Tag: Astro

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – With the launch of the Astro Originals series ‘Project; Exit’, Talon Creative has collaborated with Astro to create an AI-powered initiative that aims to empower and provide support for those in need via positive social media engagement. 

Bringing together the power of generative AI, the stars of ‘Project; Exit’ and Astro’s social media presence, Talon created a way for Mierul Aiman and Shasha Abedul to give moral support to those in need directly on social media.

To achieve this, a social listening system identified posts expressing sadness, frustration, and anxiety. By leveraging proprietary AI technology trained on the cast members’ voice recordings and footage, we are able to generate custom responses that mimic their style and tone. These personalised messages aimed to provide support and encouragement to those in need. 

With up to 50 responses a day, the initiative created a meaningful impact, allowing social media users to see that they were not alone. This resulted in #ProjectExit 2-episode drop accumulating a total of 3.2k mentions, contributed by 1.2k authors, to date. 

The AI initiative attracted praises from netizens as Hadi and Jannah comforted those in need with personalised words of encouragement. Influencers were also seen interacting with the AI, reacting in surprise that AI could be leveraged for the good of mental health awareness. Moreover, all of this resulted in an outpouring of netizens speaking about their battles and the battles of those close to them. 

Tai Kam Leong, chief sales and marketing officer at Astro, said, “We’re excited to introduce this new initiative to support Project; Exit which uses A.I. in a relevant way to foster positive social interactions. We believe that content can go beyond the screen and it can have an uplifting effect on people’s lives. By leveraging the crossroads of content, celebrity and technology, we hope to inspire young audiences and support the community at large.”

Meanwhile, Gavin Teoh, managing director at Talon Creative, commented, “Project; Exit addresses some tough issues that many Malaysians are facing and we saw an opportunity to go beyond just telling stories and actually reach out to the audience to show that they were not alone.”

In today’s digital age, where streaming platforms and television networks compete fiercely for audience attention, innovative marketing strategies are essential to make a show stand out. One approach that has gained significant traction is the use of outdoor activations—immersive, real-world experiences designed to engage fans and spark conversation. 

From pop-up installations and interactive billboards to themed events and live performances, these activations bring beloved TV series to life, allowing viewers to step into their favourite worlds. By creating memorable, on-the-ground experiences, outdoor activations not only amplify buzz around a show but also forge deeper emotional connections with audiences. 

Ahead of the release of the second season of House of the Dragon from HBO back in August this year, Malaysian entertainment company Astro teamed up with Talon Creative–as well as Mindshare and Durian Events–to launch an outdoor activation in collaboration with MRT Corp to bring the world of Westeros to life in an immersive activation takeover of the Pasar Seni MRT station.

Outdoor activation by Astro and Talon Creative for HBO’s “House of the Dragon” Season 2 at Pasar Seni MRT Station

During the campaign, fans who visited the Pasar Seni MRT station experienced a complete takeover with banners featuring the houses and character images throughout. Structures were also built to immerse fans in the world, with sculptures of dragon’s eggs and the sigil from House of the Dragon placed prominently in the main concourse. 

Moreover, fans were also able to see Westeros come to life on digital screens and interactive augmented reality and AI experiences to see what they would look like if they were in Westeros. The event also featured cosplayers dressed as House of the Dragon characters and even live performances of the show’s iconic music.

In this Top Story feature, we spoke with Benedict Tan, creative director of Talon Creative to discuss the activation’s creative direction, why this campaign relied heavily on storytelling rivalry, as well as stressing the importance of strong partnerships especially for campaigns like this.

A campaign rooted in storytelling rivalry

As House of the Dragon happens before the events of the popular Game of Thrones series, it also relied heavily on the rivalry between the various houses at Westeros. However, it’s worth noting that the challenge to get people to watch the series was due to the fallout of the last Game of Thrones season, as well as mixed reviews on the first season of House of the Dragon.

