Colgate spotlights MY hip-hop star Airliftz to show strength in adversity

Colgate-Palmolive's latest film for its Smile Strong campaign in Malaysia highlights the power of a smile in the face of adversity. Done in collaboration with Red Fuse, the film tells the story of Malaysian hip-hop star Airliftz, who despite relentless hardships throughout his life due to facial deformities since birth, continues to smile strong.

The cinematic direction of the film takes the viewer on a journey through Airliftz’s life from childhood, giving a very real insight into what he has faced throughout his life. The majority of the film is shot from the back, retracing significant and often heart-breaking moments in his life, until he walks from the dressing room to the stage where he is greeted by thousands of excited fans.

The contrasting stories demonstrate how his willpower and determination have broken through societal biases, which ultimately led him to share his passion with the world. The film runs in cinemas and on digital from November to December.

Colgate said that Airliftz’s poignant story was chosen to inspire and remind Malaysians that with perseverance, and a positive attitude, we can all achieve great things that can change our lives forever.  

Adrian Miller, chief creative officer at Ogilvy Malaysia, explained that by keeping the protagonist's face hidden throughout the commercial and juxtaposing the harsh realities of his past life with the adulation he’s receiving in the present, the team created a film that will intrigue the viewer.

"In a world of disposable content, the best we can hope for is for people to watch to the very end and the least we can do is reward them for doing so," he said/ He added that the toothpaste category does not tend to see much deviation from the norm when it comes to brand storytelling. Hence, the team always asks itself how can it bring a fresh perspective to a well-trodden territory?

See Mei Sin, Oral Care associate marketing director (Oral Care) said that, "It is our hope that Airliftz’ story inspires an optimistic spirit within Malaysians - that there is true power in our smile, regardless of our circumstances." She added that Colgate believes that everyone deserves a future they can smile about – no matter the age, race, gender, or simply one's looks.

Last month, Colgate-Palmolive unveiled a regional campaign entitled “Share the Answers” introducing the use of HPDE recyclable toothpaste tubes. The digital campaign features an animated recyclable toothpaste tube called “Colley”, which has been rolled out across Meta, YouTube and TikTok and will include select in-store promotional materials.

With plastic waste being an increasingly urgent environmental issue, Colgate has pledged to design and deliver circular and alternative solutions for all Colgate products, as part of their 2025 sustainability and social impact strategy.

Meet Asia’s top PR and communication leaders in-person. PR Asia sets the stage for the future of purpose-driven contemporary PR. Join us on 9 November as we gather Asia’s top PR and communication practitioners in-person in Malaysia. Deep dive into the next necessary steps for PR as we head towards 2023. Only at #PRAsia.

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