Grab Singapore has apologised after their new microdrama sparked concerns about safety and harassment.
Titled I Fell In Love With My Grab Driver, it stars local actress-model Regina Lim as a “sandwich gen” caregiver whom everyone depends on. She meets Henry (played by Glenn Yong), a Grab driver who shows up for her.
In a trailer released on Sept 4 on Grab’s social media accounts, Emily, carrying bags of food, gets into the backseat of Henry’s car, assuming he’s an “uncle”.
The car drives over a bump and Henry stops the car to check on Emily, who appears enamoured.
They later have a series of interactions, with Henry — clad in a Grab rider’s uniform — delivering her food and saving her from a fall K-drama style at a lift lobby of a HDB block.
The prompt “What if your Grab driver becomes the love of your life?” appears on the screen.
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Netizens expressed mixed reactions, with many being excited and saying they “can’t wait” for the release while others raised concerns.
“Finally a fun ad! We need this,” said one netizen.
However, another felt the move was “tone deaf” considering “all the harassment cases lately”.
Another questioned why the company is “romanticising” the breach of a “professional boundary”: “This is so weird… There are countless of people who had feedback and complaints about drivers being inappropriate. People go lengths to cover up and make sure that your drivers behave well. This microdrama just enables all their actions.”
@grabsingapore Her family’s a mess. And now…so is her heart. Watch the trailer for “I Fell In Love With My Grab Driver”, starring @Glenn Yong and @Reginalyh — premiering 9 September. 👉 Look out for the full episodes on our YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook accounts!
TikTokers also released videos criticising the move.
“It is absolutely ridiculous that the biggest ride-hailing company [in Singapore] would green-light a microdrama with this boundary being crossed. What are you trying to tell your drivers? That it’s okay and possible to have something with your passenger?” said user Avamissnasalspray.
@avamissnasalspray do better #tiktoksg
User Cavanhwx remarked to Grab drivers: “Even if you think you are as good-looking and handsome as him (Glenn), this is not your sign to flirt with any female passengers.”
@cavanhwx @ grab drivers in sg 😋
Grab apologises
In a statement posted on their social media accounts yesterday (Sept 8), Grab Singapore addressed the concerns and apologised.
“We completely agree that safety, clear boundaries and respect in everyday interactions should never be compromised,” the ride-hailing and food delivery company wrote, before sharing how they approached the project.
“We set out to create a fun, fast-paced series for the ‘sandwich generation’ juggling parents, children and careers. In keeping with typical microdrama soap opera style formats, we tell a cheesy rom-com story that includes a hidden identity, a love triangle, and heightened family drama.”
They clarified that Emily and Henry first interact in a driver-passenger setting but their romance develops later in their personal lives.
An exaggerated title was chosen to fit the microdrama genre, they said.
“In hindsight, we should have been much more thoughtful with how the title came across, as it understandably raised concerns about safety. We are sorry for causing any discomfort and alarm. We want to be clear that inappropriate actions or conversations are never acceptable – whether from or towards our passengers, or our driver- and delivery-partners,” they added.
“As this is our first time exploring the microdrama format, we know there is room to do better, and we’re grateful for your feedback – whether on this series or how we can improve future projects.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/DdBKrDpEm4r/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&stkn=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
The microdrama premiered today on Grab’s social media platforms.
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