Earlier in July, at the break of dawn, Zheng Wenjie and his family stepped aboard a private jet at Seletar Airport. The destination? The Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru. The reason? Not that any trip to the Maldives demands a reason, but being the grand prize winner of Standard Chartered’s campaign—’Million Reasons To Be Happier’—is, frankly, as good as it gets.
As the sun rose over the horizon, the winner, along with his wife and daughter, were safely ensconced within the private jet’s lush interior. Zheng’s daughter gazed out over the Indian ocean, and husband and wife clinked glasses of bubbly in heady anticipation of their family’s three day, two night stay at one of two Four Seasons properties in the Maldives. A vision of paradise par excellence—and one that would only grow clearer from the moment they took their first step on the island of Landaa Giraavaru.
It wasn’t just any Four Seasons resort the family stayed at, either. In addition to its location in the Baa Atoll—a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve since 2011—the Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru is home to the expansive Landaa Estate, the property’s most luxurious accommodation and which served as the family’s home for the entirety of their stay.
The four-bedroom estate, newly reimagined as of last year, features 80 uninterrupted metres of private beach and 2,000 square metres of sweeping interiors and outdoor amenities. This world unto itself was, for all intents and purposes, their oyster.
However, Standard Chartered’s vision for the grand prize experience of their campaign was one that went above and beyond the call of even the wildest prospects one might entertain of paradise. The cherry on top of it all was the big day after their arrival: a complete Vogue Singapore makeover, photoshoot and videoshoot, directed by the team’s senior fashion stylist, Nicholas See.
From hair and makeup styling by a dedicated glam artist to a curated wardrobe of outfits handpicked to match the buzzy, beachside setting, the day of the shoot itself served as a stunning glimpse into what makes the Vogue clock tick. The photographer, who accompanied the family from the onset (including their time on the private jet) captured dozens of family moments along the way, ranging from the intimate and candid to the glamorous and staged.
The moments in question are all part and parcel of Standard Chartered’s vision for its clients, according to Grace Chan, Managing Director, Credit Cards and Personal Loans, Singapore, Standard Chartered. “We believe meaningful relationships deserve meaningful recognition. Through ‘Million Reasons To Be Happier’, we celebrate the relationships we have built with our clients and thank them for choosing us as their banking partner. The campaign brings that commitment to life through memorable experiences and special moments that go beyond banking,” said Chan.
The hushed, tender conversations between husband and wife as the latter’s hair was being prepared in the morning. The free and easy laughter between father and daughter over a sunny lunch by the shore, in the form of a delicious spread of Pan-Asian fare at Cafe Landaa. A dazzling walk along the pristine sandbar ringing the outermost edges of the Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru, captured in full by a drone soaring high in the clear-blue sky. All in all, a decidedly Vogue affair.
Between sojourns spent swimming in the Landaa Estate’s pool and snorkeling in the ocean, the family made the most of their time in tropical paradise, ultimately bookending their stay in true Maldives style—a relaxing massage with a stunning view of the surrounding lagoon and its enchanting cerulean waters. Life’s greatest pleasures are often its simplest, but of all the million reasons to be happy, Standard Chartered saw fit to place a trip to the incomparable Maldives at the very top of that list, and for good reason.
For Zheng and his family, the trip was much more than a luxury escape. It was an experience that money couldn’t buy. What read on paper as a holiday merely bound for paradise was ultimately transformed by a series of truly unforgettable memories—the kind that last a lifetime. The kind that Standard Chartered, as one of Asia’s leading wealth managers, continues to create by partnering with clients through each and every stage of their wealth journey.
