PUBLISHED ONNovember 12, 2019 10:01 AMByRainer Cheung
When Singa the Lion retired in 2013, he penned a letter stating that he was too tired to continue facing an increasingly angry and disagreeable society.
His letter even included a picture of himself wearing a frown instead of his usually sunny face.
While his audacious message seemed like a guilt trip to some, for many others the idea that one of the most iconic mascots in Singapore history was done shook them the most.
Local singer-actor Cavin Soh said it best: "How can a mascot retire?"
The loss of mascots, logos and even places cuts deep, particularly so for millennials, who are known for being a nostalgic bunch.
Celine Low, 23, is one such sentimental person.
She brought up Sharity Elephant when asked for particularly memorable logos from her childhood.
Sharity, the face of Community Chest Singapore, was created to teach kids about sharing and caring. While he's still an overalls-wearing pink elephant, Sharity no longer hugs a big red heart.
Rather than the traditional pen-and-ink style, the mascot has also been rendered into a more modern and animated-looking cartoon.
While recounting how she used to send donation envelopes in the name of the elephant, Low realised she didn't know how Sharity looked like now.
After spending a minute searching up photos of the updated mascot, she said: "He looks so much cuter, but I miss the heart."
Sharity Elephant isn't the only mascot to have undergone a makeover. Captain Green, the mascot that promoted a clean and green lifestyle, was originally just a regular-looking frog before he was supercharged into a humanised frog with superpowers.
Chin Yulin told us she couldn't be less bothered with how he looks like now.
That's not to say Captain Green was not part of the 23-year-old's childhood. In fact, the frog was a recurring motif.
Unlike Low, Chin moved house no less than five times between the ages of 11 and 18.
One constant during that period of her life was Captain Green - her mother had provided her with books and CDs starring the amphibian to keep her busy.
"At that age, the internet wasn't so much of a thing, so I would just entertain myself by reading the books over and over again and listening to the songs over and over again," she related.
However, why is she so unattached to Captain Green's image change, despite his obvious significance in her life?
"People will always find a way to make their own individual memories about the mascots and logos and it will come to mean different things to people," she responded.
"Embrace the change."
When asked if she knew that even the Total Defence logo was changing, Chin revealed that she and her friends knew of the competition to redesign it.
A new pillar - digital defence - was added to the original five in February given recent threats from the digital domain.
The original logo has been the iconic red hand ever since the late freelance graphic designer Berwin See won the first Total Defence Logo Design Competition back in 1985.
In order to incorporate the new pillar into the logo, Nexus, Mindef's department responsible for Total Defence and National Education, organised the second-ever Total Defence Logo Design Competition.
Many Singaporeans have shared their ideas for what the new logo should look like. Over 600 designs were submitted and the public can vote for their favourite from the shortlisted 10 entries by Dec 29.
Unsurprisingly, Chin was unperturbed about the change of another famous logo.
"Digital defence is definitely important, given the digital landscape," she commented. "If we need a defence pillar to remind people that it's important, then sure, why not?"
Though slightly reluctant to see the old logo go, Low shared the sentiment.
"Our lives are very dependant on the digital. I can see why it would be important.
"But now there are six fingers to the hand?"
The Total Defence logo is changing! Click here to choose your favourite one now!
This post is brought to you in partnership with the Total Defence Logo Design Competition.
rainercheung@asiaone.com