Ayden Sng, The Always Careful Driver & Parallel Parking Saviour Whose Car Is A Moving Wardrobe
The Caltex ambassador's SUV is like Mary Poppins’ bottomless bag.
Presented by Caltex
Parallel parking is stereotypically the bane of every driver’s existence. But not Ayden “Must Excel at Everything” Sng.
The 30-year-old star is so confident in his parking skills that he has even come to the rescue of complete strangers struggling to parallel park along a narrow one-way street and were blocking traffic as a result.
“You see them right in front of you trying to reverse into the lot five to six times without success, so you just get out and save the day,” he laughed in a phone interview with 8days.sg.
He’s pretty good at driving too — he passed his driving test on the first try 10 years ago, the same week he completed his National Service and ran a marathon.
Caltex really couldn’t pick a better person to be their brand ambassador in Singapore.
As one of local entertainment’s hottest young actors and a social media style icon, the actor is no stranger to repping big brands, but his latest gig as a petrol company’s poster boy is particularly special to him.
You see, Ayden shared that there was a Caltex station near the home he grew up in, and his parents naturally went there to fuel up. In fact, the TVC was filmed in that exact same branch.
Talk about a full-circle moment.
“It’s always good to work with brands that you’re familiar with and that you frequent,” he said.
Shooting the ad was quite an interesting experience for Ayden, who called it “the most tiring TVC he’s ever shot”.
“It was actually quite a workout to shoot,” he shared, adding that he found himself doing crunches and back extensions during the shoot.
What’s more, he had to film in that position “probably over 100 times”. But of course, the consummate professional took it like a champ.
Feel-good childhood nostalgia aside, it was his personal alignment with Caltex’s values that really drew Ayden to them as a brand ambassador.
“In the TVC, I talk about the ‘Clean and Glide Technology™’ which makes your engine more efficient. And Caltex’s focus on efficiency is one of the ways I feel like I resonate with the brand because that’s the way I do things too,” he said.
For instance, Caltex offers drivers a hassle-free experience so that they can return to their journeys quickly and smoothly, giving them more time to do what’s important to them.
It’s why Ayden can’t stop gushing about the CaltexGO app, which allows drivers to pay for their petrol without even getting out of the car.
“Whenever I’m refuelling at petrol kiosks, I like to use the time to reply to messages or clear the car, so it’s a small thing that really makes a big difference,” he stated.
After hearing about a typical schedule of his, we can see why efficiency and convenience are so important to him.
According to Ayden, an average day means spending at least one to two hours just driving to various appointments, be it events, meetings, or filming locations (or all of the above). This is why his car needs to have everything he’ll need for a smooth and comfortable journey.
Besides having the usual necessities like tissues and wet wipes, Ayden’s car is basically like a “moving wardrobe” as it’s also where he stores all the clothes, bags, and shoes that he needs for filming and fashion shoots.
It also has hairspray, sunblock, medicated oil, snacks, umbrellas, and even foldable stools. Chances are, if you need it, you’ll find it in his Mary Poppins’ bottomless bag-like SUV.
While other people — including fellow artistes who have hitched a ride — might call his car “messy”, Ayden quipped that it’s just “well-stocked”. “It’s actually quite neat because I’ve been putting in more effort to organise it recently,” he clarified.
All that time spent driving is also why Ayden insists on being a careful driver. But even careful drivers can run into hiccups on the road.
For instance, Ayden recalled the time his car, which was actually his parents’ and was very old (like, extended COE old), broke down on him when he was 100m away from the repair shop.
“The moral of the story is, cars have a lifespan, and when they’re meant to go, they’re meant to go. Don’t hold on to them,” he said, smoothly assuming brand ambassador duties and declaring that using Caltex with Techron® can help ensure your vehicle enjoys a longer lifespan. Nice segue.
In case you couldn’t tell, Ayden truly is chuffed to be working with Caltex, and yet another reason has to do with his family’s reaction to the appointment.
“My parents have never heard of some of the brands I’ve worked with before, but Caltex is something they use on a regular basis so they were like, ‘Oh wow, very cool.’”
Even Ayden’s grandfather, who never comments on any of his work because he’s not on Instagram, remarked that the commercial was “shot pretty well”.
We guess if there’s anything better than being the face of an international brand, it’s making your loved ones proud.
Presented by Caltex
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