ESCAPE theme park's parent firm names first-ever brand ambassador

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Theme park developer and operator, Sim Leisure Group (SLG), has appointed celebrity host and television presenter Baki Zainal (pictured) as its first-ever brand ambassador. As part of the appointment, Zainal will anchor and champion prominent brands under the group, including the group's proprietary ESCAPE brand of nature-inspired theme parks as well as KidZania KL.

According to Sim Leisure Group, Baki is most known by his claim to fame as a multilingual TV host, where he can converse in English, Bahasa Melayu and Mandarin. Among the hosting stints under his belt include 8TV's Mandarin travel showcase, Step Forward and Let's Cycle show. As an actor, he has starred in several hit sitcoms, such as Kopitiam, Mr. Siao's Mandarin Class, and Sini Ada Hantu. In addition, SLG said that Baki is known to be an avid traveller, adrenaline junkie and thrill seeker, making his appointment as its brand ambassador a natural one.

SLG also said that Baki's affinity with the brands was noted long before his appointment as brand ambassador. In 2020, he took up the Million Dollar video challenge by GoPro, by filming himself in ESCAPE Penang, and was selected as one of the 45 winners out of more than 42,000 entries from across 104 countries. More recently, Baki went back to ESCAPE Penang to champion two of the park’s attractions at the launch of the Pepsi Challenge on the World’s Longest Water Tube Slide, and subsequently, the launch of the World’s Longest Zip Coaster.

SLG's founder and CEO, Sim Choo Kheng, said the company has had a wonderful working relationship with Baki in the past, as he has hosted the launch of many of its attractions. "In addition to his natural charm and magnetic personality, his spirit of excitement and adventure has truly stood out, making him the perfect fit for this role," Sim said.

He added that Baki's involvement with various travel and tourism bodies around the world bodes well for the group’s ongoing expansion plans, in Malaysia and internationally. "We’ve got a lot of plans in store and are already working with him on several engagements to take our brands and attractions to even greater heights," Sim said.

Meanwhile, Baki said he has always had a lot of respect for Sim Leisure Group and Sim, especially for the ESCAPE brand of themed attractions. "It is a fine example of a homegrown Malaysian success story, which has made its mark in the international travel and leisure industry. And as a TV and travel show host, this is something I try to promote and portray – the multifaceted nature and richness of Malaysia and Malaysians," Baki explained.

As such, when he was approached by the group to be its first brand ambassador, Baki said that he did not hesitate to jump on the opportunity. "It’s going to be exciting and I’m truly looking forward to work with them,” he added. A+M has reached out to SLG for additional information.

SLG is a developer and operator of theme parks listed on the Singapore Exchange since March 2019. Over the past 25 years, the brand has completed over 300 projects worldwide, such as Laguna Waterpark in Dubai, Legoland Malaysia and Denmark, ESCAPE Penang, and Universal Studio Singapore, according to its website. In addition, it is the licensee of parks such as KidZania Kuala Lumpar. According to the brand, Sim has more than 30 years of experience in the theme park industry, and has designed, built and managed theme parks in the ASEAN region, Europe, and the Middle East. SLG is currently working with GO Communications for PR duties.

SLG follows other brands in engaging brand ambassadors to raise brand awareness in recent months. For instance, just this month, Fendi appointed South Korean singer-songwriter and rapper Zico as its latest brand ambassador. Similarly, Fenty Beauty has also snatched up Kane Lim, Singaporean reality star from Netflix’s Bling Empire, as the face of its brand. This partnership makes Lim the first Southeast Asian brand ambassador for the beauty brand.

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