Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Dentsu Malaysia has teamed up with Axiata Group Berhad this year’s Merdeka campaign to honour Malaysia’s unsung heroes, whose achievements have quietly placed the nation on the global map.

Running from Merdeka Day (31 August) to Malaysia Day (16 September), the campaign deviated from paying homage to well-recognised national icons and instead spotlighted everyday Malaysians, including a NASA competition winner, an esports champion, a dedicated teacher, a clinical scientist, an international photojournalist, and an international speech competition winner, who may not be usually known to fellow Malaysians for their extraordinary achievements.

Running on all key social and digital platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube, the campaign surpassed expectations, doubling Through Plays and Engagement, with a reach of over 4.2 million. It generated 3.88 million views on TikTok, 2 million views on YouTube, and 1.2 million views on Meta.

The production, completed in just two days, showcases the dedication of both teams.

Ellison Fernandez, executive creative director at dentsu Malaysia, said, “By focusing on the stories of lesser-known achievements, the campaign showcases how everyday Malaysians push boundaries to inspire others to unite, combining talents to elevate the nation’s reputation on the global stage. These unsung heroes embody Axiata’s commitment to advancing every individual towards becoming catalysts for change.”

Meanwhile, Audrey Chong, CEO at dentsu Malaysia, commented, “As a team with our roots in Malaysia, we resonate deeply with Axiata’s identity with the nation and ambition to sew the fabric of the nation. This campaign was born out of a recognition that people from all walks of life form our nation’s collective identity, no matter how big or small, and while popular national icons are celebrated, we must also elevate individuals who have excelled for Malaysia in their own ways. We are proud to be part of this meaningful campaign with Axiata and are grateful to all involved delivering this in a limited amount of time.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – SIRIM QAS International–a testing, inspection and certification body–has teamed up with M&C Saatchi to release a short film, titled ‘Harmoni Sebuah Memori’. The film was created in honour of Malaysia’s 67th Hari Merdeka and celebrates how kindness unites us all. 

In line with this year’s Malaysia Madani: Jiwa Merdeka theme, the film conveys the heartwarming story of how Cikgu Yam’s simple acts of kindness and generosity over the years are still remembered by those around her. The film was directed by Wayang Works, with Nadiah Hamzah as the director. 

For someone living with dementia, Cikgu Yam is still capable of spreading warmth through her simple and kind gestures, while receiving the understanding of the people around her. 

En Aminudin Abd Aziz, senior general manager at SIRIM QAS International, said, “This film is more than just a tribute, it is also a reflection of our group’s values, namely unity. As diverse as Malaysians are, our ability to relate and understand each other is what unites us as one. As we celebrate this year’s Merdeka theme, Malaysia Madani: Jiwa Merdeka, let’s find inspiration from the values shared through Cikgu Yam’s story and do our part in bringing positive changes within our immediate communities.” 

Meanwhile, Marzuki Maani, executive creative director at M&C Saatchi Kuala Lumpur, commented, “The film visibly depicts all of Cikgu Yam’s good values that inspire Malaysia’s future generations, and also the importance of such values in the development of a progressive and inclusive tomorrow.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – In conjunction with this year’s National Day theme of ‘Jiwa Merdeka,’ CelcomDigi’s One Team – M&C Saatchi and Naga DDB Tribal – has partnered up with young Malaysians who are using technology and connectivity to shape the nation’s future. 

The campaign features a film narrated by the trailblazing Bunga, Malaysia’s first and most popular Hijabi rapper. Defying stereotypes, she seamlessly blends modest attire with the dynamic energy of hip-hop for boundary-breaking performances that have won accolades worldwide. 

Another youthful visionary featured in the film is 19-year-old Ong Yong Xun (Zero Ong), who single-handedly developed the JomStudy app. The innovative platform revolutionised learning for SPM students by consolidating learning resources.

Meanwhile, Ash Raja and Jon Dexter of content platform Small Towns MY have embarked on a mission to revitalise local tourism by showcasing the hidden gems of Malaysia’s smaller towns. Their efforts have brought newfound attention and appreciation for these often-overlooked communities. 

In the realm of social impact, Azziaty, Azrin, and Azlyn of ROCKA Atelier are making a profound difference through fashion. Their socially conscious brand provides employment opportunities for women from underprivileged backgrounds, empowering them to achieve financial independence and build brighter futures. 

Additionally, the film highlights the remarkable work of Adrian Jo Milang, the youngest Kayan oral tradition practitioner and preservationist. His dedication to safeguarding the ancient oral art forms of Parap and Takna’ is an inspiration to young Malaysians, and a testament to the power of preserving traditions in the digital age. 

Marzuki Maani, executive creative director of the One Team, said, “It’s amazing to see how connectivity can empower our young generation’s creativity to create opportunities. It closes the gaps between age and location, allowing anyone – whether they’re in the city or in the deep rural areas – to explore and unlock their potential.”

