Merdeka Day 2022 roundup: Brands explore the deeper meaning of Merdeka

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What does Merdeka Day mean to you? From patriotism and unity to compassion and sacrifice, brands and consumers alike are celebrating the national day in their own ways.

Consumers, in particular, have been doing their part by proactively supporting local sellers ahead of Merdeka Day. According to Shopee's Celebrating the Heart of Malaysia on ECommerce marketplace study, 60% of Malaysian consumers are proactively supporting local sellers with #ShopeeSapotLokal.

When 3,356 consumers were asked “Why do you think it is important to support local sellers?” during the month leading up to Merdeka Day, 30% endorsed the quality of made-in-Malaysia goods that cater to their local preferences, 20% stated that they want to keep the economy running for patriotic reasons and 8% were sellers supporting other local sellers in the same boat. Meanwhile, 42% preferred shopping local to get their items delivered faster.

As Malaysians unite to celebrate the nation's independence, here is a roundup of Merdeka Day ads to spread more festive cheer.

Astro

Astro’s Gemilang Bersama campaign hopes to bring a new light and explore deeper meanings derived from Malaysia's national colours from an unexpected perspective. The campaign, anchored on the colours of the Jalur Gemilang, aims to evoke the sentiments behind the values that have held Malaysians together ever since the nation's birth, being those of bravery, purity, unity, and loyalty. The film was done together with Naga DDB Tribal and Directors Think Tank.

Countless possibilities and "What ifs" were considered and contemplated until a singular thought sparked. What is the experience and meaning behind colours to someone who had lost their sight? What if we learn if colours can actually be experienced via the sensations of taste, touch, sounds, and smell?

Nik Radzi, executive director of Naga DDB Tribal, said the team came up with the idea of experiencing colours through the lens of someone who is visually impaired. "Someone who doesn’t take colours for granted. This called for a trip to the Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB)," Nik said.

Post conversations with students suggested by the MAB, the team found themselves intrigued by the interactions with the story and charm of one Nurin Amalin binti Ishak. Nurin; a 19-year-old visually-impaired para-athlete who unfortunately lost 80% of her sight at the age of 10 due to a fever that triggered Stevens-Johnsons syndrome, a rare but serious skin reaction that's usually caused by taking certain medicines.

In addition to the film and in realising the reliance that visually impaired students have on audiobooks as a complement to braille, the team from Naga DDB Tribal also put forth the proposal to record audiobooks (with the focus on local books) for the MAB under the Astro Kasih initiative. Astro talent and personalities: Munaa Bella (Era FM DJ), Luqman Hafidz (Air Force the Movie actor), and Darren Ch’ng (Astro AEC newscaster) also were on hand to lend their voices to record the audiobooks.

Cadbury

Together with Ogilvy Malaysia, Cadbury's film titled "Merdeka Unseen" pushes Malaysians to look at Merdeka differently and in turn, change the way they celebrate this significant day in the history of Malaysia.

The film spotlights Johan, a gentleman that was present during that iconic Merdeka Day in 1957 and brought him back to the stadium to relive that experience. Through the use of technology, the film brought to life the many symbolic moments that happened that same day, defining the spirit of what it means to be Malaysian.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=_OZCRKSivI8

As Johan walked through the stadium, memories were projected onto the seats in real-time where those moments happened.

Nikhil Nicholas, marketing lead of chocolates, Mondolez SEA said: “Cadbury Dairy Milk has always strived to shine a spotlight on the generous instinct that exists in all of us and found the perfect opportunity here to do just that this Merdeka, by recreating Johan’s memories of the everyday goodness that he witnessed all around him on that momentous day.”

Celcom Axiata

Celcom Axiata's Bahagia Kita seeks to inspire Malaysians to see Merdeka as more than just a celebration of history but rather a celebration of Tunku Abdul Rahman's philosophy of happiness. The film follows 11-year-old Haikal and explores the core values of kindness, acceptance and understanding upheld by every Malaysian, as foretold by Tunku Abdul Rahman, who is also known as the "father of independence".

