Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Tealive has announced the official launch of ‘K-Coffee’ a brand new category of Korean coffee drinks that are ‘oppa approved’ and designed to take Malaysia by storm. 

‘K-Coffee’ by Tealive promises to bring the viral coffee craze of Korean coffee to all Malaysians and was unveiled at an exclusive pre-tasting K-Coffee Pop-up Cafe at Sunway Pyramid. 

Available in all Tealive outlets starting 6 November 2024, K-Coffee is an invitation for all Malaysians to taste a true sensation that has swept Korea.

For this, Tealive has teamed up with TBWA\Malaysia to bring the K-Coffee concept to life, creating a culturally resonant brand campaign. The “Oppa Approved” tagline, crafted by TBWA\Malaysia, adds a playful yet authentic touch, aligning perfectly with the brand’s goal to capture the essence of Korean coffee culture and resonate with fans across the region.

Tealive is challenging Malaysians to get behind this viral Korean sensation with the goal of selling 1 million cups of K-Coffee nationwide in just 10 days! To up the ante, Tealive has promised to reveal their own mysterious “Oppa” if the goal is met. On Friday 6 November, a dynamic digital-out-of-home (DOOH) billboard went live in Bukit Bintang, that captures the tally in real time, reflecting the growing popularity of Tealive’s new K-Coffee. 

The brand new drinks include K-Americano A-A, K-Coffee’ flagship cold brew Americano aand captures the robust yet refreshing taste that’s become a Korean staple, as well as the K-Sparkling Peach Americano. This delightful blend of fruit and coffee is followed by K-Sparkling Grape Americano, another sparkling variation that pairs vibrant fruit flavours with bold Americano. Last but not least, a Malaysian favourite, Spanish Latte joins their menu, providing a creamy, indulgent option.

Yee Hui Tsin, CEO at TBWA\Malaysia, said, “It’s always exciting working with Tealive. K-coffee fulfils Malaysians’ growing appetite for well-crafted drinks and Oppa Approved is designed to elevate the coffee experience for all coffee enthusiasts.”

Meanwhile, Bryan Loo, founder and CEO of Loob Holding Sdn Bhd, commented, “At Tealive, we always strive to bring Malaysians the best, without the high price tag. We created K-Coffee by Tealive so that Malaysians can experience the best of Korea’s coffee culture right here at home, in all our outlets nationwide.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Dating behaviors between Muslims have changed after the pandemic, with dwindling ‘meet-cutes’ and participants between the ages of 25 to 34 years old leaning on utilizing dating and matchmaking platforms, according to global creative agency, TBWA through its audience intelligence arm 65db Kuala Lumpur, and Malaysia-based Muslim insights unit, Halal Wave.

Data from the report suggests that Muslim singles in Malaysia are increasingly harnessing the power of technology in their search for love with close to 77.8% of leveraging on matchmaking platforms such as Muzz, Salams, and BaitulJannah to search for potential partners.

However, the report highlights that the quest for marriage among Muslims is not without its challenges. As Muslims live and interact in a culturally diverse background, conversations concerning interfaith marriage are a significant topic of interest. Specifically 62.3% of respondents are concerned about marriage regulations between different faiths as well as conversion to Islam as part of interfaith marriage.

Other challenges presented were 20.6% of respondents citing lack of guidance as the second largest barrier as they are unsure whether their approach in forming an acquaintance is aligned with Islamic teachings, 3.9% of respondents citing language barriers as a challenge, 3.0% of respondents expressing fears of being scammed in online dating and matchmaking realms, and 2.6% of respondents being worried about mismatched intentions when it comes to marriage.

The report also garnered several results through the use of identifiers between Malaysian Muslims using online matchmaking, with the first one being the ‘8 Areas of Marriage Readiness’ which lists out spirituality, character, family consent and blessings, communication, financial and security, health, future home, and finally, the Nikkah/Wedding.”

In the areas of marriage readiness, the study also concurred three distinct personas representing varying levels of commitment. First, ‘Someday, InshaAllah’ individuals seek knowledge for marriage without a fixed timeline. Second, ‘One Day, InshaAllah’ individuals actively plan for a stable future and family. Lastly, ‘Today, InshaAllah’ individuals prioritize marriage with a focus on blessings over extravagance.

Nazirah Ashari, head of 65dB Kuala Lumpur, strategy director at Halal Wave, TBWA\Asia, said, Household management, financial planning, and cost-effective wedding planning are amongst the many services that businesses can offer for all three different segments of the marriage personas. Undeniably, there is a growing need for businesses to empower and support marriage-minded Muslims throughout their journey towards matrimony. Faith-friendly offerings customized to different life stages will certainly do well in this day and era.”

