THE MOUTH LIBRARY HELPS SINGAPOREANS FIND THEIR VOICE FOR HEALTHIER CHOICES

Singapore’s Health Promotion Board and TBWA\Singapore have launched “Less Salt Your Way”, a creative campaign encouraging diners to ask for less salt, sauce or gravy when ordering food. Centred on the quirky “Mouth Library”, the initiative combines humour, public engagement and rewards to promote lower-sodium eating habits.

Asking for extra chilli, skipping coriander or tweaking an order to suit personal taste is second nature for many Singaporeans. Now, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) and creative agency TBWA\Singapore are hoping to make one more request a routine part of dining out: asking for less salt.

The new “Less Salt Your Way” campaign seeks to encourage Singaporeans to take greater control of their sodium intake by making simple requests when ordering food. The initiative comes against a backdrop of growing health concerns, with 95 per cent of Singapore residents consuming too much sodium. Average daily intake stands at around 4,000mg, roughly double the recommended limit. To compound the issue, commonly consumed dine-out dishes are now around 10 per cent saltier than they were just two years ago.

While HPB continues to work with food industry partners to expand lower-sodium offerings, officials say consumers also have a vital role to play in driving change. Even when healthier options are not explicitly listed on menus, diners can request less salt, sauce or gravy, helping to create stronger demand for lower-sodium alternatives and encouraging longer-term shifts in eating habits.

To bring that message to life, the campaign introduces the “Mouth Library”, an imaginative and eccentric world where asking for less salt becomes anything but ordinary.

At the centre of the campaign film is a diner who is unsure how to make the request. His uncertainty leads him into the mysterious Mouth Library, where he encounters a collection of animated mouths, each with its own personality and distinctive style. From a fast-talking rapper and a melodious singer to a charismatic Korean drama heart-throb, every character demonstrates a different way to ask for less salt.

The surreal visual treatment combines performances from multiple actors with physical props, creating a playful and memorable experience designed to show that there is no single correct way to make the request. The campaign’s core message is straightforward: however people choose to ask, the important thing is that they do.

The creative concept extends beyond the film. Campaign visuals reimagine everyday food plates and grocery packaging as speech and thought bubbles, reinforcing the idea that healthier choices can begin with a simple question or decision. These visuals are being rolled out across digital platforms and outdoor advertising sites throughout Singapore.

In November, commuters will also be able to step inside a real-life version of the Mouth Library at HarbourFront MRT station. Visitors can scan QR codes to try on different virtual mouths and discover their own style of requesting less salt, transforming a health message into an interactive experience.

To further encourage participation, HPB is offering a share of 10 million Healthpoints between 22 September and 30 November 2026 through social media contests, daily sure-win promotions and partner offers at participating eateries and supermarkets.

“We wanted to turn asking for less salt into a fun and memorable experience,” said Loo Yong Ping, Executive Creative Director at TBWA\Singapore. “Whether you’re an opera singer, a rapper or a regular person ordering lunch, you can ask in a way that works for you.”

Ultimately, HPB hopes that one small behavioural change can become as commonplace as any other food customisation. If Singaporeans have become comfortable asking for extra spice or leaving ingredients out, the campaign’s creators believe that asking for less salt could one day feel just as natural.