Singapore’s history, matched with our trail of mascots.

2021 has arguably been more challenging than 2020, much to the chagrin of many Singaporeans. However, with our nation’s birthday right around the corner, it is a cause to celebrate and take note of how we have managed to overcome adversities after adversities since independence. Today, let’s take a little trip down Singapore’s memory lane by recounting the other mascot friends of August, who is this year’s NDP mascot!Singapore has had a fine spate of mascots since independence. In fact, our national icon, the Merlion, was created to be a mascot for the Singapore Tourism Board (STB)! Our Merlion has since grown and evolved into a national icon that embodies the identity, history and culture of Singapore to both locals and visitors. Many of these mascots have been around much longer than you! Do you recognise any of them?

August

August is this year’s 2021 NDP mascot! He is an all-rounded social butterfly, who is friends with all the other mascots we will be introducing you to as well. He is culturally aware and socially sensitive, and takes immense pride in being a Singaporean who enjoys local cuisine, scenery and music. He even has a playlist with many of our NDP songs with a lo-fi twist! The playlist includes songs like Home, Where I Belong, My Island Home and In Reach Out for the Skies!

Merli

Merli was born only in 2018 and is the descendent of our beloved Merlion! Merli’s conception by STB was motivated by a desire to better engage families with young children about Singapore’s diverse history, culture and places of interest.

Singa

Singa, a 1982 child of the National Courtesy Campaign (NCC), replaced by the now more widely-known Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) in 2001. He is a lion who advocates for compassion to forge a more courteous society. Did you know that in 2013, he reportedly resigned as our SKM Mascot? Don’t worry — it turned out that it was to draw greater awareness and discourse amongst the public and Singa is very much still around!

Water Wally

Born in August of 2005 and unveiled at MacRitchie Reservoir, Water Wally is a droplet familiar to many of us as the character on the NEWater bottles! Representing the Public Utilities Board (PUB), his aim is to promote water conservation by reminding people of the value of water.

Water Sally

In 2020, Water Sally was introduced as the sister to Water Wally, who is well-travelled and social media savvy. She also emphasises key messages on climate change and water sustainability. Her emergence evidences the recognition of the need to engage with younger generations using different platforms. Together with Water Wally, the “dynamic duo” continues to spread the message on water conservation and sustainability amidst climate change.

Captain Green

Launched together in Singapore’s very first Clean & Green Week, Captain Green was introduced in November 1990 to advocate for an environmentally friendly lifestyle. As a frog, his amphibian nature causes him to be extremely sensitive to changes in the environment and thus, he feels very strongly about protecting the environment from harm. Did you know that the Captain Green we know today is in fact, the revamped version who emerged in 1997! As part of the National Environment Agency (NEA), he also has his very own book series! Have you read any of them?

Sharity

Sharity the Elephant speaks for our Community Chest and has been their mascot since 1984, making him one of our oldest mascots in this collection! His name is a portmanteau, made up of “Sharing” and “Charity”, and embodies his campaign mission. He retired in 2008, only to make a comeback in 2015 as a digital native with a more 3D look! His message continues to be that of sharing with and caring for the less privileged in our society. Nila Nila was unveiled as the official mascot of the 28th SEA Games and the 8th ASEAN Para Games in 2015! His name is derived from Singapore’s founder: Sang Nila Utama. Aside from cheering our athletes on, he is also representative of the values in each athlete: courage, passion and friendship. We also have two other Olympic Mascots birthed in 2010 – do you know who they are? Join us also as we cheer on our athletes for the Tokyo Olympics this year!