Lavishly-decorated fir trees for Christmas are so passe. This year, Heineken one-ups everyone else, and brings a wealth of interactive activities with its 11-metre tall Christmas Social Tree. And it is not just any Christmas tree either -- 48 interconnecting LCD screens make up the body of the tree which, when lit up, project the personalised Facebook festive greetings, human tree ornaments, and much more. It is just about enough to put every other Christmas tree in town to shame.
Conceptualised by local designer Edwin Cheong, the Heineken Christmas Social Tree sits right in the middle of Clarke Quay at the Central Fountain, and will do so from now till 26 December 2011.
"We wanted to take this holiday season to do what Heineken does best, bringing people together in traditional ways, but adding a twist of Heineken distinctiveness and digital innovation," says Rene de Monchy, Head of Marketing at Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore of the Christmas Social Tree.
We check out the five things that make the Heineken Christmas Social Tree the coolest Christmas tree this season.
Virtual Tree Choir
The undeniable highlight of the Christmas Social Tree is its Social Tree Choir, which features twenty international carolers coming together virtually to harmonise Heineken's take on the "12 Days of Chritmas". A humorous and upbeat rendition of the original version, which the song comes on approximately every 30 minutes, will have you unconsciously humming along by the end of the evening.
Facebook Festive Greetings
Save on postage and get your friends a customized seasons greeting like no other. Select up to 16 friends from your Facebook contact list, and the greeting card will be sent to them immediately. If you are lucky enough, your card could be selected to be broadcasted right on the tree for the duration of its placement. Fans can create as many cards as they want for different groups of friends and family. The Heineken Social Christmas Tree Facebook application is available online at www.socialtree.sg.
Festive Rhythms
The Christmas Social Tree takes sounds that you would usually hear at a Christmas party with friends, and remixes them into cheerful melodies that would put you in a celebratory mood right away. Apt, considering its location.
Human Tree Ornaments
Be part of the Christmas Social Tree simply by taking a picture of yourself at the photo booth located next to the tree, which playfully contorts your face into a cheery Christmas tree ornament. Once the photo is taken, it will be uploaded onto the Social Christmas tree at Clarke Quay as part of its décor.
Visual Interludes
Catch your breath from all the festivities at the Christmas Social Tree as it presents three visual interludes, each with a unique design and storyline that flows through the screens in sync with music tracks, providing patrons with a kaleidoscopic display of shared experiences brought about by the Heineken way of life.
Sponsored by Heineken.