Nostalgia meets novelty: Netizens respond to MILO’s SG60 campaigns

As Singapore turned 60, MILO marked its own milestone of 75 years in the market with a series of nostalgic and novelty-fuelled campaigns. From a limited-edition adidas collaboration to a partnership with Mister Donut and the return of its iconic MILO van, the beverage brand took a multi-pronged approach to celebrating its legacy.

According to media intelligence company Truescope, which analysed online discourse between 29 May and 29 July 2025, the activations sparked varied levels of engagement and sentiment across platforms.

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The sweet spot

The Mister Donut x MILO collaboration emerged as the most talked-about initiative, generating 48,429 social engagements. This was significantly higher than the 2,153 engagements recorded for the returning MILO van and the 1,622 engagements for its adidas collaboration.

Truescope’s analysis found that conversations around the Mister Donut range largely focused on flavour variety, with the ‘cream crush’ doughnut drawing praise for its malty taste and generous filling. While feedback on the ‘pon de magic’ doughnut was mixed, overall sentiment leaned positive, driven by enthusiasm for the novelty and limited-time nature of the offering.

Practical considerations also surfaced in the discussions, with questions around halal certification featuring prominently, signalling the importance of inclusivity in F&B collaborations. Engagement peaked around the announcement of the tie-up, pointing to the impact of strong launch hype.

In comparison, the MILO and adidas collaboration generated more muted engagement and polarised responses. While some praised the designs, particularly the ‘Fuelling goodness’ shirts, others found the ‘We can one’ editions less appealing, according to Truescope.

Pricing was a recurring theme in conversations, with netizens questioning value and asking if SG60 vouchers could be used for purchases. Truescope also noted that some users were uncertain about the intent behind the collaboration, describing it as “random” and lacking in narrative. The perceived gap in brand alignment between a nostalgic local drink and a global sportswear label was highlighted as a possible factor limiting its impact despite positive remarks on design.

Fuelling nostalgia

Despite having the second lowest engagement volume, the MILO van sparked some of the most emotionally charged responses, Truescope’s analysis showed. Many users reminisced about receiving free MILO at school events and community gatherings, with comments highlighting the beverage’s enduring place in Singapore’s collective memory.

However, there were also modern-day complaints, including long queues, small serving sizes and dissatisfaction with newer flavour variants such as ‘MILO gao kosong’ and ‘MILO intense dark chocolate,’ which some users felt tasted “artificial”.

While it lacked the scale or novelty of other activations, the MILO van’s resonance was anchored in nostalgia and shared cultural experience.

Truescope’s findings suggest that while each activation tapped into different levers such as trend appeal, flavour innovation and nostalgia, they resonated differently with audiences. Novelty-driven collaborations such as Mister Donut drew strong initial engagement, while heritage touchpoints such as the MILO van reinforced emotional connections.

“The success of the Mister Donut partnership shows the power of flavour-first collaborations that feel grounded in consumer interest, while the MILO van’s continued relevance highlights the emotional value of brand heritage,” said Kelvin Koh, managing director, Truescope.

“Successful collaborations today are less about logos and more about shared values and relevance to their target audiences. Campaigns such as MILO’s SG60 succeeded by aligning novelty with nostalgia, and product with purpose,” he added.

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