PRISM Volume II.Indd

USP Undergraduate Journal | 84 of a foreign and fascinating “Far East” and next as the Tiger Beer And The site of a mystical and deliberately hyperreal4 “Shangri- 1 la”. In each case, Tiger Beer now positions itself as a Making Of “Asia” cultural comprador between the modern West and an In pursuit of commercial success, Tiger exoticized “Asia”. ! is schizophrenic brand image— Beer often negotiates contradictory identifi ed as a potential brand weakness (Temporal constructions of “Asia” through con! ict- 2006)—might, at fi rst glance, be thought to be a con- sequence of the nature of a global capitalism that is ing marketing strategies and advertis- becoming increasingly fragmented and disjointed in ing campaigns. What does this tell us appearance (Dirlik 2005). However, rather than po- about Tiger Beer and its relationship sition Tiger Beer’s quest to construct multiple and with the region in times of late global disjunctive imaginings of “Asia” in pursuit of global capitalism? capitalist success as sign of postmodern disorienta- tion, I conclude instead that one might, in fact, dis- cern a constant epistemological relationship between SelvaRaj, Christopher Tiger Beer, fi gured always as the hidden “West”, and its shifting regional consciousness of “Asia”, fi gured as a constantly refashioned Other. Brewed with a Passion: National The Double-Life of Tiger Beer? deterritorialization and “Asian” n the context of contemporary global capitalism, reterritorialization” Tiger Beer has become a powerful brand that is rapidly gaining a foothold in markets all over ! e challenge is how to turn a successful Singa- Ithe world (Temporal 2006). It has today matured porean brand into an Asian brand and then into a into a ‘pan-Asian beer brand eclipsing the Southeast world brand. ! is is a beer that has a strong heri- Asian market[,] and [is] regarded as a premium Asian tage here (Singapore). How do we take it overseas beer brand in markets outside of Asia’ (Temporal and create the same sort of distinctive positioning 2006:110). In its pursuit of commercial success, Tiger when it’s not their local beer? Beer has however had to traverse multiple—and of- tentimes, contradictory—constructions of the ‘supra- (Les Buckley, quoted in Tan 2000)5 national regionalist imaginary’ (Ching 2001:234) that is “Asia”. ! is essay therefore aims to investigate Tiger Tiger Beer is the fl agship brand of Asia Pacifi c Beer’s intriguing ‘multi-pronged brand positioning’ Breweries Limited (APBL).6 Its roots date back to the (Temporal 2006:112) through a comparative analysis joint venture between Heineken and Fraser & Neave of its marketing strategies and advertising campaigns in 1931 that culminated in the establishment of Ma- employed within as well as outside the region.2 layan Breweries Limited (MBL). In 1932, MBL opened its fi rst brewery; soon after, Tiger Beer was launched Leo Ching (2001) proposes that the regionalist as an original Singapore-brewed beer (APBL 2002). unity of “Asia” is one accomplished through the play Signifi cantly, “Tiger” was the name chosen for this of identity and diff erence. Accordingly, I argue that particular brew of beer because it suggested strength “Asia”, as imagined by Tiger Beer, must be understood in the Chinese culture (Temporal 2006). In 1990, as a site of multiple discursive constructions: as a ‘ter- MBL changed its name to APBL to refl ect an increas- rain “in between” a geographic reality and constructed ing vision for its business interests: a strong foothold discursivity’ (Ching 2001:238) that strategically nego- in the large Asia-Pacifi c market. APBL has continued tiates identity and diff erence. I move fi rst to consider to expand since then, actively evaluating and seizing the historical origins of Tiger Beer, its deterritorializa- new opportunities, eventually cementing Tiger Beer’s tion3 from its origins in Singapore and its subsequent presence—and hitting paydirt—in the region (see reterritorialization as “Asian”. Signifi cantly, I high- Temporal 2006, Teh 2001, Tan 2000, Chong 2001). light that regional unity as discursively constructed by Tiger Beer within the geographic expanse of Asia is APBL’s expansion and Tiger Beer’s “colonization” one congealed around an identifi cation with, and ac- of the Asia-Pacifi c market must be considered in the ceptance of, capitalist modernity. Notably, Tiger Beer context of the logic of global—in this case, regional- also presents itself as the exclusive means through ized—capitalism. I suggest that we witness in APBL’s which this regional unity might be achieved. expansion the attempted surmounting of a funda- mental contradiction within capitalist development: Following this, I move to investigate Tiger Beer’s between the increasingly transnational nature of capi- apparently disjunctive constructions of “Asia” in mar- tal and its historical formation within a nationalized kets exterior to the geographic region; fi