AIA Malaysia gives comical take on wealth management using Chinese proverbs

AIA Malaysia took a comical approach for its Chinese New Year video titled "The Ong-ly Way to Prosper", which sees a grandfather giving financial advice to three of his grandchildren who self-identify as bananas. In colloquial terms, a banana refers to a Chinese individual who cannot speak Mandarin.

The grandfather sends his grandchildren on a mission to identify Chinese proverbs that will help them preserve their family wealth. Due to the grandchildren’s’ lack of cultural understanding, they repeatedly fail to accurately identify the meaning of the proverbs, despite various comical attempts. Done in collaboration with Reprise Digital and Passion Pictures, the film features three proverbs that are typically used as greetings during the Chinese New Year period, to wish family and friends health, wealth and a prosperous year ahead. It will run across social and digital platforms for a month.

AIA CMO Heng Zee Wang said it wanted to inject some light-heartedness into its Chinese New Year greeting, while highlighting the importance of inculcating good financial habits.

"The Chinese culture has many sayings for many different occasions, and this was our way of appreciating and sharing the forgotten wisdom of these proverbs. As a leading insurer in the health and wealth space, we look to demonstrate our mission of helping Malaysians live Healthier, Longer and Better Lives, through a simple yet fun anecdote on financial planning," he explained.

Amir Faiz, group creative director of Reprise, said: “The film was based on the insight of Millennials and Gen Z’s living for today and not tomorrow. Alongside this, there is a well-known Chinese saying that wealth will not pass three generations. We took this opportunity to educate Malaysians in a quirky way, that the answer to wealth preservation lies within the Chinese New Year greetings they say every year.”

Amir added that the proverbs symbolise the important elements that make life better and healthier, reflecting what AIA stands for.