Deepavali 2021 roundup: Brands spread festive cheer with heartwarming tales and upbeat anthem

Despite a tough year, many Malaysians are gearing up to celebrate Deepavali and spend time with their loved ones. As Malaysia gradually eases travel restrictions and opens up for interstate travel, brands are also hoping to spread positivity this Deepavali through their ads. Some common themes present include spending time with family, the joys of being around one's loved ones, and not forgetting one's values and roots. 

At the same time, brands in Malaysia have also spiced up their ads with the usual mix of heartwarming and hilarious elements, while also highlighting the country's multi-cultural society. Here is a roundup of Deepavali ads that are sure to tug at your heartstrings. 

Air Selangor 

Air Selangor's Deepavali animated love story, "Oru Deepavali Kaathal Kathai" is shot in flashbacks and follows protagonist Balan as he searches for the girl of his dreams. As he embarks on his quest, Balan witnesses the myriad ways in which Deepavali is celebrated, and learns to understand the different meanings of Deepavali for all those within the community. The film is featured in seven different languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati and Punjabi. 

Digi Telecommunications

Inspired by everyday people who go the extra mile, Digi Telcommunication's Deepavali video "The Inspiration" depicts the story of a middle-aged man, who puts in the extra effort to learn new skills in pursuit of creating a better learning experience for the people around him. Despite the challenges faced in picking up new skills, he perseveres. and is appreciated for his determination. 

“By looking within and accepting our own capabilities and shortcomings, we are able to continue bettering ourselves as learning never ends. As we continue to work hard in being the best us, people will take notice," said Digi's head of marketing services, Bernard Lee. With this video, Digi aims to inspire Malaysians by igniting the light within themselves in hopes of paving the way for others to shine, added Lee. 

foodpanda Malaysia 

Titled, "My Ammama", foodpanda Malaysia's Deepavali film shows the story of how Nimi attempts to instil a festive mood on her grandmother and family. The film starts off with Ammama spending time with her grandchildren, and how she would do anything for them. However, it also shows the challenges as she communicates with them but they are more interested in using their phones. Aware of the situation happening around her, Nimi hatches a plan to encourage her family to spend this joyous moment with each other. 

"We hope to portray a very familiar and relatable story about how our lives have changed since the country went through multiple lockdowns. For instance, how we look to our phones to find forms of entertainment rather than the company of each other. Thus, unintentionally neglecting the generation that may be deemed as not being tech-savvy," said Vanita Menon Kris, head of marketing for foodpanda Malaysia.

It is a misconception, that the elder generation is not tech-savvy, she added. In fact, the company saw mobile adoption in Malaysia increasing to almost 1% in 2020 and 2021. In previous years it’s only been 0.3% to 0.5% and this figure is expected to grow further in the coming years.

With this campaign direction, foodpanda Malaysia aims to remind the public to never forget inclusivity, traditions, and most importantly, to always respect and understand each other. The video will be uploaded via social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

Hong Leong Bank Malaysia

In conjunction with this year’s Deepavali celebration, Hong Leong Bank (HLB) has launched its #HLBSAPOTLOKAL campaign to help SME merchants restart and regain the business momentum they lost during the lockdowns over the past 20 months. With this campaign, the bank aims to give local SMEs a boost as they work towards reopening and rejuvenating their businesses by incentivising customers to spend at selected merchants.

"As a community bank, we believe that we can only thrive if the communities we operate in prosper," said HLB's CEO and group managing director, Domenic Fuda. Fuda added the bank is steadfast in its commitment to help the SME community recover and hopes this Deepavali campaign will encourage customers to support SME merchants in helping regain their momentum and rebuild stronger with resilience. 

MyTOWN

This Deepavali, MyTOWN wanted to do more than just feature usual festive scenes such as the lighting of the lamps or putting a kolam together. With a creative concept of wanting to celebrate the culture behind the festivities, MyTOWN released its first festive anthem, Namma Aalu featuring singers Roshan Jamrock, Yunohoo, and Arvinder Raina. Instilling a huge amount of cultural pride in the campaign, MyTOWN aims to remind non-celebrants of the richness of Indian culture.

PETRONAS 

Taking an animated route, PETRONAS's Deepavali film, "Akka" starts off with a mother and her daughter who are putting a kolam together. As the kolam is completed, the mother warns her daughter 

PETRONAS's Deepavali animated film, Akka starts off with a mother and her daughter, Dheeya who are putting a kolam together. As she leaves for work, she warns Dheeya and son, Prem to not leave the house, or the "Rona" monster would capture them. Not heeding his mother's warning, Prem leaves the house. In the following scenes to come, the film shows Dheeya and her best friend, Surya embark on a journey of finding the true meaning of family, friendship and love in their adventure to save Prem. 

RHB Bank 

Titled "The Inner Light", RHB Bank's Deepavali film tells the true story of Dr. Nisha Thayananthan. Conceived and created by FCB Malaysia, the film documents Thayananthan's journey as Miss Earth Malaysia and a doctor who fought on the frontlines to help the nation in the COVID-19 battle. Thayananthan's story is told through two separate timelines, one of her as a teenager and the other as herself now. The film also shines a light on Thayananthan's mother, and how she inspired her daughter to embrace her inner beauty through a simple act of kindness.

On the surface, this beautiful and emotional coming-of-age film is about a young girl who learnt what being beautiful really means, said RHB Group's CMO, Abdul Sani Abdul Murad. In fact, it is also a heartfelt tribute to the nation’s frontliners who have sacrificed and worked tirelessly over the past 20 months. As the nation continues to recover and rebuild, Abdul added that it is important to never forget the amazing efforts and contributions of the thousands of selfless heroes. 

Taylor's University 

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In this year's Festival of Lights, Taylor's University released the Deepavali film, "The Thief", to explore the harsh realities afflicting communities in Malaysia when it comes to education. The film begins with a suspicious-looking protagonist named Raju, who looks towards a handphone shop where the shopkeeper was talking to a vendor with a trolley of boxes filled with smartphones. As Raju attempts to steal one of the smartphones, he is caught by the shopkeeper, who is later nicknamed "Uncle" in the film. 

Facing the interrogation from the shopkeeper, Raju explained that he stole the phone to attend classes. In the following scenes to come, the film explores the kindness Uncle gave to Raju, as he allows the boy to study in the shop and offers a headset for him to concentrate better during the lessons. As dusk sets on them, Uncle then invited Raju for a quick break to eat where they began to immerse in a delicate yet eye-opening conversation surrounding education and a better future for the community. 

Have you seen any other films that caught your attention? Reach out to us at liping@marketing-interactive.com.

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Photo courtesy: 123RF

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