Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – As a commemoration of Malaysia’s Independence Day (Hari Kebangsaan) and Malaysia Day 2022, MBSB Bank, an Islamic Bank based in Malaysia, has launched a new campaign, which is a social experiment to observe the Malaysian spirit on how far they would go to help a stranger.
Developed in partnership with Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS), the global content studio by IPG Mediabrands, the film was directed by Esham Shahlin, produced by Artisia Productions, and released on digital channels.
Titled ‘Sejauh manakah…’, which in English translates to ‘how far’, the film sees a lone man struggling to push his broken-down old PROTON Saga car through the famous streets of Klang Valley amidst crowds of onlookers. Its journey takes viewers through popular areas in the Klang Valley including Klang, Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya, Chinatown, and Dataran Merdeka, as well as other landmark areas in the city.
Kevin Le, executive creative director of MBCS, noted that undertaking this project with MBSB Bank was both moving and inspiring, and they wanted to see if their enthusiastic Malaysian spirit still lives on against this backdrop of increased traffic and other post-lockdown challenges.
He further shared that proving true to the message of the film – ‘Selagi kita bergerak bersama, langkah demi langkah, kita akan sentiasa berdaya maju’, which is translated to ‘As long as we move together, step by step, we will continue to succeed’.
“The artistic direction of no dialogue was a conscious choice as we took our audience on a journey, playing off the ‘Uncle’s’ lone struggle against a backdrop of apathy, complemented by an altered and moving piano rendition of Negaraku,” said Le.
Meanwhile, Azlina Mohd Rashad, chief corporate officer of MBSB Bank, said that they wanted to capture the essence of who Malaysians are, and this social experiment showed it to them in abundance.
“MBCS has portrayed this idea with the heart and soul that rhymes so well with the theme of ‘Keluarga Malaysia Teguh Bersama’ (Malaysians Stand United). Just like the film, MBSB Bank is always by your side, to accompany you and be part of your journey. ‘Sejauh manakah…’ is a gift to the nation from MBSB Bank in celebrating the National Day and Malaysia Day 2022.”
