Tag: Mediabrands Content Studio

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The iconic Mattel Barbie brand in Malaysia released a special tribute to fathers on Father’s Day. Developed together with Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS), the film delivers an inspiring message that ‘not all heroes wear capes’. 

Mandar Wairkar, creative director at MBCS, said, “The film’s inspiration came from observations around Asian dads, as they are not known to be particularly expressive.”

“Typically, Asian dads are steadfast providers who are stern, strict, or even feared. However, we’re now living in an age of expression, with children seeking more outward showing of love and affection from their parents. As such, this Father’s Day, we wanted to recognise Asian dads who are breaking the mould of fatherly roles, and sending messages of positivity to their kids each day to give them strength and self-belief that they can do anything they set their minds to,” furthered Wairkar.

The short ad celebrates fathers who would do anything to make their ‘little girls’ dreams come true’. Additionally, the film encourages a social movement with the hashtag #BarbieFathersDay, for parents and their children to share how they celebrate Father’s Day to encourage more Asian dads to break the traditional fatherly mould.

Murat Ariksoy, general manager at Mattel South Asia, said, “Barbie’s tagline ‘You can be anything’ looks to inspire confidence and courage to all children out there to go out and live their dreams. This inspiring film and movement by MBCS portrays fathers as positive role models and celebrates all those fathers who go the extra mile to bring a smile to their child’s face.”

The film was released on Barbie’s Facebook page.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – IPG Mediabrands’ Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS) has announced new key leadership changes in Malaysia through its ‘Creative Leadership Council’.

Andrew Shee has been appointed as executive creative director of MBCS. The 19-year creative veteran joins the agency from his eight-year stint in China, where he was awarded a multitude of accolades. He was most recently a senior creative director of Dentsu Next in Shanghai.

Internally, MBCS has also promoted Ahmad Nazril Ibrahim to executive creative director. Ibrahim has played an integral role in shaping the creative content of key client PETRONAS and will continue to build on the cultural nuances influencing homegrown businesses in Malaysia.

Working alongside Shee and Ibrahim are award-winning consultant executive creative director Mun Tuck Wai, and executive creative director Kevin Le. Tuck Wai and Le have been with the agency for seven years and will continue to lend their expertise and creative guidance on a group level across all capabilities including branded, original, social, and performance content.

Stanley Clement, chief executive officer of MBCS Malaysia said, “In this world of disruption and contradictions, our readiness to innovate, adapt and change is what will keep us poised for the creatives of tomorrow. How we engage, how we communicate, and how we move people with the content we create – that’s the true test of communications of today, as we strive to drive innovative storytelling for our clients.”

He added, “We are carefully curating our Creative Leadership Council and bringing together the best minds of the industry with a mix of modern, traditional, data, storytelling, and long and short form content. They have a host of awards recognising their talents and creative work under their belts, and I’m excited to see how they work together to harness the best of our people’s potential. The Council and our teams will continue to fuse our unique proposition of intelligence and an insights-led, data-driven content practice to connect brands with people in the most compelling and personalised way.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – In collaboration with Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS), the media-fuelled creative content practice within the IPG Mediabrands network, Malaysian oil and gas company PETRONAS has unveiled its new festive short film for Raya.

Titled ‘Dilema Irama (The Rhythm Dilemma)’, the film sees friction ensue between a man, Gambus, a traditional Malay musician, and his son Nadim, a musician of modern-day genres. 

When Nadim reluctantly agrees to play the gambus (a lute-type traditional Malay instrument) for his father’s traditional music group, their artistic differences lead to deeply hurt feelings and a conflict of generations.

“In planning for this film, we took a deep look into our local culture to explore different heritage elements that need to be preserved. The traditional arts are slowly diminishing, as interest wanes with each generation, with most moving on to modern instruments and art execution for mass appeal,” said Ahmad Nazril Ibrahim, executive creative director at MBCS.

Ibrahim also mentioned that the film was an opportunity for them to showcase the gambus, a special instrument that is native to the state of Johor, as a juxtaposition of traditional versus modern music

“The sentiment has been very encouraging, with viewers requesting the songs for their Raya playlists. We hope this brings renewed interest in traditional music as we find new spaces to appreciate and preserve our culture, not just over Raya,” he added.

The film anchors on PETRONAS’ festive theme of the year, ‘Roots of Our Future’ which highlights and embeds the richness of heritage, customs and culture into all the festive films of 2023.

