SGAG positions itself as a leading comedy brand in Singapore, while its parent company, HEPMIL, refers to it as its original brand that reaches millions through highly localized memes and videos.

Founding

SGAG was established in 2012 when Singapore Management University students Karl Mak and Adrian Ang began experimenting with online humor relevant to their local context. Their objective was to create content specifically tailored for Singaporeans rather than producing generic memes for an international audience.

While influenced by the popularity of 9GAG, SGAG distinguished itself through localization. Instead of relying on universal internet jokes, the creators focused on Singaporean news, slang, food, public transport, school life, relationships, politics, and everyday experiences.1

The curry-sauce incident

A pivotal moment in SGAG’s early history involved McDonald’s Singapore running out of curry sauce. The shortage sparked significant online discussion among Singaporeans. Karl Mak created a meme regarding the situation and posted it on a newly established Facebook page. According to Nanyang Technological University, the page garnered 500 likes within 24 hours.2

This response to a uniquely local issue demonstrated the potential of hyper-local humor, as users shared content that reflected their own daily experiences. This approach became the foundational formula for SGAG.

Growth

In its early years, SGAG focused primarily on Facebook memes before gradually expanding into other forms of social content. The entity subsequently developed into a professional digital media operation, producing content across multiple platforms and collaborating with advertisers.

By the mid-2010s, SGAG had expanded its concept beyond Singapore. MGAG, its Malaysian counterpart, launched in 2015, followed by PGAG in the Philippines in 2018.3 The founders later established Hepmil Media as a holding structure for the growing business.

SGAG is part of HEPMIL Media Group, a Southeast Asian media and creator ecosystem. HEPMIL identifies SGAG as its original brand and the Singaporean comedy arm of the wider group, which has operations across Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

The broader HEPMIL ecosystem includes:

• SGAG (Singapore)
• MGAG (Malaysia)
• PGAG (Philippines)
• Hepmil Creators’ Network
• Bent Pixels Asia
• Other regional content businesses

HEPMIL’s strategy has evolved beyond operating meme pages to encompass content production, creator management, influencer marketing, branded entertainment, and social commerce.

SGAG is defined by its hyper-local humor. Rather than translating international memes into Singaporean English, the brand constructs jokes around elements specifically recognizable to Singaporeans. Typical subjects include:

• Singaporean food
• MRT and public transport
• National Service (NS) culture
• Schools and universities
• Family life and parenting
• Dating and relationships
• Local slang
• Office culture
• Current affairs
• Local celebrities
• Government announcements
• Everyday frustrations
• Social habits

The content frequently incorporates Singlish, resulting in a conversational tone distinct from conventional corporate media. This localization serves as a competitive advantage, as the humor often relies on the audience sharing a specific cultural context.

Memes remain central to SGAG’s identity. The current commercial offering includes memes designed for quick consumption on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, which are described as suitable for straightforward messaging and calls to action.4

The standard SGAG meme formula combines a familiar Singaporean situation, exaggeration, a recognizable cultural reference, and a punchline. This structure allows simple content to communicate messages rapidly.

SGAG has expanded significantly beyond static memes. Current offerings include:

• Short-form comedy videos
• Sketches
• Series formats
• Films
• TikTok content
• Instagram Stories
• Reality-style formats
• Branded entertainment

The company utilizes internal creative teams and performers to develop content for both commercial campaigns and proprietary social channels.4 This transition from a meme page to a video publisher and full digital-content company marks a key phase in its development.

SGAG has cultivated recognizable personalities associated with its content. Co-founder Adrian Ang is linked to the persona Xiao Ming, known for cheeky, intentionally “lame” jokes and trademark black shades.4

Another notable personality was Annette Lee, who gained recognition through comedic videos featuring the persona Sue Ann. Lee subsequently moved on to develop her own creative work and platforms.5

This evolution illustrates that SGAG functions not only as a publisher of anonymous memes but also as a talent-driven entertainment platform.

SGAG operates as both a media brand and a commercial content company. It creates content for brands using the same humorous style that attracts its organic audience. Commercial services include:

Branded memes

Brands utilize SGAG’s meme format to communicate products, promotions, or messages humorously.

Branded videos

SGAG produces short-form video content that integrates brands into comedy and entertainment segments.

Series and larger productions

For extensive campaigns, SGAG creates recurring or longer-form content rather than single social posts.

Talent engagement

Advertisers can collaborate directly with SGAG personalities and creators.

Creator campaigns

Through the Hepmil Creators’ Network, brands can access creators beyond the core SGAG team.4

This model converts audience attention, cultural relevance, and creative production into marketing services.

SGAG primarily targets Singaporean Millennials and Gen Z, though its reach extends to broader demographics. Reported platform figures include approximately 13 million weekly reach, 1.7 million weekly views, and 1.5 million weekly engagements. It also reports over 1 million Instagram followers alongside audiences on TikTok and YouTube.4

Corporate descriptions from HEPMIL state that SGAG reaches more than 15 million users monthly. Variations in these figures reflect different measurement periods and metrics.

SGAG’s brand is characterized by five key attributes:

• Local: Humor is rooted deeply in Singaporean culture.
• Comedic: Entertainment and humor are central to the brand.
• Fast: Content responds quickly to trends, conversations, and current events.
• Relatable: Jokes revolve around experiences recognized by ordinary Singaporeans.
• Social-first: The brand was built on social platforms rather than traditional media.

The brand’s positioning focuses on delivering daily entertainment to Singaporeans.4

SGAG represents a shift in Asian media dynamics. Unlike traditional media models that flow from publisher to audience, SGAG emerged from the social media era where the relationship follows a path of culture to meme to sharing to community to brand.

Its success demonstrated that local audiences possess commercial value even when content is based on mundane local experiences. Elements such as food, transit delays, or slang become entertainment because the cultural context itself serves as the product.

The SGAG model eventually evolved into a regional strategy. Rather than exporting Singaporean jokes, the group created localized versions of the model for different cultures.

HEPMIL describes its content network as operating across Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

As of 2026, SGAG functions as a digital entertainment and branded-content company rather than solely a meme page. Its evolution progressed from a university Facebook page to a Singapore meme platform, then to a major social media comedy brand, video producer, and branded-content business within a regional ecosystem.

The brand maintains its focus on Singaporean humor while operating within HEPMIL’s broader strategy combining content, creators, media, and entertainment.

1. Memes, Dreams and Everything In Between – SGAG, Singapore’s Homegrown Pride | SGAG
2. LiTE Bites – SGAG | NTU Entrepreneurship Academy | NTU Singapore
3. SGAG Customer Success Story – Google Workspace
4. Offerings: Meme, Video Content, Talent & Engagement | SGAG
5. Annette Lee