Hong Leong Bank puts audio twist to Deepavali with digital Kolam

Hong Leong Bank (HLB) has unveiled a digital initiative enabling Malaysians to create their very own personalised Kolam using technology, in conjunction with this year's Deepavali celebrations.

According to HLB, users need to record 10 seconds of sounds to generate sound waves that will create a unique Kolam ready for users to share as Deepavali greetings. There’s no limit to the number of Kolam they can create with their sounds, and they can further personalise it by selecting any of the five soundtracks available, as well as writing their own Deepavali wishes.

The Kolam is one of the most recognisable traditional and cultural elements displayed during Deepavali celebrations. Typically made with coloured rice grains, they add a vibrant touch to the festivities as Malaysians celebrate the Festival of Light after a challenging couple of years.

Zalman Zainal, CMCO of HLB explained, that this initiative reflects the bank’s focus on delivering personalised experiences that do not stop at products and services, but also how it engages Malaysians during festive celebrations.

“Apart from being a great way to celebrate the occasion, it can also be a great conversation starter during the celebrations itself. Stand out from the crowd this festive period by creating your Kolam using your own voice! Here’s a tip: the more sounds you produce, the more intricate the design will be, so have fun with it,” Zalman added.

Zalman added that festive celebrations these days also extend beyond the physical gathering and visitation between families and friends, especially for today's mobile-first consumers. "Starting from the eve of any celebration, our messaging apps and social media feed would be flooded with festive greetings. While resharing greetings is common, we know consumers love customising and personalising their content. Hence, we are very excited with the idea of using a fun and interesting way to digitally create Kolams using soundwaves that can be further personalised,” he said.

As a grand finale to celebrate Deepavali, HLB will compile all the recordings from all users to generate the ‘Ultimate Kolam Built by the Sounds of Malaysians’, which will be used by HLB as their festive greeting to all Malaysians.

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