“As ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 fast approached, we were thinking about what the barriers in getting people to watch would be. Didn’t it already have a following? Wasn’t there enough excitement surrounding its return? And then it hit us. Season 8 of ‘Game of Thrones’ received a fair bit of backlash and Season 1 of ‘House of the Dragon;’ didn’t do anything to improve the perception of the Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon universe. The problem was people were starting to lose faith in the franchise,” Tan noted.

Traingoers, as well as as KOLs dressing up as the series’ characters, during the campaign execution

For them at Talon Creative, Tan stated that they decided that the campaign needed to remind people of the lore and wonder of dragons and mad kings. Moreover, they gave people an opportunity to not just immerse themselves virtually, but physically; with tangibility.

Before they were able to launch the activation, he stated that the team had to address several questions.

“As we looked back at the fandom during the Game of Thrones era, we also realised that rivalries drive conversations. Were you team Stark or Lannister? Does Jon Snow REALLY know nothing? Is Khaleesi the one true queen of the Iron Throne?,” he said.

With these questions in mind–and in true Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon fashion, the campaign continued to fuel rivalry between the fans of different houses by adding to the theme of ‘HOTD S2: All Must Choose.’ This then rallied the consumers to pledge their allegiance, whether they are #TeamBlack versus #TeamGreen, alluding to the two factions created from the fraction of House Targaryen.

Outdoor activations still matter for entertainment brands

Despite how many of us are more focused on our digital lifestyles–which includes watching our favourite series or movies online–having campaigns that take you right into the real-world is much more fulfilling, Tan notes.

“Outdoor activations become a platform to solidify or strengthen the bond and affinity of the consumer towards a brand/product/service. You can always tell them what’s good. But it’s always better to demonstrate what’s great. Outdoor activation lets consumers experience it for themselves. Plus, entertainment should be media agnostic,” he said.

In the case of this campaign for Astro’s streaming of ‘House of the Dragon’, Talon Creative worked with MRT (media owner) and Mindshare (media agency) as they helped to amplify the idea into an interactive one at Pasar Seni MRT station.

“[This] allowed consumers to take a piece of memorabilia back with them. Declare your house allegiance at the specially designed House of the Dragon booth, where you can get your picture taken with an interactive iPad that transforms you into a House of the Dragon character and take it home as a memento,” he explained.

Part of the campaign execution as well is the ‘takeover’ of several buildings donning the banners of rivalry between the two factions of the series

Tan also highlighted the importance of key opinion leaders (KOLs) during the activation execution, which included cosplayers who dressed as their favourite character from the series.

“Through our partnership with Mindshare and MRT, we were able to secure a Legion of KOLs to be a part the HOTD universe, rallying their own fan-base to pledge their allegiance to #TeamBlack or #TeamGreen. This ultimately saw fans coming together at the Concourse Area MRT Pasar Seni, for a finale showdown; because All Must Choose!,” he remarked.

For another part of the campaign, the so-called ‘The Finale Showdown’ on August 3 was further amplified via radio announcers – Anne & Zher from Hitz FM, and RD & Q from Mix FM.

Lastly, they had also initiated a series of surrealism contents, which ‘erected’ various flags of #TeamBlack and #TeamGreen, amongst them being in KLCC, and TRX, announcing the arrival of House of the Dragon Season 2.

Impact and advice on the campaign

Launching an outdoor activation at a busy train station like the Pasar Seni MRT had a significant impact, and capitalised on the high foot traffic of around 400,000 people. With the station seeing an average of 800,000 monthly tap-ins from MRT users, the activation reached approximately 50% of this audience, engaging 400,000 participants. 

The activation also featured interactive elements such as photo prints and pledges, which saw 1,467 engagements, while reward redemption drew 555 participants. This demonstrates the effectiveness of leveraging high-traffic locations like train stations to drive awareness and engagement, offering a highly visible platform to connect with a wide audience in real time.

