Tag: Talon Creative

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – What happens when the line between fiction and reality is blurred? Astro, Talon Creative, and Mindshare brought that question to life with a promotion for the highly anticipated second season of Astro Originals’ series ‘One Cent Thief.’ With a daring antihero at its heart, the narrative spills off screen and into the real world with a bold campaign that pushes the limits of immersive entertainment. 

As part of the promotion campaign, various major platforms were hacked, seized and hijacked, pulling unsuspecting audiences into the world and theme of One Cent Thief Season 2.

The series of disruptions started during the New Year’s Eve countdown. A 30,000 strong crowd at Konsert Countdown MeleTOP 2025 were left baffled as Digital Karma – the protagonist of ‘One Cent Thief’ season 2 hijacked the stage. It then proceeded to the digital space via page takeovers and website skinners. 

The gravitas of the situation increased when multiple billboards at Bukit Bintang displayed cryptic messages about the villainess, Ibu Zara. Afterwards, protagonist Iman Shah gave a fiery speech condemning Ibu Zara on top of Bangunan Yayasan Selang before jumping off the 8th floor while being pursued by special force Every action taken further immersed the audience into the world of One Cent Thief, climaxing with Iman Shah declaring – ‘I will expose everything.’

Benjamin Woo, vice president of product marketing at Astro, believes that Astro’s ability to bring a first-class entertainment experience to fans is not only what keeps the brand strong but also how it’s brought to life. 

“As Malaysia’s leading content and entertainment provider, we’re honoured to champion local stories and talent. We are committed to pushing boundaries and creating immersive experiences that go beyond the screen, bringing Malaysian narratives to life in exciting and innovative ways,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Gavin Teoh, managing director at Talon Creative, commented, “We’ve always believed that entertainment in communications has the power to captivate. And by integrating the story into everyday life, the campaign challenges traditional advertising and invites the audience to become part of the entertainment.”

Lastly, Ang Ching Wen, business director at Mindshare, stated, “Our immersive media activation for One Cent Thief Season 2 seamlessly blended content with the storyline, thrilling fans and sparking wider curiosity. For two hours, Bukit Bintang screens came alive with real-time surprises, making the experience truly unforgettable.”

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.” 

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.