Tag: Naga DDB Tribal

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 7DAYS, a croissant brand from Mondelēz International, has launched their latest ‘Double Cream’ flavours in Malaysia, alongside a campaign with advertising agency Naga DDB Tribal which highlights how cultures and preferences mix together.

The collaboration boasts local artists Naim Daniel and Bunga, which includes a catchy tune named ‘Gandingan Tergempak Malaysia’ (Malaysia’s Greatest Mix), accompanied by a visually striking music video.

Within the song, Naim Daniel plays the character of a suave, luxurious crooner to represent the decadent nature of the new Double Cream Chocolate Vanilla flavour; while Bunga plays an edgy, high-energy rapper that represents the fresh, sweet yet tart nature of Double Cream Vanilla Forest Berries flavour.

To get the nation excited and involved, 7DAYS also calls upon Malaysians to try the new flavours and dance to the new song’s signature moves to win weekly exclusive prizes via the #DoubleCreamChallenge, which is available until July 14, 2024.

Grand prize includes signed ‘Gandingan Tergempak’ merchandise set by Naim Daniel and Bunga with meet and greet passes, followed by first place prizes of Gandingan Tergempak 7DAYS varsity jackets, second place prizes of Gandingan Tergempak 7DAYS crossbody bags, and consolation prizes of 7DAYS Double Cream tote bags.

Talking about the campaign, Cindy Yeo, senior manager, marketing of Muchico Bakery Sdn Bhd, said, “Our commitment in fostering joy and togetherness evolves with modern consumer habits, such as the desire for new exciting flavours or participating in new online trends. So we at 7DAYS want you to come and join in the fun and show us your best moves!”

Meanwhile, a Naga DDB Tribal representative also commented, “There’s something powerful about a community coming together to share the love for food and fun. It’s the perfect combination that drives happiness, which is at the heart of what we do as experience makers.”

Singapore – SEEK, which operates Asia’s online employment marketplace Jobstreet and Jobsdb, has launched a new region-wide brand campaign focusing on the creative use of SEEK’s world-class AI to match employers and job seekers.

Titled ‘Better Matches’, the creative campaign uses animal imagery to convey the increasingly complex jungle of job seeking and hiring, highlighting SEEK’s expertise in using AI tools for job matching.

JobStreet by SEEK Campaign – Lion Version

For the Better Matches campaign, SEEK partnered with Talon Creative (Naga DDB Tribal) to create a series of animated animal videos, which depicts a giraffe, a lion and a sloth working in mismatched jobs that do not align with their inherent traits, leading to unforeseen consequences. When taken out of their natural environments, these animals are not set up for success – much like when candidates are not matched with the right enrollment that fits their level, strengths and pace. 

The animal-themed campaign symbolises the journey through the ‘talent jungle’, which both employers and talent have expressed difficulties in navigating via multiple surveys and online publications. The aim of the campaign is to introduce Jobstreet’s new and improved platform as the latest digital solution to this growing problem, with the promise of delivering more access to opportunities, talent, and more relevance and personalisation through AI technology.

For employers, the new platform deploys AI models to assess talent suitability and provide highly personalised recommendations by processing data from various sources, including resumes, job ad descriptions, and the employer’s past behaviours. This allows employers to hire fast and right.

JobStreet by SEEK Campaign – Giraffe Version

This campaign follows the merger of Jobstreet, Jobsdb and SEEK’s platforms across APAC, whereby the three brands operate under a single platform powered by SEEK’s world-class AI technology, while retaining their individual brands. With global talent shortages at a 16-year high, the unified marketplace now enables local employers and talent to leverage the AI-powered platform for more opportunities.

Jane Walker, chief marketing officer for Asia at SEEK, said, “We are thrilled to unveil the launch of ‘Better Matches,’ an engaging and lighthearted campaign that underscores our commitment to enhancing and streamlining the hiring process. In Singapore’s dynamic job market, where talent acquisition is increasingly competitive, our new platform leverages AI technology to facilitate relevant job matches between employers and talent.”