Alongside the film, three songs featured within have been released separately, with the soundtrack playlist for Dilema Irama available on various audio channels. ‘Dilema Irama’ can also be viewed on PETRONAS’ official social media channels.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – In conjunction with the upcoming Raya season, personal care brand Safi has unveiled its ‘Vass-tacular’ (spectacular) brand film, crafted by the media-fuelled creative content practice within the IPG Mediabrands network, Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS).

The #SafiRayaSupaVass campaign is anchored on the viral ‘Vass’ catchphrase that translates to looking and feeling spectacular, glamourous, and fabulous, which took the Malaysian female community by storm. This Raya, Safi has transformed Vass into a call of empowerment for women to go all out to embrace their beauty, with the ‘magical touch’ of Safi’s hair care product Shayla SUPA. 

The campaign comes to life in the form of an epic musical titled “Jodoh Syafideralla”, based on the well-known tale of Cinderella, featuring a stellar cast of celebrities such as ongoing Safi ambassador Aniq Suhair, local celebrity Kilafairy, and upcoming content creator Sofea Shaheera who is well known amongst Gen Z’s.

“It truly warms the heart to see our Muslim friends go all out this year in their Raya celebration preparations. As the agency that builds product relevance and resonance with audiences, we wanted to make sure that Safi Shayla Supa would be able to rise on this wave of vass fabulousness, and we have succeeded in doing so with this Raya musical extravaganza,” said Lyndy Tan, associate creative director of MBCS.

Saki Goh, senior general manager of marketing at Wipro Unza also said, “The Raya festivities have been long-awaited, and we have always strived to make our Safi Raya film one of the most anticipated of the season.”

She also added that the MBCS team has captured this first introduction of Shayla SUPA in a ‘catchy, creative and truly vass’ manner in order for the brand to emotionally connect with its female audience.

The #SafiRayaSupaVass: Jodoh Syafideralla is now live on Safi’s official social media channels.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Bulan Bintang, a local clothing line, has released its maiden brand film as part of its observance of the Raya festivities. The brand film was made in collaboration with Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS).

The brand film, titled ‘Raya Macam Star’ (translated: Celebrate Raya like a star), is a timeless boy-meets-girl tale that aims to make everyone feel like a star when wearing the Bulan Bintang collection this Raya.

With a storyline full of fun and laughs, the film tells the tale of Zul who intends to attract an abundance of visitors to his Raya open house, specifically a young lady who caught his eye. He sets out to don Bulan Bintang’s Baju Melayu on the first day of celebrations, and unbeknownst to himself, turns into renowned actor Shukri Yahaya.

The brand film also consists of Malaysia’s top A-listers, including Shukri Yahaya, Hannah Delisha, Sharnaaz Ahmad, Beto Kusyairy, Nadhir Nasar and Daiyan Trisha. 

Eddy Nazarullah, creative director at MBCS said, “We wanted to bring out the key message of what it feels like to wear Bulan Bintang while retaining the elements of family, duty and love, all of which are in abundance during festive celebrations. Creating insightful and relevant content is a core aspect of creativity here at MBCS, and we’re delighted to have such a star-studded cast to bring this year’s Raya story to life.”

Meanwhile, Azzim Zahid, CEO and founder of Bulan Bintang, commented, “Fashion is a true connector, and a highlight of festive celebrations. We were very excited to work on our first brand film with the MBCS team, and more so to bring on the star power with our Malaysian A-listers to reflect that feeling of being a star when you’ve got your best outfits on. We’re extremely pleased to see the response to our film, and hope all Malaysians have an opportunity to shine like a star this Raya.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – To bestow blessings on Malaysians this Raya season, Malaysian noodle brand Mamee Chef, in collaboration with global content studio Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS), has released a film featuring a song titled ‘Sinaran Syawal’, a song that implies a bright celebration of Syawal, which is the 10th month of the Islamic calendar following the holy month of Ramadan.

The 94-second clip features its brand ambassador and Malaysia’s queen of jazz Sheila Majid together with groovy Malaysia indie-rock band Kugiran Masdo performing the song whilst showcasing Mamee Chef’s two special flavours for the year – lontong and rendang – and how they will enhance the experience during Raya celebrations. 

Mandar Wairkar, creative director at MBCS, said that the collaboration with the Malaysian singer like Majid will bring legendary vibes for Raya, whilst featuring Kugiram Masdo band who adds pleasant surprise in connecting with the youth and introduce the go-to convenient meal for the festivities.

How Yuan Yi, chief marketing officer at Mamee-Double Decker (M) Sdn. Bhd. said, “As a brand by Malaysians for Malaysians, we really wanted to bring Mamee Chef’s authentic flavours to our fellow rakyat in an exciting relevant way this Raya, and MBCS has come through on that promise in a culturally, and pop-culturally resonant way.”

