Don't hold your tongue, HPB wants you to speak up for less salt

The Health Promotion Board (HPB) has teamed up with TBWA\Singapore to encourage Singaporeans to speak up for healthier food choices, turning the simple act of asking for less salt into a playful and unconventional campaign.

Titled "Less salt your way", the campaign introduces "The mouth library", an eccentric collection of expressive mouths that demonstrate different ways of requesting less salt, sauce or gravy when ordering food. The initiative aims to make such requests feel as natural as asking for extra chilli or leaving out coriander.

At the heart of the campaign is a film that follows a protagonist who is unsure how to ask for less salt. He stumbles into a mysterious library filled with talking mouths, each offering its own interpretation of the request.

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From a rapper and an opera singer to a romantic Korean drama lead, the characters bring humour and personality to an otherwise ordinary dining interaction. To create the surreal setting, the production team combined footage of different actors with physical props, bringing the mouths to life in unexpected ways.

The campaign comes as 95% of Singapore residents consume more sodium than recommended, with average daily intake reaching approximately 4,000mg, twice the recommended limit. According to HPB, commonly consumed dine-out dishes have also become 10% saltier over the past two years.

Against this backdrop, the campaign seeks to encourage consumers to take a more active role in managing their sodium intake, even when lower-sodium options are not explicitly listed on menus.

Beyond the film, the campaign extends into digital and out-of-home (OOH) placements across Singapore. Its key visuals reimagine everyday food plates and product packaging as speech and thought bubbles, illustrating different ways consumers can request less salt or choose lower-sodium alternatives.

"The mouth library" will also come to life at HarbourFront MRT station this November through an interactive activation. Commuters can scan QR codes to virtually try on different mouths and discover their own ways of asking for less salt, bringing the campaign's creative concept into a real-world setting.

To further encourage healthier choices, HPB is giving away 10 million Healthpoints from 22 September to 30 November 2026 through a social media contest and daily sure-win promotion. The initiative is supported by partner promotions at participating supermarkets and eateries.

The campaign forms part of HPB's broader efforts to encourage lower-sodium consumption, alongside ongoing work with industry partners to increase the availability of healthier options and encourage food operators to accommodate consumer requests.

Loo Yong Ping, executive creative director at TBWA\Singapore, said the creative approach was designed to make a simple behavioural change more engaging and memorable.

"We wanted to turn asking for less salt into a fun and memorable experience. So, we put the power in Singaporeans’ hands – and mouths. That’s how 'The mouth library' came about. Whether you’re an opera singer, a rapper or a regular person ordering lunch, you can ask in a way that works for you," he said.

The latest campaign builds on HPB and TBWA\Singapore's earlier efforts to encourage Singaporeans to reduce their sodium intake. The duo previously launched "Salt buries true flavours", a retro-inspired campaign that urged Singaporeans to reclaim their taste buds and rediscover the authentic flavours of local food.

The campaign film follows Tung Yan, whose ancestors stage a playful three-week intervention from beyond the grave to help him reset his taste buds. Along the way, they share practical tips such as choosing lower-sodium options and cutting back on sauces, while debunking common misconceptions about salt consumption, including the belief that gourmet salts are healthier or that drinking water can flush out excess sodium.

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