She added, “Personifying traits and characteristics through the delightful animal characters, we aim to spotlight the evolving challenges faced by employers and talent alike, amidst the mismatch of expectations across our employment market. This campaign marks an exciting milestone as we introduce our revamped platform, and we eagerly await the response from the Singaporean audience as we continue to innovate and enhance the job-seeking experience.”

The integrated campaign will be broadcast across various platforms, including social media and Jobstreet’s owned channels. Particularly, it will also be broadcasted outdoors with a convoy of buses and taxis circulating key tertiary schooling districts to target the youths and at MRT stations to target the working crowd. Jobstreet will also be launching digital stickers and META filters on social media platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. 

Malaysia – Advertising agency Naga DDB Tribal has unveiled its first-ever generative AI certification programme that invigorates creativity within its agency team in partnership with US-based business innovation and inspiration consultancy OK Tomorrow.

The AI masterclass for creative excellence is expected to be a game-changer for the creative agency. The 9-week mandatory training programme will cover the three core learning modules and will involve even the agency’s internal AI experts.

As part of the masterclass’s core learning module, the members will learn about AI fundamentals for creative agencies, which will focus on understanding the AI landscape and its role in the creative process. This will also include the creative use of genAI tools such as ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion.

The training will also cover how to leverage AI for ideation and brainstorming to equip the agency team with techniques to spark creativity in the early stages of the creative process and AI-assisted time management and task prioritisation, which will tackle how to use AI in day-to-day tasks.

The generative AI masterclass will be led by Nilesh Ashra, founder and programme trainer at OK Tomorrow.

Nilesh has a background in business, advertising, storytelling, and technology. He founded Wieden+Kennedy’s innovation business, “The Lodge”, and served as the creative executive overseeing the business’s creative output. He is also familiar with the challenges and opportunities faced by the creative industry today.

The training programme this year is part of Naga DDB Tribal’s internal initiatives to intensify training efforts in the four key pillars: core creative, new skills, collaboration, and leadership.This is in addition to other initiatives such as The Bernbach School, led by DDB veteran Craig Lonnee, and other various external training programmes such as Effective Communications & Presentation Skills by Enfiniti Academy and Digital Marketing Mindset by The Monster School.

Alex Goh, chief strategy officer at Naga DDB Tribal, said, “AI holds the potential to assist us in multiple ways—either by guiding us towards ‘better’ outcomes through exploring a wider array of possibilities at a faster pace or by freeing up time through the automation of routine tasks. This time can then be channelled where it matters most—in crafting brand experiences that are not just valuable but also leave a lasting impression.”

He added, “This bespoke training programme aims to empower its creative, brand management, and strategy teams to harness the capabilities of artificial intelligence to generate superior ideas and creative content at the speed demanded by the business landscape.”

Speaking on the training, Clarence Koh, CEO at Naga DDB Tribal, added, “The only way to continually improve and stay relevant in our field is through continuous learning. Fresh ideas emerge from a collaborative and curious mindset, and we are committed to offering more structured training like this, along with our monthly virtual learning sessions, where experts from diverse fields share their experiences, perspectives, and skills with our team.”

Meanwhile, Nilesh said, “I’m convinced by the power of inspiration for creative businesses. When I started OK Tomorrow, I had a belief that if I could help creative companies stay ahead of the curve, it would make the process of creativity better. And better creativity means better products and brands. With Naga DDB Tribal, our goal is to equip each individual with a set of potential AI-assisted superpowers through the AI Masterclass and encourage them to seek not just efficiency but greater insight and breakthrough creativity. When this compounds across the entire company, some very exciting innovation will happen very quickly.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Local telecommunications company CelcomDigi has teamed up with Naga DDB Tribal and M&C Saatchi to launch a locally-crowdsourced AI film, a first in the market. This was launched ahead of the upcoming National Day celebration in Malaysia.

‘Projek My Malaysia’ harnessed the power of generative AI to inspire Malaysians to come together and share their vision of our country. 

To conceptualise the film, the public was given footage of an everyday Malaysian wandering the streets. They were then invited to transform scenes from it, using generative AI tools to express their vision. Their visions were turned into prompts, which became unique AI-generated video clips that reflected the Malaysia they see in their hearts. 