This year, Mediabrands Content Studio has also teamed with Listerine Malaysia to craft its Chinese New Year campaign.

Sydney, Australia – Global content studio Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS) has announced the appointment of Marshall Campbell as general manager of client service and Luke Simkins as group creative director. The new leadership is part of the agency’s efforts to strengthen the creative department.

For their new role, Campbell will focus on senior strategic advice and client service leadership whilst Simkins will be responsible for creative direction and leadership across the agency’s creative team. Both will report directly to Olivia Warren, managing director at MBCS.

Campbell brings with him a strong background in digital, video production, and business development. In his last stint, he was client director at global creative platform Genero. He also held senior roles at creative agencies Emotive and Clemenger BBDO, advertising agency TBWA\, and creative company DARE Digital in UK.

Meanwhile, Simkins brings with him experience in creative problem solving working across diverse business verticals. Some of his previous stints include the role of creative director at M&C Saatchi in Sydney and becoming part of the creative team at agency VMLY&R.

Warren said that Campbell and Simpkins are exactly what they look for in creative leaders due to their ability to make great work and achieve successful outcomes for clients.

Campbell commented, “Today’s consumer has the power to choose what they consume, so by utilising the networks media insights we’re able to enhance our creative output guaranteeing our work will reach the right audience at the right time with the right message.”

On the other hand, Simkins said that he’s honoured to lead MBCS’ creative offering at such an exciting phase of the agency’s evolution.

“By putting media insight and people at the centre of everything we do, we will drive even greater relevance for our clients,” he added.

Last year, Mediabrands Australia has also announced the appointment of Olivia Warren as managing director of MBCS.

Sydney, Australia – After a hotly contested pitch, media agency Initiative has retained its media business remit for energy networks owner Jemena Limited, extending a 10-year relationship with the brand. The win also comes with Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS), a media-fueled content practice of Mediabrands, expanding its creative remit for the same brand.

Initiative will be responsible for all national and local broadcast media buying, print, outdoor, radio, cinema, digital, search, social and addressable, and other media buying such as strategic and communication design responsibilities. Meanwhile, MBCS will handle all creative and production services and executions.

Melissa Fein, CEO of Initiative said that she is thrilled in re-signing a valued long-term partner. She also added that her team is energised in increasing Jemena’s customer base as it expands the network across regional and urban centres throughout New South Wales.

Fein added, “Jemena walks our talk; they are passionate about their customers, ambitious in their plans to decarbonise their networks and totally committed to a sustainable future, all traits Initiative values deeply. And our relationship has just got better with MBCS now on board, they’re an incredibly talented team and our cross-agency collaboration will help us continue to elevate the outstanding work we do on Jemena.”

Retaining its creative remit, Olivia Warren, managing director of MBCS expressed, “Jemena is a fascinating business with so much creative potential. Potential that is greater unlocked by having creative and media harmoniously working together under one roof. It makes collaboration easier, encourages new and gutsy perspectives and ultimately produces world class results for our clients. We can’t wait to get started.”

Meanwhile, Sandra Centofanti, head of strategy & marketing at Jemena Networks added, “Year-on-year Initiative brings fresh, exciting media thinking to the table; they understand our business intimately and deliver consistently strong results. We’re pleased to expand this relationship and onboard MBCS as our creative partners. Their connected approach to creativity and energy for our business was magnetic and we look forward to creating big things together.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – As we come around the corner of Chinese New Year festivities, oral care brand Listerine in Malaysia has cooked up a quirky and good-vibes campaign that sees it playing around the relatable ‘feat’ of capturing a decent family photo. 

The campaign, dubbed #SwishAwaySuay where ‘Suay’ means bad luck, shows a family finding it a challenge to take a photo that would have everyone showing a genuine, bright smile. The reason for such is each member’s personal burden becoming evident in their iffy dispositions.

The comic short is, in fact, quite a one-woman show, with the characters played by a single person – local content creator Jenn Chia. The popular social media personality is known for her comic fictional portrayals, and the campaign sees all of them unite in one space, led by Jenn’s famous persona ‘Auntie Siow’. 

IPG Mediabrands’ Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS), which is the one responsible for the creation of the campaign, said that Jenn was an obvious choice to collaborate with, in order to relate across all ages. 

“We created the storyline with her in mind, because we love her versatility and creativeness, and gave her full creative licence to utilise all her famous characters and write the script together with us,” said Andy Ng, head of performance content & social. 

