meant tapping into creativity that was magnetic, memorable and effortlessly METT.”

“To truly capture a feeling of authenticity and real world charm, we doubled-down on classic human-powered technological craft,” adds producer Joshua Tan. “We created a custom built motorised chassis for our sunbed and pool umbrella, which were operated via three remote control units. No driving license required."

Above: Joshua Tan

Taking LBB behind the scenes on the production, Joshua says, “Our first task was to plan and figure out the route which the furniture would take, and the terrain they would travel on outside of the hotel. The bumpier and more elevated the terrain, the bigger the motor and wheels we needed to keep the furniture as stable as possible while moving!”

After conducting numerous location recces to determine the best route, the team finalised one that allowed them “to keep the film interesting, but also keep the motor and wheel requirements realistic,” Joshua says. “We ended up adding suspensions into the custom built chassis of the furniture to avoid bumps and vibrations. We also took into consideration the material choices used during fabrication to keep the furniture lightweight yet sturdy. We needed to secure the furniture’s structure while ensuring it was always looking premium while on the move. But even with the choiceful material selection, the sunbed still weighed in at 250KG!”

To contend with any further production challenges, the team and equipment were kept small. “Because of this we were able to get even more creative with filming angles, squeezing into smaller and narrower spaces,” Josh says. “We had to be creative with angles at the hotel itself too as we were filming before it was fully open. Each time we went to do a site visit, the hotel set up was a little different so we had to shoot to mask the ongoing construction as the hotel was in the middle of major renovation. We had a shoot board in place that was agile enough for the unexpected.”

Luckily, the client was open and collaborative to revisions throughout the creative process, Joshua notes. “In fact the whole METT hotel team were really accommodating in the lead up to filming and even helped us with logistics and the coordination of hotel talent required. At some point, even the executive director of Sunset Hospitality, Christophe Hobeika, felt like part of our production team, using his phone to help us capture more angles and providing constant support through filming scenes.

“It was truly a team effort between the client team, agency and production; everyone pushed the boundaries and I think the final product reflects that. Now, where’s that sunbed!”