He added, “Through this campaign, CelcomDigi wants to shine a spotlight on them, in hopes that by knowing and seeing the young generations at work, we continue to inspire support for the future generation in whatever they set their minds to.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Malaysia Airlines and Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur have joined forces to take guests on a delectable journey that celebrates Malaysia’s diverse culture and cuisine through a curated menu exclusively available at all the airline’s Golden Lounges in KL International Airport, Terminal 1.

This was released in conjunction with the recently concluded National Day and Malaysia Day celebrations.

From 30 August to 1 September and from 15 to 17 September, passengers at the Golden Lounge Satellite, Golden Lounge Regional and Golden Lounge Domestic will have the opportunity to savour a diverse menu featuring authentic Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisines, which captures the essence of Malaysia’s rich and diverse culture heritage.

“Kuala Lumpur has become an icon in the city for its culinary excellence, often enlisting world-class chefs with unparalleled culinary expertise, spanning across seven innovative outlets featuring an array of different cuisines,” Malaysia Airlines said in a press statement.

They added, “With this collaboration, the chefs of Mandarin Oriental share their expertise to bring the best of cuisine to KLIA, resulting in exceptional dishes that can elevate the dining experience of customers in the Golden Lounge.” 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Telekom Malaysia (TM) has teamed up with Grey Malaysia to launch a new campaign which uses generative AI to showcase the multifaceted diversity of the country. The new campaign was launched ahead of the upcoming Merdeka Day celebrations.

The TM team has created ‘AIDENTITI™ KITA’ an AI platform that allows people to express the unique traits that make them Malaysian. The campaign features a microsite at where people can generate their ‘AIDENTITI™’ as a personalised music video clip and stand a chance to be featured on digital billboards across the nation.

Following this, the team also worked with Directors Think Tank and Nacho Usual Collective to produce a one-of-a-kind music video featuring Malaysian artists MK (K-Clique), Suki Low and Balan Kash. Created with generative AI and the vision of film director Ian Djin Kai, the film tells a story of Malaysia’s diversity through live-action and unique digital artwork compositions. 

Driven by a pop-rap music composition infused with traditional instruments, the music video showcased the beauty of Malaysia’s multifaceted culture in a method that’s fresh and modern.

Shanti Jusnita Johari, chief marketing officer at TM Group Customer Experience and Marketing, said, “Aligning with TM’s mission to bring new technologies to everyday Malaysians, this campaign showcases our country’s identity and diversity through a unique digital engagement, where communities from all walks of life can experience AI up close. Through our AIDENTITI™ KITA initiative, we at TM aim to foster unity by bridging culture, humanity and technology.”

Meanwhile, Jeremy Yeoh, deputy executive creative director of Grey Malaysia, commented, “We wanted to give people the platform to experience AI in a way that’s uniquely Malaysian. With generative AI, we’re able to add a different dimension and generate new perspectives on how we express Malaysia’s colourful kaleidoscope of faces and facets,”

Lastly, Jamie Hendricks, senior art director and Lysha Zulkifly, senior copywriter of Grey Malaysia, jointly said, “Giving everyone a taste of what AI can be is the beauty of this campaign, and what better way than to present it through our diverse culture. The outcome we got from the generated artwork with what was filmed really brought to life our blend of identity. It’s still uncharted territory that we’re tapping into, but as creatives, we have to adapt to constant new mediums of creativity. And with AI, it’s definitely a worthy exploration.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – OPPO celebrates the Malaysian spirit and character this Merdeka and Malaysia Day through its colourful and interesting new brand campaign called ‘Our Traits in Portraits’. Through a montage of ‘portraits’, a different personality and character is spotlighted.

Done in collaboration with Ensemble Worldwide, the creative unit of Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS), the campaign showcases valued traits of Malaysians such as resilience, devotion to tradition, and strength and determination to achieve significant aims in life. 

Each portrait is a vivid and gorgeous shot featuring a specific Malaysian in his/her walk of life, and through this ultra-clear detail, the campaign aims to shine a light on the best portrait features of OPPO’s Reno8 Series, and ultimately, cement its position as ‘The Portrait Expert’.

Norman Tang, creative director of Ensemble Worldwide, said, “Portraits are powerful mediums. A rich, vivid one captures the traits that clearly define who we are. This motivated us to look towards portraits as a way to showcase the traits that make us extraordinary as Malaysians. Particularly portraits shot by The Portrait Expert – the Reno8.”

Tang shared that in order for them to breathe life into Reno8’s Merdeka/Malaysia Day narrative of ‘Our Traits in Portraits’, the team searched for inspirational Malaysians and landed on a diverse set of personalities which included a K2 summiteer, a para sprinter, a national flood relief hero, and more. 

“All possess different traits that Malaysians are known for and are proud of. Resilience, generosity, strength, creativity… the list goes on. We definitely struck gold with these heroes,” he added. 

