Teamy The Productivity Bee
Singapore went on an industrialisation programme In the 1960s to create many jobs for our people: at that time, unemployment rates were high but global trade was expanding. The seeds of productivity that were sown early here bloomed into economic growth for our country over the coming decades.
In 1982, Teamy, the productivity bee, was introduced as the mascot of the National Productivity Campaign four months after the success of Singa the Lion mascot for the National Courtesy Campaign.
Teamy’s name is derived from the word ‘team’. The creators were deciding between using a bee and an ant as the mascot for our National Productivity Campaign: the bee was chosen because it had wings and could fly further. Teamy’s sting was removed so that it looks friendly.
Over the years, as Singapore called on its workers to not just be productive but innovative as well, Teamy also began carrying a lightbulb to represent bright and creative ideas.
Teamy retired in 1999, and was replaced by an “i” icon in the continuing campaign for productivity. But for older Singaporeans, Teamy’s song stays fresh in memory: “Good, better, best! Never let it rest. Till the good is better, and the better best!”
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