Meanwhile, Hui Tsin, Yee, chief executive officer of TBWA Group Malaysia, commented, This concerted effort to gather data demonstrates our proactive stance in crafting strategies that resonate within this thriving and diverse demographic.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – In collaboration with agency TBWA\Malaysia, insurance company Tune Protect has launched its new campaign capturing the excitement of the Raya season while reminding travellers of the importance of being protected by motor insurance.

The ad featured Tune Protect’s Mascot, a pally, affectionate thumb named T.P. which served as a symbol of ease to access the digital ‘Motor Easy’ Insurance package. 

Throughout this execution, T.P. adds his own local twist to the traditional greeting of Selamat Hari Raya to express Selamat Cover Raya – a nod to the Tudung Saji, a practical, yet central item used to cover and protect food in every Malay household.

“As digital insurance becomes increasingly popular amongst the zillenials, Tune Protect’s Raya campaign affectionately captures the excitement and cheerful buzz in anticipation of family and friends coming together, positioning the brand as a favourite amongst this generation,” said Hui Tsin Yee, chief executive officer of TBWA\Malaysia.

Fazlee Sabbaruddin, deputy executive creative director of TBWA\Malaysia, also commented, “An essential connector for all Malaysians, especially throughout the Hari Raya festival is food, during large extended gatherings, food is always covered and protected by an everyday household item, the tudung saji.”

Sabbaruddin added, “In the context of the campaign by playfully swapping words, T.P.’s intent is to reinforce the importance of insurance cover to protect everyone as they make their journey this Hari Raya. Leveraging this emotion, while balancing the significance of being protected by insurance, our messaging broke the conventional standard insurance message with local allegory and vibrant quirky visuals.”

Rohit Nambiar, group chief executive officer of Tune Protect also said that the month-long campaign is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to educate and create awareness on the importance of road safety, and having the right insurance protection in the journeys back to their loved ones.

“Sending that message in a fun and quirky way through the campaign ties back to what we stand for as a brand and in tune with the joyous Hari Raya celebration,” Nambiar concluded.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Malaysia’s Ikano Centres, the IKEA-anchored shopping destination, is welcoming Malaysians back to their malls after the easing of extensive movement control orders (MCO) with a heart-warming campaign featuring a herd of charismatic and incredibly social Llama influencers.

Developed together with creative agency TBWA\Malaysia, the campaign plays off the warm phrase ‘lama tak jumpa’, a greeting commonly used when there has been a very long absence between catch-ups.

Natasha Aziz, head of customer experience and digital at Ikano Centres, said, “We have certainly missed our visitors. After such a long time, it feels so right to be welcoming them back with ‘Iama tak jumpa’. ‘Lama tak jumpa’ oozes warmth, excitement, and optimism as we move ahead. We are looking forward to safely welcoming back our communities to our shopping centres as restrictions start to ease.”

The campaign went live on 1 November, and each Llama influencer, whose personalities were made to radiate warmth and confidence, represents one of the four Malaysian Ikano Centres’ malls dotted across the country:

The fun and friendly LIPPIE represents the IPC Shopping Centre, while the always on-trend and stylish LLAMY is the llama of MyTOWN Shopping Centre.

Meanwhile, TIA, the active skateboard-riding llama represents Toppen Shopping Centre, with the artsy graffiti-spraying BEEKA llama is for Ikano Centre’s offering in Batu Kawan, Penang.

The campaign draws on experiences visitors had forgotten they were missing at Ikano Centres’ shopping centres such as the thrill of trying on new clothes, playing with gadgets to the smell and taste of cinema popcorn, and the general overall buzz of an environment filled with people once again. 

Social media content from the campaign

In addition to an animated music video, eye-catching social media content was developed to capture these memories and sensory experiences. As the malls open, shoppers will have the opportunity to collect the herd of vibrant Llama influencers during their shopping visits.

Yee Hui Tsin, TBWA\Malaysia’s CEO, said, “Our partnership with the Ikano Centre’s portfolio of malls in Malaysia is an exciting challenge as we work to ensure efforts are capturing a sense of freedom of movement and excitement, while also helping Malaysia’s assimilate into a ‘normal’ endemic lifestyle.”

Yee Hui Tsin adds, “The changing face of retail and shifts in consumer behavior has been extraordinary. However, retail remains the anchor of the Malaysia economy, evidenced by a distinct parallel between the strength of the economy and how well retail is fairing.”

On awarding the business to TBWA, Aziz said, “TBWA’s insight to our re-opening was spot on; they aptly captured the emotion around everything people were missing from visiting our shopping centres; the sounds, smells and shared experiences and how together we can create endless possibilities for when people come together.”

TBWA\Malaysia said it was awarded the business after a competitive pitch in August. TBWA\Singapore manages the IKEA brand across Singapore and Malaysia.