Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Astro Malaysia has partnered with Naga DDB Tribal to roll out its Ramadan–Raya 2026 (RaRa 2026) campaign, titled “Bila Bersama, Lagi Jadi,” aimed at highlighting the role of togetherness in festive celebrations.
The campaign comes in a year when Ramadan coincides with Chinese New Year, creating a particularly crowded festive period in Malaysia. Against a backdrop of festive advertising, social media trends and promotional activities, the initiative seeks to emphasise participation and communal experiences during Raya rather than the pursuit of curated celebrations.
According to the companies, the campaign aims to encourage Malaysians to reconnect with the social and cultural aspects of the festive season through content, community initiatives and storytelling.
“Raya is a season that celebrates connection and joy, and this year brings a renewed sense of meaning,” said Benjamin Woo, head of group marketing, Astro. “Through our festive content, music, and community initiatives, we hope to remind Malaysians of the meaningful moments that make Raya truly special.”
He added, “At the heart of this is our film, which captures the shared rituals and heartfelt interactions that define the celebration. With ‘Bila Bersama, Lagi Jadi,’ we hope it inspires people to reconnect and embrace the spirit of togetherness.”
At the centre of the campaign is the pelita panjut, a traditional oil lamp commonly associated with Raya. The campaign uses the lamp as a metaphor for collective celebration, suggesting that individual lights together create a brighter shared space.
As part of the campaign, Astro collaborated with Malaysian motifs artist Farah Mohan of Batik Novak to develop a sculptural installation inspired by the pelita panjut. The installation incorporates batik and songket textiles and is intended to serve as a visual and cultural centrepiece for the campaign.
“Batik is a storytelling medium,” said Farah Mohan. “Through the pelita motif, we illustrated how individual elements — like individual people — become more meaningful when brought together. The structure represents unity not just visually, but emotionally.”
The campaign is anchored by a 15-minute Raya short film directed by Hyrul Anuar from Director’s Think Tank. The film features an ensemble of Malaysian personalities and tells the story of two individuals competing to outdo each other with elaborate pelita panjut displays, unintentionally creating division in their community before ultimately rediscovering the value of unity.
“We wanted the story to feel relatable — reflecting the ‘tak nak kalah’ (determined not to lose) attitude many of us recognise — before gently guiding it back to unity,” said Hyrul Anuar. “When the pelita panjuts finally come together, the light becomes overwhelming in the best way. It’s a simple visual metaphor, but emotionally powerful.”
The film combines drama, comedy and cultural references to convey the campaign’s message of shared celebration.
Beyond the hero film, the campaign spans installations, key visuals and retail activations. It also connects with Astro’s broader festive programming lineup, which includes dramas, comedies, movies and specials during the Ramadan and Raya period.
The content will be distributed across Astro’s ecosystem, including its multi-device service Astro One and mobile streaming platform Sooka.
According to Astro and Naga DDB Tribal, the campaign is designed to run across Ramadan and Hari Raya, drawing parallels between communal religious practices during Ramadan and the collective celebrations associated with Raya.
Moreover, the agency said the initiative reflects a broader approach of creating experiential platforms rather than standalone advertising messages, particularly during festive periods marked by high levels of marketing activity.
“When brands move beyond messaging and create experiences that people can step into, they become part of the celebration itself,” said Alvin Teoh, chief creative officer at Naga DDB Tribal. “This Raya, we set out to design something Malaysians could gather around — a shared reminder that when we come together, everything shines brighter.”