When asked what advice he can give for brands doing outdoor activations, he highlighted the importance of strong industry partnerships.

“Partnerships matter. You can always think of a great idea. But that great idea will die a slow death if you don’t have the right partners to advise and help see it come to fruition. Reach out, speak to people, understand the feasibility early on. And once the right partners are in place, it’ll be easier to execute,” he concluded.

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By taking the fantasy world of Westeros into real-life locations, the activation done by Talon Creative bridged the gap between viewers and the show’s universe, creating memorable, immersive experiences that go beyond the screen. In a crowded entertainment landscape, such activations not only elevate the show’s profile but also create lasting impressions that resonate long after the campaign ends, solidifying viewer loyalty and driving sustained interest.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Astro has tapped Talon Creative to give the visually impaired a chance to experience the recently-concluded ‘Dari Mata Turun ke Hati’ drama series using an enhanced streaming experience for them.

Astro and Talon saw an opportunity to reach out to the visually impaired community and provide them with an enhanced streaming experience with the groundbreaking first locally produced Audio Description track for a Malay drama. This track provided verbal descriptors of the show, interwoven with the dialogue, allowing visually impaired viewers to experience the narrative of the show and fully immerse themselves in the content. 

For context, the drama series–a story adapted from Japan and brought closer to local culture–tells a story of Iris Sofea, a visually impaired young woman and Jai, a gangster, portrayed respectively by up and coming Malaysian stars in Arabella Ellen and Mierul Aiman. 

‘Dari Mata Turun Ke Hati’ is the first drama in Malaysia to introduce the Audio Description feature. 

As part of the initiative as well, it also translated into the creation of social media posts that mimicked the visually impaired Iris Sofea’s experience, giving the audience a glimpse into her world, bringing the visually impaired community and general public closer together.

Malaysia is home to some of the best local content, featuring high production quality and impeccable storytelling. Unfortunately, not all Malaysians are able to enjoy these home-grown stories, with over 400,000 Malaysians experiencing visual impairment, with 10-15% experiencing total sight loss.

Tai Kam Leong, chief sales and marketing officer at Astro, said, “As Malaysia’s leading media company, we believe that everyone deserves an opportunity to enjoy the magic of storytelling. Leaning into our technological expertise, we wanted to make our content more inclusive and accessible to all viewers, especially those with visual impairments. That’s why we’re excited to produce 480 minutes of the Audio Description track for Dari Mata Turun Ke Hati to enhance the viewing experience for our audience, thus contributing to a more equitable and inclusive entertainment industry.”

Meanwhile, Erman Basiron, creative director at Talon Creative noted “Working on this campaign for this show gave us insight into a point of view we never considered. How do the visually impaired experience life? How do they consume content and media? It wasn’t just about highlighting their plight; it was a real opportunity to give society a look into a completely different paradigm of life.”

Astro has continued to signal its intent of championing inclusivity. Past efforts have seen Astro collaborate with the Malaysian Association for the Blind during the month of Merdeka. The initiative brought Miss Nurin Amalin binti Ishak, a para-athlete who has been blind since she was 10 years old to feel the braille of the Malaysian flag. This enabled her to experience the flow of the flag, its story, colours, and elements. More importantly, it gave hope to the blind that they too can experience the full spirit of what a Merdeka celebration is.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – With the arrival of HBO’s House of the Dragon’s epic second season, Astro in collaboration with HBO brings the world of Westeros to life in an immersive activation takeover of the Pasar Seni MRT station. The collaboration is supported by Talon Creative, MRT Corp, Mindshare and Durian Events.

Fans visiting the Pasar Seni MRT station will experience a complete takeover with banners featuring the houses and character images throughout. Structures were built to immerse fans in the world, with sculptures of dragon’s eggs and the sigil from House of the Dragon placed prominently in the main concourse. 

For an extra added bit of fun, fans can see the world come to life on digital screens and interactive augmented reality and AI experiences to see what they would look like if they were in Westeros. 