Throughout the campaign, hundreds of submissions were generated then put together to form a cohesive story that united the collective sentiments of the general populace.

Alvin Teoh, chief creative officer at Naga DDB Tribal, This project started with one question all Malaysians can resonate with – what kind of Malaysia would we like our kids to grow up in? It’s a universal desire that closes the gaps across the divide because deep down, we all want the same thing for our kids: a safer, happier, kinder, greener, fairer, stronger country for every child to live and thrive in.”

He added, “So all we did was hand over our pre-shot film to the rakyat and allowed them to alter the scenes according to their vision expressed via prompts and now, we have a co-created festive piece that hopefully reflects our collective desire to see this Malaysia take shape through all of us coming together. Because the truth is – the country we desire in our hearts is actually in all of our hands.”

Meanwhile, Marzuki Maani, executive creative director at M&C Saatchi, commented, “Making ‘Projek My Malaysia’ happen was in itself a stronger together experience. It took several teams to come together and play our parts to achieve the project’s ambition. I think what we created was a beautiful representation of what we could achieve when we work together towards a common goal.”

Lastly, Maurice Noone, film director at Directors Think Tank, said, “We wanted to capture the sentiments of Malaysians and present it in a fresh way. Artificial Intelligence is all the rage right now, but technology is just a tool. We felt we could do something meaningful and not just cosmetic. We felt there was a way to use it as a tool to express our collective vision of our country. Projek My Malaysia took the raw imagination of the public and made it real.”

He added, “It was scary working on the project because we didn’t actually know what fellow Malaysians would generate. Would it work? But, in the end we had wonderful scenes that were transformed that we never expected. Good to know Malaysians care about our future and can imagine possibilities that I’d never thought of. There is hope.”

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 – Marketing communications agency Naga DDB Tribal has appointed Farrah Harith-McPherson, former managing director at media network M/Six in Kuala Lumpur, to step into the newly created role of chief growth officer.

Harith-McPherson is a branding and communications specialist with over 20 years of experience, and has served in a diverse range of roles in a leadership capacity. Aside from her previous role at M/Six, she has also held roles at BBDO Malaysia and M&C Saatchi.

In her new role at Naga DDB Tribal, Harith-McPherson will be reporting to Kristian Lee, Naga DDB Tribal’s CEO, and will work closely with Clarence Koh, the agency’s COO, Alvin Teoh, the agency’s CCO, and Alex Goh, the agency’s CSO, as well as Nik Radzi, the agency’s ECD. She will focus on driving the agency’s action goals focused on developing new services in pursuit of new business as well as organic growth. 

Moreover, Harith-McPherson will aid in charting the direction of the agency in identifying horizontal and vertical growth opportunities to elevate the diversity and level capabilities of its service offerings to existing as well as to its potential clientele. Her role also entails sharing responsibilities with the COO in streamlining the agency’s internal processes, managing key department operations, and providing guidance and leadership to agency staff members.

Commenting on her appointment, Harith-McPherson said, “I am thrilled to be joining an agency with such a strong legacy for building enduring and memorable brands. I look forward to continuing the strong growth momentum as well as being a part of the team that charts this next chapter to drive organic and new business growth for Naga DDB Tribal through new offerings and strategic collaboration.” 

Meanwhile, Lee stated that the hire was an indicator of the agency’s intent and ambition to continue to strive towards pursuing positive evolution to attain its goals of becoming an agency that truly understands and meets the marketing needs of brands of all sizes local and regional alike.

“With her experience, drive, and proven leadership qualities, Farrah brings not only vision and skill but importantly a strong voice that complements our management team perfectly. We could not be more thrilled and excited by her coming on board,” he said. 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — Prudential Assurance Malaysia, an indirect subsidiary of Prudential, has released their annual brand collateral collection — the highlight of which were table-top calendars that took inspiration from something Malaysians was accustomed to every day during the pandemic: the QR Code. The campaign was done in collaboration with ad agency Naga DDB Tribal.

According to Prudential, they were inspired by the resilience in the ‘new norm’. Hence for 2022, the company set out to turn everyday pandemic obstacles we’ve come to normalize into wellness opportunities that refresh and rejuvenate.