rst, as the site economy (Ching 2001). In keeping with this logic, Ti- Volume 2, Issue 1, August 2009 | 85 ger Beer must refuse to be ‘hampered by [its] country Paradoxically however, diff erence is always high- of origin’ (Temporal 2006:xii), in its own ‘narrative lighted: of capitalist emergence’ (Wee 2007:53). ! e clearest example of this refusal is found in the current main Tiger Beer is an Asian brand that means lots of Tiger Beer website (www.tigerbeer.com). ! is website things to diff erent people. conspicuously lacks any mention whatsoever of Tiger Beer’s historical origins. ! e telling absence of a ter- (Jeff Kimble, quoted in Tan 2000)10 ritorializing cyberspace domain (‘.sg’) might also be read as further cementing Tiger Beer’s refusal to re- Tiger Beer’s intentions for a totalizing narrative of main “nationally” grounded. ! ere is simply no refer- a modernizing Asia under the brands exclusive tute- ence to Singapore.7 Instead, a substantial emphasis is lage reveals its impossibility because of its continued placed on the numerous awards, accolades and rec- dependency on the ‘supplementarity of the particu- ognition Tiger Beer has received over the years. Also, laristic’ (Prakash 2000:229) to perpetuate its cause.11 its growing international reputation and its emerging While there is a kernel of truth in Marx’s axiom that status as ‘World Acclaimed’ is constantly and explic- capitalism ‘create[s] a world after its own image’ (Ch- itly highlighted. All that is mentioned with regards to ing 2001:236), the picture is perhaps still much too Tiger Beer’s origins is a single but deliberately notice- simple. Tiger Beer’s construction of a “modern Asia” able line: ‘Brewed with a passion in Asia since 1932’ conducive to its pursuit of capitalist success within (www.tigerbeer.com). the geographic region off ers us valuable insight into a more complex and unstable scenario. In this instance, ! is move is a strategic one. As Wee (2007: 53 - Tiger Beer, while no doubt successful in its attempt to 76) has noted in a diff erent context,8 this represents transcend national boundaries through its construc- the moment when the modern West that is already tion of a “modern Asia(n)” regional identity, must “inside” the origins of Tiger Beer and its enterprise always continue to appropriate elements from the lo- is purposefully hidden. ! e West in this case is rep- cal. An “Asia” defi ned by its embracing of capitalist resented by the unmistakably colonial origins of Ti- modernity under the auspices of Tiger Beer is then at ger Beer as a result of the venture between Dutch best confi gured as a contradictorily heterogeneous yet based Heineken and Fraser & Neave that established simultaneously unifi ed ‘emerging region’ (Gwynne, the MBL. Tiger Beer is now, however, reformulated Klak and Shaw 2003:225). and reterritorialized as distinctly and indigenously “Asian”. Any links that might suggest otherwise are deliberately obscured. Tiger Beer next seeks to shape The “Asia” of Marvel and Mystery: Tiger a regionalist unity through its construction of the Beer as the “Far East’s” most desirable “discerning Asia(n)” that (who) can appreciate Tiger Beer’s ‘fresh, crisp and unique taste’9 and in doing so export ‘set [himself] apart from the rest of the crowd’ (Tem- poral 2006:111). One’s identity as “Asian” is therefore In comparison with Tiger Beer’s positioning of not based exclusively on one’s geographical location itself as the harbinger of capitalist modernity within or residence but premised fi rst and foremost on one’s the geographic region of Asia, its image in markets ability to enjoy a “distinctly Asian” product. outside the region, at fi rst glance, is nothing short of disjunctive. In the next two sections, the focus of my Importantly, there is the implicit assertion here analysis is on Tiger Beer’s representation of “Asia” to that not all “Asians” possess the capacity to enjoy Ti- markets outside the geographical region as ‘exotic and ger Beer as of yet—in fact, this lack of ability is to be fascinating’ (Temporal 2006:112). ! e global (read expected. ! ere is at this point a deliberate fi ssuring Western) consumer is positioned to discover “Asia” of “Asian” identity; to be successfully interpellated as via Tiger Beer as the marvelous and mysterious “Far “Asian” by Tiger Beer signals one is part of a privileged East” and the mystical “Shangri-la”. My analysis in discursive unity (super)imposed on a geographic area. this section is based on selected Tiger Beer websites ! e “discerning Asian” is the “modern Asian” that that specifi cally target markets outside the geographic self-refl exively must set himself as distinct from the region. In the subsequent section, I draw on a series of rest of the region’s inhabitants. ! is “modern Asian” advertisements promoting Tiger Beer in the United as envisioned by Tiger Beer must not, however, be un- Kingdom.

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