I attended "Marshall of Singapore: The Extraordinary Life & Times of David Saul Marshall (1908-1995)" at the National Library Building.
Promenade, Level 10, National Library Building
12 December 2008 - 20 February 2009
10 am - 9pm daily
To educate the public on one of the most influential figures in Singapore history, to promote the National Library Board (NLB).
Target audience
The target audience is the general public, but can be narrowed down to secondary school students, as they would be studying on David Marshall in history lessons. The National Library aims to create greater awareness of the life and contributions of Marshall, particularly among the younger generation of Singaporeans.
Publicity
There is almost no publicity for this event. There are only pages on websites like The National Library Board (NLB) site and Yesterday.sg, a Singapore nostalgia blog.I saw students visiting the exhibit on an excursion. They would presumably have known about it from their teachers.
Media coverage
The media does not cover this event. I have not come across print or broadcast ads for this event. I think there is no media coverage because it is not a major event. It it also not very large, covering just one section of one floor or the NLB building. One thing that can be done to attract coverage is to make it more extensive, not just showcasing more articles and memorabilia on Marshall, but other forms of media like documentaries on him and interviews with him or his friends.
Success / failure evaluation
I would say that this event did quite poorly overall. The content of the exhibition is good, comprehensive yet not overdone. On this front, it has achieved its objective on creating public awareness on David Marshall. However, it fails to appeal to its main target audience, students. Where it fairs the poorest is that it is not very well known, and most of its visitors would have gone because of school or nostalgia (those who grew up in Marshall's time). It does not show up in most local event listings. This will not do the NLB much good in terms of promoting itself, so that objective has not been met. For greater success, I would have more diverse forms of media and give it more publicity, specifically more ads in public spaces. I would also cater it more towards students and make the exhibit more relevant to them.
More of the exhibit
Marshall's war medals
On a lighter note...
Judging by the look on this face, you'd wonder just what he was smoking
And he also seemed to like...