The takeover was launched in an event featuring cosplayers dressed as House of the Dragon characters and even live performances of the show’s iconic music.

Tai Kam Leong, chief sales and marketing officer at Astro, said, “As Malaysia’s leading content & consumer media company, we always strive to bring not just the best of entertainment for all Malaysians but truly deliver unique experiences for Malaysians as well. The world of Westeros is an iconic place and we saw an opportunity to take that experience on screen and turn it into something delightful and unexpected for fans.”

Meanwhile, Benedict Tan, creative director of Talon Creative, commented, “We were fans of the show and the team was really excited to pull that world from the screen and bring it to the fans in real life. And at Talon, we try to see things through a lens of entertainment, and in this instance it was all about creating something special for visitors and fans, integrating the power of AI and augmented reality to bring them into the world.” 

Lastly, Wong Sook Fun, business director at Mindshare, said, “We saw an opportunity to explore a non-traditional media space and to create that bridge between Astro, House of the Dragon and MRT Corp, creating an experience that is unique and memorable for the fans.” 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (Content Forum) has rolled out its inaugural supplementary guideline, ‘The OCC Guidelines’ on updated best practices for online curated content service providers.

Developed through extensive collaboration among local and international industry leaders, the pioneer initiative is set to function as a self-regulation tool for online curated content (OCC) platforms.

The guidelines aim to emphasise and underscore Content Forum’s dedication to nurturing a dynamic creative content environment while ensuring compliance with Malaysian laws and regulations.

Content Forum’s ‘The OCC Guidelines’ will encompass national and public interest, racial and religious sensitivities, as well as improved accessibility standards for persons with disabilities.

Other than this, the guidelines will also cover key points such as content classifications allowing for informed viewing choices, safety features and advisory, consideration of underage viewers on content promotional materials, news contents that cover diverse perspectives and presentations, more accessible consumer feedback mechanisms, and open dialogues with relevant stakeholders.

The formation of the OCC Guidelines highlights how self-regulation can serve to elevate the industry further.

Mediha Mahmood, chief executive officer of the Content Forum, explained, “This guideline is designed as a supportive tool for both local and international service providers, enabling them to self-assess their programming quality and streamline compliance with Malaysian content standards. In line with our dedication to promoting self-regulation, we expect that these recommendations and best practices will further our ongoing mission to foster a creative, forward-thinking, and inclusive content industry.”

Also commenting on the guidelines, Euan Smith, group chief executive officer at ASTRO, said, “The dedication of the Content Forum and the Working Group underscores the power of industry cooperation in crafting meaningful guidelines.”

Echoing this sentiment, Zuraidah Mohd Yatim, general manager of regulatory affairs and intellectual property at Media Prima, shared, “The success of this collaborative policy-making process reflects the strength of industry unity in shaping responsible content practices.”

Also part of the collaborative effort, Clare Bloomfield, chief policy officer at the Asia Video Industry Association, commented, “AVIA has been a strong proponent of self-governance for online-curated content. We are honoured to have been a part of Content Forum’s collaborative effort to deliver this OCC approach for Malaysia.”

Meanwhile, Ruben Hattari, director of public policy for Southeast Asia at Netflix, also shared, “The collective effort behind this monumental task is a true reflection of Malaysia’s progressive mindset and is worthy to be emulated by other policymakers in the region.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Astro has announced that it is now ceasing the operations of its home shopping business Go Shop, following a strategic business review alongside Korean joint venture partner GSR. The exit officially takes effect on October 11.

According to both companies, both have agreed to cease operations of said business for significant cost-saving measures.

They also cited that there has been a significant downturn in this mode of shopping since the pandemic, and that the business closure will ensure that Astro’s resources are focused on business lines that contribute the biggest difference to the overall operations.

“Go Shop wishes to take this opportunity to thank all its customers and partners for their strong support over the past years. The Company also wishes to express their gratitude to the Go Shop team for their passion and dedication to the brand over many years,” the online statement said.

