Tag: Series

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – To honour Malaysia’s Independence Day and National Day, PETRONAS has launched the fifth episode of 366, the company’s original drama series for the year, Day 243. This episode pays tribute to sports and its importance in the lives of Malaysians.

Developed in collaboration with creative agency Ensemble Worldwide, ‘366’, the seven-episode drama series is anchored upon the overall PETRONAS 2022 festive campaign themed ‘Live Again’, and sets out to portray the resilience, fortitude, and togetherness of Malaysians during trying times.

The series was launched in February with ‘Day 32’ for Chinese New Year, with the title of each episode corresponding with Malaysia’s festive celebrations. Subsequent episodes aired in April and May to commemorate Hari Raya (Day 123), and the cultural festivals of East Malaysia – Kaamatan (Day 151), the harvest festival celebrated by ethnic Kadazan-Dusuns and other related ethnic groups in the state of Sabah; as well as Hari Gawai (Day 151), a thanksgiving and harvest festival celebrated by the Dayak people of Sarawak and Sabah. 

The series revolves around the main characters, Zhi Yi, Poji, and Adam as they experience the complexities of life together with family and friends, and recognise the ties that bind them. This latest episode continues with the story of a youth football team that wants to achieve its dream of winning the Malaysian Football Festival.

Episode 5 was directed by Kabir Bhatia, a director/producer who has spent the last 20 years in Malaysia stamping his strong visual style in the film industry. It features flashbacks of badminton, a favourite grassroots sport are seen, alongside living football legends Mohd Safee bin Mohd Sali (Safee Sali) and Datuk Wira Soh Chin Ann, also known as Tauke.

Didi Pirinyuang, executive creative director of Ensemble Worldwide, said that drafting 366 over the course of the year has been a real experience, and as they develop each character, they become more and more invested to see how life pans out for them. 

She further shared that injecting the theme of sports this time also added a new fun element as the love of sports is synonymous with Malaysians, and they were privileged to recognise their legendary past.

“Shaping the storyline is a collective process, not just between us and the PETRONAS team, but with all Malaysians out there who are sharing in this journey of discovery with us. We still have two episodes to go before the end of the year, and we’re excited to see where their stories take us. Bravely forward, down new paths of inspiration,” added Pirinyuang.

The ‘366’ series is available for viewing on PETRONAS’ official YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Singapore – Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International’s award-winning travel program and marketplace, has partnered with ONE Esports, an esports media subsidiary of ONE Championship (ONE), to launch ‘Gamer’s Paradise’, a 15-episode variety talk show series. This all-new programme will feature content that celebrates the diversity of gaming and esports culture across Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, and Singapore, as well as Thailand, and Vietnam.

‘Gamer’s Paradise’ will feature the best esports athletes, gaming and influencer talent, and industry experts. Its episodes will centre on a theme, from deep dives into popular gaming titles to explorations of broad industry trends. Each episode will be broken down into five engaging segments, namely ‘The Pulse’, which features a panel of experts and gaming celebrities discussing the hottest gaming and esports topics, ‘Hero Story’ (Stories of Inspiration), an in-depth interview with Asia’s favourite esports heroes and personalities, and ‘Gamer’s Haven’ (A Day Away From The Game), a day of relaxation using Marriott’s facilities, offering esports personalities and gaming celebrities a much-needed break, as well as ‘Side Quest’, a feature on the best video game worlds in history, and lastly, ‘House Party’, where hosts and guests that appear on the episode will participate in a variety of geek-themed party games.

The programme will be hosted by popular ‘Super Host’ and emcee Eri Neeman and ONE Esports’ MikaFabs. Neeman has hosted several premiere esports events and tournaments such as the ESL One Birmingham 2019, ESL One Manila 2016, Manila Masters, and REV Major, while MikaFabs is a writer, producer, and esports host, who has hosted international tournaments for Valorant and League of Legends: Wild Rift.