Alex Chen, marketing deputy director of Oppo Malaysia, commented, “The video showcases an amalgamation of distinctive characteristics that every Malaysian possesses, that resonates with OPPO’s brand proposition – “Inspiration Ahead”. Just like them, we are all about empowering people who are not afraid to take on challenges. Together, OPPO wants to be a part of every Malaysian’s daily [life], and hopes to inspire and encourage Malaysian users to embrace future challenges with optimism and dedication.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Malaysian telecommunications company TM has launched its Merdeka campaign, utilising the ancient artform of wayang kulit or a puppet-shadow play to tell the story of Ibu Zain, who encouraged Malaysians to unite and empowered Malaysian women to fight for their right to an education.

The campaign, conceptualised by VMLY&R, is narrated by Ibu Zain’s daughter Fadzilah Amin–a renowned Malaysian scholar–uses 360° video technology to create a truly immersive 360 Wayang Kulit experience for modern audiences. Titled ‘Ibu, Kisah Seorang Tokoh Kemerdekaan’ (‘Ibu, The Story of Malaysia’s Independence Hero’) the ad was created in partnership with Mojo Film, with guidance and performances by puppeteers from Fusion Wayang Kulit, Malaysia.

The film tells the story of the forgotten Malaysian heroine who encouraged Malaysians to unite and empowered Malaysian women to fight for their right to an education. Said use of the VR technology is part of TM’s #MengukirMalaysia (Crafting Malaysia) initiative to celebrate, elevate and preserve Malaysian culture through technology.

Shanti Jusnita Johari, chief marketing officer at TM, said, “Through our Mengukir Malaysia initiative, we aspire to leverage technologies that not only change the way we live, work and play, but also enhance our perspectives and ideas, drawing from our local culture and history to remind us about what’s made us a great nation.”

She added, “This Hari Kebangsaan and Hari Malaysia, we wanted to remember and celebrate Malaysia’s many unsung heroes, such as Ibu Zain, who made our country great. We hope that through this short film, people will be encouraged to learn more about this historical icon as we commemorate her legacy via Wayang Kulit, one of the first forms of storytelling by our ancestors which we must also preserve.”

Meanwhile, Kenni Loh, CEO, VMLY&R COMMERCE Malaysia, said, “At VMLY&R we believe in harnessing creativity, technology, and culture to create truly connected brands that resonate with consumers in real and authentic ways. TM is a progressive Malaysian brand with technological innovation at its core. With this in mind, we were keen to work with them to design and deliver a campaign that would reflect their national pride, whilst underlining their positioning as an enabler of technology, in a way that would resonate with Malaysians everywhere.” 

He added, “Aligning with the Malaysian Government’s ‘#Keluarga Malaysia, Teguh Bersama’ (Malaysian Family, United Together) theme, this campaign couldn’t be any more uniquely Malaysian, reviving a forgotten art form via the use of innovative technology to capture the imagination of the nation and tell the story of one of the country’s most inspiring heroines this Merdeka.”

As part of the campaign, VMLY&R also created a specially curated TM Merdeka microsite tm.com.my/MengukirMalaysia, where audiences can immerse themselves in the world of Wayang Kulit, Ibu Zain and TM‘s Mengukir Malaysia initiative with videos, 360° interactive Wayang Kulit experiences and special behind-the-scenes content. Fans can also feel part of the campaign by adopting one of several Wayang Kulit Instagram filters.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Insurance company AIA in Malaysia has released its Merdeka-themed campaign focusing on the importance of arts and culture as a way to preserve the diverse traditions and beliefs of Malaysia.

The digital campaign, conceptualised by Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS), called ‘Perwira Legasi’ (translating to Legacy Heroes) was launched to celebrate a collective of passionate Malaysians who have made it their life’s mission to preserve diverse cultural legacies like traditional art, craft and performance.

In addition, their insightful stories highlight the importance of keeping Malaysian cultural legacies alive, and align with AIA’s three pillars of its ‘Total Wealth Solution’: Plan Well, Live Well and Protect Well.

Over the course of the weeks leading up to Merdeka and Malaysia Day, AIA Malaysia’s social feeds feature original reels, artistic backgrounds and information from three (3) selected local artisans and performers – Wesley Anak Juntan, a former flight attendant who makes Borneo dolls in traditional outfits; mother-daughter duo behind Lizza’s Creations, Lizza (Rosliza binti Muhammad) and Sarah (Siti Sarah binti Isharuddin), with a 28-year history of making hand-crafted Malaysian artisanal batik; and a Malay-Chinese pair, Syafizal-Syazlee Salehud-Din and Ker Yee Ting who are continuing the fading art of traditional Zapin dance. 

Amir Faiz, group creative director of MBCS said, “In planning for this campaign, we realised that a lot of people have passion projects that they work on in their spare time as side hustles. It may not necessarily be something they can make a living from, but these passions are relevant and help maintain our heritage and culture. That’s why we celebrate them as ‘Perwira Legasi’. The campaign explores different themes like freedom, independence, and unity, shown through the lens of Malaysians who nurture these arts and crafts in their daily lives.”

Amir added, “The hardest part of this campaign was sifting through the heroes. These are genuine people, each with a truly unique story to share, who have real passion for what they do and create. Cultural diversity is in our very DNA as Malaysians. We hope this campaign shines a light for all Malaysians to embrace this facet before we run the risk of losing these arts as time goes by.”