Go Shop, which was operated under Astro GS Shop Sdn Bhd, was a a joint venture established between Astro Retail Ventures Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of AMH, holding 60% equity interest and GSR holding the balance of 40%.

Moreover, it is not considered a material subsidiary of AMH and is not expected to have material effect on the group’s consolidated earnings per share, net assets per share or gearing for FY24.

Jakarta, Indonesia — Astro, a platform that enables 15-minute grocery delivery to customers, has raised US$60m in a Series B to continue its mission to make people’s life easier by developing a modern, on-demand platform. The new round was led by Accel, Citius and Tiger Global bringing the total investment to more than US$90m since Astro started in Sep 2021. Existing investors also participated namely AC Ventures, Sequoia Capital India, and Lightspeed, among others.

The funds raised will be used to reach more customers and enrich product capabilities to provide an even better customer experience, as well as to expand the team size in 2022.

Today, Astro’s 15-minutes delivery service is operating in nearly 50 locations across Jakarta Broader Metro Area. Since the last round of Series A, the company revenue has grown more than 10 times as well as achieving much higher efficiency to deliver to customers. The team has also grown significantly with more than 200 people, whom they refer to internally as ‘Astronauts’ while enabling work from anywhere setup to accommodate flexibility during this pandemic environment.

Factors like positive consumer reception and organic growth of cohorts result in a high-growth momentum for the company.

Vincent Tjandra, co-founder and CEO of Astro, said, “Our mission at Astro is to make people’s lives simpler and easier. Our Astronauts have continuously served customers when they need us the most, especially during the last Omicron COVID-19 spike where Indonesia experienced an unprecedented number of cases.”

Tjandra adds, “We are excited to partner with Accel, Citius and Tiger Global to accelerate our meaningful mission. We will continuously focus on building a great company with great talents across Indonesia and delivering a great customer experience.”

For Astro, this is just the beginning as groceries in Indonesia is one of the biggest retail sectors, however digital penetration in the sector is one of the lowest at 0.4% compared to the 10% penetration of e-commerce. With the pandemic driving digital adoption, the opportunity is large with e-grocery in Indonesia and is poised to become a US$6b opportunity by 2025. This represents a billion dollar opportunity being unlocked every single year.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The celebration of Hari Raya in Malaysia has concluded, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. And with such festivities, there is always a rise of ad films centred around the values and teachings of the Raya festivities.

In line with this, YouTube in Malaysia has round up the top 10 Raya ads released by local and international brands in the country.  Presented in alphabetical order, the list is based on a mix of relatable festive situations that touched the hearts and funny bones of viewers, collaborations with well-loved local personalities, and nostalgia for the good ol’ days, while continuing to explore the creative formats of past campaigns.

  1. Astro Malaysia – Senandung Hari Raya Untukmu – Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza & Aliff Aziz 

Through an original track sung by Malaysian singer Siti Nurhaliza and local-based Singaporean artist Aliff Aziz, this campaign from the Malaysian satellite TV provider aims to communicate the values of the Raya season, from keeping in touch with loved ones or supporting local businesses for any Raya needs.

  1. Celcom Malaysia – Iklan Hari Raya Celcom 2022 – Syukur 1 Syawal

Duit raya or tokens of money given during Raya are great and all: but have we actually thought about where we ought to spend them? In this heart-warming campaign by this local telco provider, we see a kid named Danish going around houses with his friends to collect duit raya. Among those kids is Aishah, who later on we learn that she gives all of her duit raya to his ailing father. Touched by this scene, Danish thinks of an act of kindness to Aishah’s father.

  1. HongLeong Bank Malaysia – HLB RAYA 2022 – Lebaran Penuh Kesyukuran

This fun and quirky campaign by banking institution HongLeong Bank in Malaysia centres around the festive days despite instances being not the most ‘perfect’ celebration. In spite of obstacles along the way, like the camera falling over a swamp while taking a family picture or meals getting delayed, there is still a glimmer of hope and genuine happiness around family members to be together as always.

