Continuing in its yearly tradition of self-reflection and forgiveness, Julie’s Biscuits has released its Raya campaign featuring an intimate storyline focused thoughtfully on Alzheimer’s—an often unspoken topic within families, and using festive storytelling to encourage reflection on presence, caregiving, and forgiveness during Raya.
The film tells the story of Hidayah, a mother who journeys through her Raya memories inside a symbolic Pusat Simpanan Memori—a space where moments from different stages of life are stored and revisited.
Guided by a customer service officer named Zamri, she moves through key Raya memories shared with her son, Azmir—from warm, joyful celebrations in his childhood to quieter, more distant moments as he grows older and becomes less present. As the journey unfolds, gaps and glitches begin to appear in these memories, subtly reflecting the emotional distance that has formed over time.
At the heart of the story is a janji—a promise that Hidayah believes anchors her memories and keeps them intact. The narrative reaches its turning point when Zamri is revealed to be Azmir himself, bringing memory and reality into confrontation. Through this realisation, the film reflects on a simple but powerful truth: memories are not preserved by nostalgia alone, but by presence, patience, and commitment.
Continued tradition of self-reflection
Speaking to MARKETECH APAC exclusively about the campaign, Sai Tzy Horng, director of Julie’s Biscuits, highlighted the continued theme of its Raya campaigns on taking the time to pause and reflect. It should be noted that its last year’s campaign focused on a journey of self-reflection and self-forgiveness by reminding everyone that while Raya centres on forgiving others, people forget to extend the same grace to themselves.
“This year, the film takes a more restrained and inƟmate approach, centred on memory, ageing, and Alzheimer’s Disease which is an unspoken reality within many families. Rather than portraying the condition directly, the story reflects how presence can waver and return, and how love finds its way back through familiar promises, even as memory shifts,” he explained.
Sparking meaningful conversations amid festive season
When asked about why it was important for the brand to tackle the message of acknowledging unspoken emotions for their Raya campaign this year, Sai said that using their platform to spark meaningful conversations has always been part of Julie’s Raya storytelling.
Moreover, he notes that through this film, they hope to gently raise awareness and encourage conversations around presence, understanding, and compassion—especially towards parents and elders.
“Over the years, we’ve touched on themes such as women empowerment, gender bias, single parenting struggles, society and self-reflection stories that exist quietly within society but resonate deeply when acknowledged. Raya is a season deeply associated with forgiveness and reconciliation, yet many emotions remain unspoken within families. Our focus is to acknowledge these silent realities that many experience but rarely talk about,” he explained.
Creative process behind the campaign
Speaking about the campaign’s creative process, Sai mentioned how they made sure that Raya remained as the emotional foundation of the campaign by making sure key elements are present throughout the film’s duration.
“During the film’s creation process, we ensured that Raya remained the emotional foundation of the story by anchoring every key memory in familiar Raya moments where Julie’s Love Letters are seamlessly integrated into these settings, shared at the table, during conversations, or even used as a keepsake tin (which is common in Malaysian households) ensuring the festive spirit of Raya remains present throughout the emotional journey,” he said.
While the film continues to progress its storyline, Sai continues to stress how these moments ensured that Raya still remained centre at the film’s overarching theme.
“As the story moves across different stages of Hidayah and Azmir’s lives, Raya remains the constant thread. While the dynamics within the family change over time, the rituals of Raya continue to return—reinforcing the idea that the festive season is a recurring moment of reunion, presence, and connection,” he added.
The campaign was done alongside VCCP GOVT with production by Fastman Studio. For Sai, they made sure to approach the topic of Alzheimer’s Disease in a tasteful and sensitive manner, injecting humour for better audience engagement and the usage of layman visualisation to broadcast on the emotional experience of memory, how it fades, returns, and is anchored by love and promises.
“This led to the creation of the Pusat Simpanan Memori as a metaphorical space, allowing audiences to intuitively understand the condition without direct explanation,” he remarked.
He also added that as the film is told through metaphor and lived moments, the story remains warm, human, and emotionally accessible.
“By centering the story on Hidayah’s happiest and most meaningful Raya memories, the film reflects how emotionally significant moments—especially those tied to family and rituals— can remain vivid even as details become fragmented,” he said.
Using storytelling to better connect products to consumers
It is worth noting that this year’s Raya campaign is the sixth in Julie’s Biscuits’ series of Raya storytelling with Julie’s Love Letters, celebrating the moments that make the season special.
“Love Letters have long been part of Raya—whether as gifts, festive snacks, or treats to enjoy while watching TV. This festive season, the film “Kenangan Tu Ke Mana” highlights the love and promises, meaningful moments with loved ones,” he said.
He concluded, “It inspires audiences to pick up a pack of Love Letters, share it with family and friends, and sit together to watch the film—because sometimes, it’s these quiet, shared moments that create the memories that last.”
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Created for Raya, the film approaches the festive season from a quieter and more reflective perspective. While it centres on themes of memory and ageing, its intention is not to speak loudly about these realities, but to acknowledge the unspoken emotions that often exist within families—especially during a season associated with forgiveness, reflection, and togetherness.
Shaped with restraint, the narrative invites viewers to connect through familiarity and lived experience, positioning Julie’s as a quiet yet constant presence within the moments that truly matter.