Moreover, fans can also expect to catch their favourite gaming and esports talent on the series and stand to win prizes from Marriott Bonvoy by engaging with the show online. Program guests include League of Legends player Teddy from Korean esports team Kwangdong Freecs; Dota 2 personality and host Sheever; Japanese Street Fighter player Kawano; and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang players Edward and OHEB from Filipino esports team Blacklist International; amongst others.

Carlos Alimurung, CEO of ONE Esports, shared that the goals for Gamer’s Paradise are to celebrate esports, provide our audience with deep insights into the ecosystem and community, and share the stories of gaming and esports heroes who ignite the world with strength, hope, dreams, and inspiration.

“The series will highlight Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of properties across Asia. Marriott Bonvoy is the perfect travel program for the gaming and esports fan, whose lifestyle consists of frequent travel,” said Alimurung.

Meanwhile, Julie Purser, Marriott International’s vice president of marketing, loyalty & partnerships for APAC, commented that they have teamed up with ONE Esports on Gamer’s Paradise to bring Marriott Bonvoy’s expression of good travel in both virtual and physical settings to gamers across the region. 

“This series is rooted in travel, and we hope to showcase how the digital and gaming worlds draw inspiration, energy, and community from the transformative power of travel. There has been great synergy working alongside ONE Esports to execute this project together and we are confident Gamer’s Paradise will be a thrilling spectacle that inspires audiences,” said Purser.

‘Gamer’s Paradise’ will premiere across ONE Esports’ digital channels, including Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, and AfreecaTV, on 4 July 2022 at 8.30 PM SGT. The program will air in English every Monday, with subtitles in Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Melayu, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, and Vietnamese.

In June 2022, ONE Esports has been appointed as the official media partner for League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK). The League of Legends tournament is organised by League of Legends Champions Korea Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Riot Games Korea Limited.

Jakarta, Indonesia – To honour the resilience and self-belief shown by Indonesians during the pandemic, Grab Indonesia has partnered with OTT video streaming service Viu to launch a six-part series titled ‘Cerita Tentang Percaya’, which in English translates to ‘Stories of Belief’. 

The series is inspired by real-life stories of Indonesians who persevered, dared to fail, and rose again during the pandemic. Each of the 22-minute episodes of the show, which is streamed on Viu, focuses on a different story of survival during the pandemic. It has also been timed to launch with Grab’s ad campaign ‘Percaya’, which in English translates to ‘belief’, that salutes the resilient spirit of Indonesians. 

A collaborative effort of three players – The Academy Consulting (TAC), Iron Hill Media (IHM) and Passion Pictures Indonesia (PASSION). The original concept and strategy were pitched to Grab and Viu by TAC, while IHM fleshed out the six stories, and PASSION executed the production with film director Hafiz Ibrahim.

Melinda Savitri, Grab Indonesia’s country marketing head, commented that they are pleased to have partnered with Viu for ‘Cerita Tentang Percaya‘ series, which reflects the character of Indonesians, who are known to be extremely persistent – relentlessly trying again and again to overcome challenges. 

“As an inseparable element of the nation, Grab stands and fights with all Indonesians. Through collaboration with Viu and supported by TAC, PASSION, and IHM, we want the audience to feel a connection that this is a story about all of us, a story about celebrating the fight itself,” said Savitri.

Meanwhile, Varun Mehta, Viu Indonesia’s country manager, said, “The core concept of Cerita Tentang Percaya the series appealed to us greatly and that is why we wanted to partner with Grab by providing a platform where not only these stories but also the creativity of Indonesian content can be seen by a larger audience both in Indonesia and internationally.” 

Sheen S Singh, the founder of TAC, IHM & PASSION Malaysia-Indonesia-Thailand, noted that it was a proactive initiative that was developed by the team at TAC which has found that there is a fast-growing appetite amongst the consumers for long-form entertainment and an opportunity for brands to entertain and engage with them by telling relevant stories. 

“From a creative perspective, this series was designed to entertain with the brand being a part of life versus having the stories evolve around the brand. The content we aspire to produce for brands will always put “entertainment” first to ensure it is widely viewed. We are thankful to Grab and Viu for recognising this opportunity,” said Singh.

The platform has been streaming two episodes each week with the last episode scheduled to be shown on the 27th of April.