Singaporeans are no strangers to customising their food orders. From asking for extra chilli to leaving out the coriander, making requests to suit preferences is part of everyday dining. So why not ask for less salt too?
With 95% of Singapore residents consuming too much sodium and daily intake averaging around 4,000mg, twice the recommended limit, there’s good reason to make asking for less salt a more familiar habit. Adding to the challenge, commonly consumed dine-out dishes in Singapore are now 10% saltier than they were just two years ago.
While HPB continues to work with industry partners to encourage the availability of lower-sodium options and greater receptiveness to consumer requests, Singaporeans can play a part in driving change too. Even when lower-sodium options are not indicated on the menu, consumers can take the initiative to ask for less salt,
sauce or gravy when ordering food. By voicing their preferences, consumers can help build demand for lower-sodium options and support a longer-term shift towards healthier eating habits.
This is the thinking behind HPB’s latest campaign, “Less Salt Your Way”, developed with TBWA\Singapore. The campaign aims to make asking for less salt a natural part of everyday dining, while encouraging Singaporeans to reduce their sodium intake in ways that work for them, whether by asking for less salt, sauce or gravy, or choosing lower-sodium options when ordering food and shopping for groceries.
At the heart of the campaign is the “Mouth Library”, an eccentric collection of expressive mouths, each with its own personality and distinctive way of asking for less salt. In the campaign film, the protagonist, unsure of how to ask for less salt, stumbles into this mysterious library, discovering the many ways to make his request. From a rapper and a singer to a swoon-worthy Korean drama lead, each mouth brings its own flair to this simple, everyday request. To bring these characters to life, the production team combined footage of different actors with physical props to create a quirky, surreal world that makes asking for less salt unexpectedly entertaining. The message is simple: there is no one right way to ask. Just ask your way.
The campaign’s key visuals also bring to life the different ways to request less salt as well as choose lower-sodium options, reimagining everyday food plates and product packaging as speech and thought bubbles. Rolling out across Singapore through digital and out-of-home placements, the visuals bring the campaign’s distinctive visual identity into everyday spaces.
Singaporeans can also step into The Mouth Library, brought to life at the HarbourFront MRT station this November, where commuters can experience it for themselves. By scanning QR codes, they can try on different mouths and discover their own unique way of asking for less salt, turning a simple everyday request into an interactive experience.
To make lower-sodium choices even more rewarding, HPB is giving away 10 million Healthpoints from 22 September to 30 November 2026, through a social media contest and daily sure-win promotion, alongside partner promotions at participating supermarkets and eateries.
“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,” Loo Yong Ping, Executive Creative Director at TBWA\ Singapore, said.
Ultimately, lasting change can start with something remarkably simple. Just as asking for extra chilli or leaving out the coriander has become second nature, HPB hopes that asking for less salt will one day feel just as natural.