“Every year, we challenge ourselves to keep things fresh and engaging for Listerine. Rather than going the traditional route, we looked to present [out-of-the-box] entertainment to connect with our young consumer,” he added. 

The storyline finds its resolution with everyone taking the Listerine mouthwash to metaphorically ‘wash away’ bad luck – Suay – and be in a blissful state, ready for the perfect family photo. 

#SwishAwaySuay kickstarted with Jenn’s video on her Instagram account @soimjenn. According to MBCS, the video garnered up to 20,000 likes in just 12 hours. 

Tracy Foo, senior brand manager of Listerine, said, “We’re always looking for new ways to innovate Listerine as a brand, and this year has been no different. The MBCS team has once again presented us with a trendy idea that intersects well with our brand and cultural insights, while Jenn has truly brought to life a myriad [of] different characters, with friendly festive family banter that is so relatable across ages and even cultures. We’re extremely pleased with the outcome and glad to see such a positive audience response thus far.” 

Meanwhile, Jenn commented, “It has been such a gratifying experience working with the MBCS team to conceptualise something unique and different. I love how open Listerine is to push boundaries! Listerine was confident in building on the storytelling and concept enough to allow the product to be revealed during the plot twist, rather than in the first 5 seconds. I am so happy to create and be a part of this collaboration with Listerine and MBCS,” said Jenn.

The campaign launched on 3 January and will run through CNY. It will also be featuring an on-ground roadshow at 1 Utama Shopping Mall between 4-8 January, with an opportunity for fans to meet Auntie Siow. To further add to the brand engagement, four game stations have been set up for the public to experience Listerine first-hand. 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – MILO Malaysia, together with Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS), has released the #MalaysiaBolehBersamaMILO campaign to celebrate the Malaysian spirit of unity this Merdeka and Malaysia Day. The campaign is inspired by the ‘Malaysia Boleh’ (Malaysia Can-Do) spirit, encapsulated in the Malaysia Boleh sports cheer, which was coined by MILO for the SEA Games in 1993.

Since the said SEA Games, the MILO-originated slogan has been used by Malaysians as a chant for hope, fueling their never-give-up mindset, signifying MILO as a symbol of inspirational strength through the generations and serving to unite all Malaysians through the goodness of MILO.

Rudy La Faber, creative director of MBCS, said, “While people in Malaysia and abroad regularly cry out ‘Malaysia Boleh’ when supporting our nation, a lesser-known fact is that the slogan was coined by MILO in 1992 and in the following year, officially used by MILO for SEA Games. This legendary phrase is now etched in the minds and hearts of every Malaysian as a battle cry to uplift our spirits at major sporting events. We wanted to reinvigorate the power of this slogan and take it to new heights through inspiring stories of MILO, as celebrating the Malaysian spirit of unity is what #MalaysiaBolehBersamaMILO is all about.”

The campaign was flagged-off with the iconic MILO vans taking a nationwide tour, giving out over 20,000 cups of MILO nationwide to energise Malaysians to go further. The MILO samples are shared in cups that have been reskinned, the designs having been infused with elements that link to Malaysians’ memories of MILO. 

Catherine Yap, consumer marketing manager of MILO, said, “Over the years, MILO® has built and preserved a strong brand bond between Malaysians, and we will continue to champion and energise Malaysians with the nutritious goodness of MILO® for many more years to come. We hope the Malaysia Boleh spirit will live on and fuel Malaysians to go further in life, no matter what they set out to achieve. The MBCS team have managed to take the well-known slogan and give it a fresh new lease of life, with MILO® planted at the very heart of it.”

The campaign culminates in a live projection across the TS Law Tower, Malaysia’s first 360 LED building facade display, on the evening of 16 & 17 September. The Kuala Lumpur skyscraper will be illuminated in the iconic MILO green which symbolises MILO’s inspiration to continue fueling Malaysians with the ‘Energy To Go Further’.

A finale event in Dataran Merdeka on 16 September will wrap up the nationwide tour with special performances and energetic activities aligning with the MILO brand mission. The intention is to bring the nation together to celebrate the country’s significant milestone – the commemoration of the establishment of the Malaysian Federation in 1963 – showing the unity of a nation over the goodness of MILO. 

La Faber adds, “The creative direction for the cups and messages were inspired by grassroot conversations around MILO® and its iconic trucks and vans. These vehicles have become a gathering point for the nation that cut through every demographic, as they continue to excite and bring Malaysians together. It just goes to show you how MILO® has inspired generations in so many ways, and #MalaysiaBolehBersamaMILO continues to energise our Malaysia Boleh spirit!”

The campaign runs till 16 September 2022 and is further amplified across all social media channels.