  1. Julie’s Biscuits – Raya 2022 | Ini Iklan Raya baru, tau? [Full] | Julie’s Biscuits

Conceptualised by independent agency GOVT Singapore, this hilarious yet eye-opening campaign by the local biscuit brand invites Malaysians to explore traditional definitions of stereotypical roles and see how antiquated expectations no longer hold in today’s day and age.

  1. PETRONAS – PETRONAS Raya 2022 ‘366’: Hari Ke-123 | Full Film

“Find peace within that disappointment”: It is within one of these lines within the ad that sum up the message of the campaign. This Raya-centric campaign is part of Petronas’ ongoing original series called ‘366’, aimed at tackling stories of fortitude, resilience and togetherness among Malaysians during these difficult times. Said campaign is conceptualised under Ensemble Worldwide of IPG Mediabrands.

  1. Saji Malaysia Official – Iklan Raya SAJI 2022 | Raya Dulu – Dulu

This fun campaign by local cooking oil brand Saji focuses on cherishing the Raya festivities, even if it feels like it will never be the same as last year. In this film, we follow a male character cherishing past Raya celebrations, while being mindful to always remember such important moments from past Raya festivities into the future.

  1. Samsung Malaysia – Raya 2022 | Rezeki Memori

Centred around the theme of fun and nostalgic memories, this film by tech company Samsung focuses on a story of Adik and his father cherishing some great memories–which is actually an emotional representation of missing sharing those moments a long time ago. The film, shot on a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra phone, invites viewers to cherish time with their parents, one of the values being focused during the Raya festivities.

  1. Spritzer Group – Raya 2022 | Iklan Raya Paling Berseri

On a more hilarious route, this Raya ad by Spritzer focuses on doing the festivities, alongside with your full-out relatives, in this ad signifying Auntie Vivi. Despite the stereotypical nature of the ad, it teaches viewers to just remain calm and enjoy the festivities.

  1. Taylor’s University – Sadaqah | Hari Raya 2022

If there is one saying to embody this ad from Malaysia’s Taylor’s University, it’s the adage of “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” The ad follows the story of a beggar named Amin, who asks one day for free food from a food stall owned by Kak Zaiton. Despite the ad’s initial impression of Zaiton being angry always, we see a different side of her story, as being compassionate towards the poor. In all, Zaiton’s character teaches viewers of not just getting something but rather having the opportunity to learn and grow as a person.

  1. Tenaga Nasional Berhad – TNB Raya 2022 – Raya Macam Cara

The perfect ad to close this entry, this ad from Malaysia’s multinational electricity company focuses on the diversity of emotions–and antics–during the Raya festivities. After a long time where Raya meetups have been hampered during the pandemic, said ad communicates the long-yearning of families to meet up during these festive times.

Said ad list showcases the most engaging ads that people watched during this period, and are determined in no particular order by an algorithm that factors in watch time, organic views, paid views, and audience retention. This list was pulled on 5 May, 2022 and captures data from 3 April to 3 May 2022 inclusive.

Malaysia — It is the time of the year again with a heightened interest for IklanRaya and brands and agencies are tinkering to create entertaining videos to capture the attention of audiences. Due to this, Astro embarked on a grand plan to launch a Hari Raya movie instead.

The movie was done in collaboration with Naga DDB Tribal and is entitled ‘Tujuh Hari Di Bawah Matahari’. Directed by acclaimed film director Razaisyam Rashid, the film will be premiering nationwide exclusively on Astro GO on the evening of Hari Raya at 8.30 pm and then on the 3rd day of Raya at 8 pm on Astro RIA, PRIMA, WARNA, CITRA, CERIA. The film will be released on the 6th of May on YouTube as well.

