S$400,000 spent to rename Marina Bay… Marina Bay

This would be hilarious if it wasn’t taxpayers money.

It has to be one the best cons I have ever heard of. Good to see that there are stringent controls on how they spend the money. They must have so much of it, they just throw it around.

After spending S$400,000 ($240,964) to come up with a suitable new name for the revamped downtown Marina Bay, Singapore has decided to stick to, well, Marina Bay, media reports said Friday.

The city-state’s urban development authorities and global branding company Interbrand spent months deliberating over 400 potential names before settling on the original moniker, according to the Today newspaper. The $400,000 financed a massive branding exercise that involved market tests, focus group discussions and consultations with developers and the general public, Today said.

Finding the right name for the city-state’s revised downtown, which will include the much-debated resort casino, a new business district and swanky retail outlets, was a process akin to parents deciding on a name for their child, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan. afp

Anyone fancy sending me $400,000 so I can name their child? I might actually set up a paypal account to do it. Of course the name will be carefully considered after extensive market tests, focus groups and consultations while standing laughing in the queue to the bank.

In fact I won’t charge you $400,000, just 10 pounds stirling.

Human Rights