Indonesia – Indofood has teamed up with Dentsu Indonesia to launch a bold new campaign for SARIMI ISI 2’s Korean Spicy Chicken flavour, fusing the global appeal of K-pop with a uniquely local twist through Indonesia’s own ‘dangdut’ culture.
Titled ‘The Unexpected Idol’, the campaign presents an unlikely but attention-grabbing mix of K-pop aesthetics and ‘dangdut’ — Indonesia’s homegrown music genre that has long been popular locally and is beginning to find audiences beyond Southeast Asia.
While the two genres may seem worlds apart, the campaign uses their contrast to its advantage, featuring local dangdut star Nassar (@kingnassar88) as the central figure. Known for his flamboyant persona and loyal fanbase who often refer to him as “Oppa”, Nassar serves as a bridge between the two musical cultures.
The campaign launched with a fast-paced TV commercial in which Nassar plays three different boyband archetypes, each representing a key product trait: Korean seasoning, bouncier noodle texture, and bold spiciness. The exaggerated performance and playful visuals drew attention online, with the video racking up over 50,000 views on Indofood’s official YouTube channel.
Beyond the ad, the campaign expanded to digital platforms with a Korean-style karaoke (noraebang) contest featuring SARIMI’s jingle, originally sung by Nassar. Fans were also encouraged to engage through social media challenges and had the opportunity to collect limited-edition merchandise kits, including K-pop-inspired light sticks, pins, bucket hats, and tote bags.
Theodorus Halim, senior brand manager Sarimi, PT Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur, commented, “The Unexpected Idol is a bold and playful play that has allowed us to connect with our local audiences with a culture and flavour beyond our borders. This was made possible by the dentsu Indonesia team, who have leveraged meaningful cultural and local insights to help us break through a crowded market in a way that felt fresh, relevant, and undeniably fun.”
Diaz Pradipta, creative director at Dentsu Creative Indonesia, also shared, “At dentsu, we constantly try to push the boundaries of innovation. So rather than following the same formula, we took an unexpected approach—one that would truly resonate with the audience. We knew that Nassar, with his larger-than-life persona and undeniable charm, already held a special place in the hearts of Indonesians. By blending both the energy of K-pop with dangdut, we created a campaign that was not only entertaining but also deeply relatable.”
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