Air Selangor dials up 90s game show nostalgia in national day campaign

Air Selangor is tapping into nostalgia with a Gen Z twist in its new national day brand film. The five-minute long film is the brand's fresh take on portraying unity within Malaysia's multicultural society set in a high school. 

Titled "Pilihan raya terhangat" ('The hottest elections') the film pays homage to Malaysians' love for food, the innocence of teenagerhood, retro vibes and a blend of 90s game shows and reality TV programmes. 

Featuring young actors Syed Amir Irfan as Shazwan, Jayden Kuan as Wong, Seshviiny as Sujanna, and Shida Abdullah as Siti Anis, "Pilihan raya terhangat" sees Shazwan, Wong and Sujanna compete in the head student elections as SMK Mata Ayer with Siti Anis as its host. 

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As part of the elections, the three candidates have to eat a spicy meal from a differing culture and finish it without drinking a drop of water. The person who drinks the water will be determined the loser of the election. 

Shazwan, Wong and Sujanna each dig into their meals only to suffer the consequences. Sujanna and Wong run for the glass of water and fight over who gets to drink it. A weak Shazwan follows behind before fainting. 

Sujanna and Wong work together to help Shazwan while a confused Siti Anis steps over to try Shazwan's meal. To her surprise, the meal was not spicy at all. Siti Anis is later crowned the head student. 

The film ends with Sujanna, Wong and Shazwan eating desserts and Sujanna inviting her fellow friends back home to drink her mother's tea. As they walk off, a text reads "Sujanna will return".

"As a brand, Air Selangor has always been intrinsic to every celebration for Malaysians. Pilihan raya terhangat is our sincere attempt to make this year’s national day celebrations even more memorable. We hope that this video, a tribute to retro nostalgia with a Gen-Z twist, fuelled by authentic storytelling and packaged in a warm message of unity, will pave the way for more groundbreaking national day content in the future," said Elina Baseri, head of corporate communication, Air Selangor. 

“Spicy food is integral to our daily lives across the many facets of Malaysian culture. There is an unspoken perception that those who can handle the heat from spicy food are stronger, bolder, and, in the classic Malay way of describing something great, ‘power!’. We aim to present a refreshed concept for national Day-related content and hope our effort resonates with Malaysians from all walks of life," she added. 

The campaign was done in collaboration with Edelman Singapore. 

“Pilihan raya terhangat is our heartfelt gift to all Malaysians, brought to you by Edelman Malaysia. Its one-of-a-kind storyline and direction by the exceptionally talented filmmaker Adam Zainal transport us back to our adrenaline-fueled high school days as we embrace the upcoming national day,” said Mazuin Zin, CEO of Edelman Malaysia. 

In addition to the brand film, Air Selangor is taking their festive game one step further with an intriguing social media campaign, where KOLs centre their experiences with spicy food in engaging content that highlights the truly Malaysian gesture of sharing food or drink with others.

The campaign ultimately leads to a call to action to watch Pilihan raya terhangat exclusively on hydrohub.airselangor.com.

Pilihan raya terhangat will also be available for viewing on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. 

In tandem, Air Selangor is partnering with GSC for a special social media contest that will reward winners with RM10 off the exclusive Nasi Lemak popcorn in conjunction with Merdeka month.

With Merdeka Day fast approaching, Malaysian brands are putting out campaigns to showcase what the day means to them and Malaysians. Recently, lifestyle brand dUCk paid homage to precious family heirlooms in its latest campaign. The campaign, released in conjunction with Merdeka month, sees the release of the Warisan scarf collection and features three Malaysian families from different ethnic backgrounds.

The scarfs, inspired by the intricate patterns and colours of a traditional piece of batik, aims to capture the essence of family heritage and is meticulously crafted to evoke a sense of nostalgia and connection to the past. The different designs of scarfs are named 'Cinta' (love), 'Teguh' (strong), 'Setia' (loyal), 'Harmoni' (harmony), 'Damai' (peace) and 'Sejahtera' (tranquillity).  

To further enrich the campaign, dUCk will be launching a new podcast series that explores the significance of family heirlooms in Malaysian society. 

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