Naqib Shamsuri, associate creative director, said, “We realized that the QR code had become part and parcel of our daily lives. From check-ins to menus, it served as a constant reminder of the pandemic. And since we all have our QR camera handy, why not give Malaysians something positive to do with it.”

The project entitled ‘Code to Wellness’ unlocks a wonderful world of wellness not just for users of the calendar and other brand collateral, but for all Malaysians through its online website, Prudential Malaysia’s social media platforms, as well as their official health and wellness app ‘Pulse by Prudential’. By scanning the QR Code every month, customers are granted access to wellness advice, activities and even rewards to transform their year into an exciting journey of wellness.

Angeline Tung Tze Ling, head of brand and communications of Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad, said, “As a brand, we’re all about giving our customers the opportunity to live with confidence. This calendar gives us just that with a year’s worth of health and wellness activities to help transform our lives for the better.”

The campaign is available on Prudential’s website with a monthly promo activation.

Malaysia — Himalaya Vajomba, an extension of Himalaya Salt Sports Candy, has launched a Valentine’s Day campaign on social platforms, dating apps, and ventured outdoors with their mascot – Himalayeti. This unique creature of folklore popular in the region is Himalaya Sports & Himalaya Vajomba’s brand ambassador. The campaign was done in collaboration with advertising agency Naga DDB Tribal.

Andrew Lim, head of sales and marketing at Nicko Jeep Manufacture, said, “Instead of pushing something tactical and adding to Valentine’s Day clutter, we trust the creative team from Naga DDB Tribal and decided to take a slightly different approach.’’

Hajar Yusof, head of digital experience at Naga DDB Tribal, commented, “We wanted to use this sweet occasion as an opportunity to reach a new pool of audience, but not just as a sponsored ad. So we thought to ourselves – what if our brand ambassador Himalayeti looks for a Valentine? Imagine swiping on Tinder and seeing a fluffy, white creature holding a bouquet of candy for you. I’d swipe right on that.”

The massive mascot whose covered head-to-toe with fur went on the popular dating app Tinder to test his luck on with its pick-up lines. In just 4 days, Himalayeti got 100 matches on Tinder and lots of pick-up lines in return. Naturally, Himalaya Vajomba took that chance to brag about it on social media, which in turn kick-started even more organic conversations online. 

The brand ambassador also went on to the popular social media platform Instagram to slide into people’s dms with some cheesy lines. Many influencers from the sports and lifestyle category responded namely Amira Ayob, Irfan Shamduddin, Amanda Imani, Ira Roslan, Daniel Cheang, Marisa Soraya, and Malaysia’s own movie star, Erra Fazira.

Himalaya Vajomba gave out sweet bouquets to all of Himalayeti’s Valentines as a sweet ending to the campaign, creating even more traction and ending it with a total engagement of 29,471 people, an uplift of +41.7% in follower growth, and 141k of earned media reach. 

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.

Malaysia – In conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year (CNY) celebration, Malaysian telco Digi has released a new short film, aimed at reminding Malaysians from all walks of life that ‘love’, ‘compassion’, and ‘understanding’ begins with family.

The short film, which was developed in partnership with marketing communications agency Naga DDB Tribal, highlights the importance of being flag-bearers of hope for one another.

Titled ‘The Undivided Heart’, the film tells the story of Amy, a young lady who inherits the family restaurant in the most challenging of times. This leads to friction between family members who run the business with her. Ultimately, she learns that the love of family is the cornerstone in times of adversity.

Cheng Weng Hong, Digi’s chief sales officer, shared that the telco wanted to inspire Malaysians to remain hopeful and optimistic during these new beginnings that bring families closer together as one. 

“On behalf of Digi, we would like to wish all Malaysians a very Happy Chinese New Year and to stay safe this festive season while adhering to strict standard operating procedures when spending quality time reconnecting with loved ones,” said Hong.

Meanwhile, Loo Chun Guan, Naga DDB Tribal’s creative director, commented, “This true-to-life story brought to life by the team at Naga DDB Tribal and Mojo Films reminds us that above all family is our true wealth. We would also like to take the opportunity to wish all Malaysians and their families a Happy Chinese New Year.”