We speak with Sai Tzy Horng, the consultant behind the Julie’s Best of You campaign and find out what’s the best of him
We are sure you’ve seen the heart-warming posters and ads featuring personal stories with quotes such as “She is the best of you”. If you’ve been wondering what they are all about, well, look no further.
Biscuit and snack manufacturer Julie’s is behind the campaign and it calls on the public to submit personal stories of people, things or experiences that have brought out the best in them. It can range from written stories to video or even artworks showcasing the accomplishments. The submissions picked will be featured in an exhibition in Malaysia and Singapore later in the year.
We speak with the surprisingly young Sai Tzy Horng, the man behind the campaign on how he came up with the movement as well as how this came to be.
What made you start this campaign?
Basically, the movement was started by Julie’s because we felt that a lot of friends and people in our company put in the best in everything that they do, we feel that it is spirit unique in the company and we are very appreciative of that spirit. I was new two years ago, and my parents are owners of the company but I have never been part of its operations. When I went there, I realised the atmosphere is collegial. So we figured that since they put the best of themselves, in everything they do, what is the best of you? And this spirit exists everywhere.
I noticed from the campaign that most of the artwork doesn’t feature any association to Julie’s whatsoever, is that intentional?
When a logo is seen, people automatically associate it with the product. And we didn’t want this to be about our product. We want to tell people that the company is about the people as well as the people who have been supporting our products all these years. It really isn’t about the products or us, it is about everyone else. And it was a deliberate move to have the commercial items left out. A lot of people ask this question, actually!
How can people relate this campaign to your brand then?
They don’t have to! They just relate themselves, to themselves. They relate their best experiences and think about what they do in everyday life and take stock of their accomplishments. Take a moment to think about what they’ve done instead of focusing on becoming better, prettier, etc. Appreciate your own efforts and other people’s effort as well. That’s what we really hope to do.
How has the response been so far?
The response has been superb! In terms of the depth of the submissions, I think that each participant put a lot of effort and thought into telling their personal stories in a way that expresses very mundane things that’s hard to observe. So, when I looked at the submissions, I see a lot of great personal stories.
Would you be able to relate one that you’ve heard?
One of our employees actually submitted a heart-warming story. He smoked for a long time and he was a chainsmoker for more than 20 years. He stopped for his daughter’s health as he didn’t want his daughter to be a second-hand smoker. And he wrote the story in terms of letting go of a friend, i.e. cigarettes. It was really beautiful and it is things you don’t notice about him in his work facade. And you go, “Oh wow, this is really deep.” The story with the child waiting for his father is actually from my family.
So, in this case, what is the best of you?
Um, the best of me changes a lot [laughs]. With every interview my answer changes a little. I think is when I have very frank conversations with people where I suspend all my judgement and stress and enter into their story. When you hear someone’s story, it is very enjoyable, you relax and sometimes time passes quickly. During the weekends, I make time to meet a friend and make it a point to have a heart-to-heart conversation with a friend every weekend. It serves me and them well.
The movement is launched both in Singapore and Malaysia and will culminate in an exhibition to be held at the end of October and early November respectively. Visit www.the-best-of-you.com to submit your stories.
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