Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Guardian Malaysia has rolled out a Chinese New Year campaign that reinterprets the meaning of “Ong” through a four-episode micro-drama series developed in collaboration with THE SHOUT GROUP (FCB SHOUT).
Titled Stay ONG in Health and Radiance, the campaign shifts the traditional notion of fortune beyond material success to focus on holistic wellbeing. Launched on 15 January 2026, the series was distributed across Guardian Malaysia’s social media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Xiaohongshu.
Conceptualised by THE SHOUT GROUP, the campaign taps into the rising popularity of micro-dramas — short-form, mobile-first video series that originated in China. Designed for vertical smartphone viewing, the episodes run between one and three minutes and incorporate cliffhangers and fast-paced storytelling.
Structured as an episodic series, Stay ONG in Health and Radiance follows the fictional Ong family as each member competes to define and achieve their own version of “Ong” or fortune. The narrative portrays exaggerated pursuits of luck and prosperity, before leading the characters to the realisation that true “Ong” lies in caring for one’s health, radiance and relationships.
Anna Ng, brand & marketing director of Guardian Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei, shared her thoughts on the campaign, stating, “We would like to commend THE SHOUT GROUP for bringing a bold and contemporary storytelling format to life through this micro-drama series, which speaks directly to how today’s audiences consume content. We are delighted with how guardian Malaysia’s role as the Trusted Advisor for Wellness comes through so clearly in the narrative.”
She added, “‘Stay ONG in Health and Radiance’ is a timely reminder that true wealth goes beyond material success or superficial measures, it lies in how we care for our health and overall wellbeing. We believe this campaign will further reinforce the brand’s expertise in helping Malaysians achieve optimal wellbeing through our carefully curated dermatology, hair care, oral care, skincare and supplement offerings, complemented by personalised guidance from our wellness experts, who are also represented within the series.”
Meanwhile, Tjer, executive creative director of THE SHOUT GROUP, added, “This was an incredibly exciting opportunity for our team because it allowed us to explore a storytelling format that’s still relatively new in our market. The micro-drama structure gave us a much larger canvas to build tension, humour and character across multiple episodes, instead of resolving everything in a single film.”
He added, “It was a great learning experience for the team, and we’re deeply thankful to the clients at guardian Malaysia for trusting us and being with us every step of the way as we experimented with this format together. While the series is crafted to be lighthearted and comedic on the surface, it’s actually rooted in a very real tension, and that is the way different generations define prosperity or ‘ONG’ differently these days. Those differing viewpoints often create gaps in understanding, especially within families. We saw this as a meaningful opportunity to help guardian Malaysia shift the conversation from superficial markers of success to something far more substantial: health and wellbeing. To close, I’d like to also thank our production partners at Restless Production, Meccanica EFX and Real Time Studios for helping us bring this ambitious campaign to life.”
In conjunction with the campaign, guardian Malaysia partnered with Platinum brand collaborators Dove, Skintific, Garnier and Silkygirl for an experiential retail activation titled Unlock Your Ong. Held in-store and at an atrium location from 15 to 18 January, the activation invited shoppers to participate in skincare consultations, make-up demonstrations and personalised health advice sessions, aligning with the campaign’s focus on radiance, beauty and health.