Having a runtime of 21 minutes, the movie is breaking away from the usual formula of Raya TVCs. The movie chronicles the Ramadan journey of the protagonist through hardships; a mirror to the production of the movie which was fraught with hurdles due to the limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic. But, like a famous adage once says; most things that are worth doing are hardly ever achieved easily. The arduous journey depicted in ‘Tujuh Hari Di Bawah Matahari’ is a story of perseverance, a celebration of human will, and coming of age.

Erman Basiron, creative group head of Naga DDB Tribal, points out that a story that communicates good values is a story worth telling and that has always been the guiding principle when we work on our festive communication for Astro and any other clients for that matter.

“These days, it is common for the younger generation to gauge success simply through material success and seek validation of their self-worth from peers and society via social media. Caught up in material-world pursuits, it is all too easy to forget the true spirit of Ramadan and Hari Raya,” Basiron said.

Shiraz Faruqi, creative director of Naga DDB Tribal, commented, “This coming-of-age road trip story of a young guy who Balik kampung by cycling 500km with a cat while fasting during Ramadan and learns that “the most important things in life are not things” presents a rich storytelling opportunity that deserves more screen time on a much bigger platform. It simply makes sense for Astro, as the premier Malaysian entertainment content provider, to entertain its audience with a Hari Raya film.”

According to Tammy Toh, director of group marketing and communications of Astro, “Astro has a tradition of harnessing its multiple platforms to open minds for a brighter future. This mission to do good and contribute to the social engineering of the country is an ongoing effort. And the approach is to entertain, enlighten and empower.

Toh adds, “While insightfully tapping into the zeitgeist to entertain our audience, Astro also enlightens and empowers viewers with nuggets of wisdom to shed light on issues and remedy ignorance that currently affect society at large.”

According to an intelligence website platform, there was a marked increase in consumption of content during the period of Ramadan-Raya from April to May 2021. Users also tend to spend longer durations on those sites during each visit. Therefore, it made for a strong case to create content rather than a commercial for the benefit of Astro’s brand equity and business objectives.

Another driving factor behind the decision to ‘upsize’ a Raya TV commercial to a short movie is to appeal to a younger audience. Youth-oriented content is well received on Astro and this gave Naga DDB Tribal the confidence that a coming-of-age story would strike a chord and resonate well with a younger audience. So, instead of running the usual Raya greetings on TV and social media, this year those spots will be filled with trailers to promote the movie.

Malaysia — TV and radio operator Astro in Malaysia, in collaboration with advertising agency Naga DDB Tribal, has launched a festive campaign ahead of the Chinese New Year to raise awareness on the challenges of local Chinese performing artists amidst the pandemic.

Entitled ‘A Tiger’s Heart’, the film centres around the theme of finding hope and positivity amidst trying times. The film also featured one of the top Malaysian lion dance troupes to create a more realistic representation of the hardships performers endure during a time when the performing industry is struggling. The story starts with a lion dance troupe losing its heart during the pandemic before ultimately finding its footing through the sheer tenacity of one character.

Benedict Tan, Naga DDB tribal’s associate creative director, commented, “Society needs artists, just as it needs doctors, engineers, scientists, professionals, workers, fathers and mothers. We as a society owe it to these gifted and talented artistic individuals, as without the influence of performing arts and culture, one can only imagine what our world will be. And that became the inspiration and reason behind this film.”

Astro started the year with the UHuu Be Strong! campaign. Through the campaign, Astro assisted the local Chinese performing arts community with various initiatives. Aside from the film, Astro has also created a documentary entitled ‘Performers on AEC’, underscoring the journey of grit world-renowned Malaysian performers experienced. The agency also donated RM10,000 to support performing art associations.

Gavin Teoh, business director for Naga DDB Tribal, commented on the continuous support the agency is giving to Malaysian communities, saying that they will continue to use their platforms to open the minds of Malaysians — to raise awareness on cultural issues, challenge societal expectations and champion the right causes for the nation and its people.