After he’s assigned to write a poem about Independence for school, he sets off on an eye-opening adventure around his neighbourhood. Haikal witnesses everyday Malaysian scenes and immerses himself in many multicultural experiences. It’s on this journey that Haikal learns that all Malaysians are inherently kind and that the little things are what contribute to the nation’s happiness.

Done together with M&C Saatchi Malaysia, the film runs on social media and a 30-second trailer is also screened on TV.

KFC Malaysia

KFC Malaysia has put a spin to its usual "The Bucket Sessions" for Malaysia Day by tackiling the current social climate and showcase the clear disparity and discomfort between two individuals who embody different values. This is different from its usual style of featuring individuals coming together and building the bridge between strangers, families and long-lost friends.

Learning from the online disputes that Malaysians encountered over the years, the team wanted to challenge the narrative by illustrating that no matter how different our opinions are, we still possess similarities if we only look deeper into it.

In the six-minute film, strangers from polar opposite backgrounds were paired to sit and converse with another. To break the awkwardness, cue cards were given with questions pertaining to their experiences and preferences. Upon their exchange, when a commonality was discovered between the two, a KFC chicken would be placed in the bucket. The more chicken exists in the bucket, the more we uncover how many similarities exist within each other.

CMO Chan May Ling said the role of the brand has been quite central in showcasing how Malaysians have so many commonalities and unified experiences, which makes them not so different after all. "Whether young or old, from all communities and all walks of life, the essence of KFC is to bring people together and help create great moments," she added.

MBSB Bank

MBSB Bank's Merdeka Day film comes in the form of a social experiment to commemorate the festivities. Done together with Mediabrands Content Studio, the film titled "Sejauh manakah…?" (How far) aims to observe the Malaysian spirit on how far they would go to help a stranger.

The film starts with a simulated situation where a lone man is seen along the streets of Klang Valley, struggling to push his broken-down old Proton Saga car amidst crowds of onlookers. According to the bank, the film successfully and accurate aligned with the campaign's key message, “Selagi kita bergerak bersama, langkah demi langkah, kita akan sentiasa berdaya maju” (As long as we move together, step by step, we will continue to succeed).

Azlina Mohd Rashad, chief corporate officer of MBSB Bank, said: “We wanted to capture the essence of who Malaysians are, and this social experiment showed it to us in abundance.”

“Malaysians truly are helpful, giving, and considerate of one another. MBCS has portrayed this idea with the heart and soul that rhymes so well with the theme of ‘Keluarga Malaysia Teguh Bersama’ (Malaysians Stand United),” she added.

RHB Bank

RHB Bank and FCB SHOUT collaborated for Teguh Bersama (Stronger Together) dissects the underlying tensions that Malaysia commonly faces while highlighting the citizens' shared love for their homeland. The story revolves around a group of school children who are at odds with one another after being tasked to collaborate to paint a mural for their school.

What started out as a harmonious and cooperative project quickly turned into a debacle of one-upmanship, verbal disagreements and even physical altercations. However, when a catastrophic force threatened to derail and destroy the entire project, what divided the students quickly became what united them in the end.

Abdul Sani Abdul Murad, CMO of RHB Group, said: “This film is an incredible reflection of the Malaysian spirit and RHB’s brand belief of ‘Together We Progress’. Living in this multi-racial, multi-cultural and democratic country, it’s inevitable that we find ourselves disagreeing with one another time after time. But, at the end of the day, we all want what’s best for Malaysia because it is a home that we share."

Taylor's University

Taylor's University wanted to spark a conversation about education equity with its latest Merdeka Day film. The story begins in an arts class during a show-and-tell session styled in a quirky and playful setting. The teacher had asked her students to draw and share their ideas on creative inventions that could make Malaysia more maju (progressive). One student gets jeered at for his idea and the story unfolds from there.

Group CMO Ben Foo explained that the direction of the institution’s new festive video is to bring to light the harsh reality that many Malaysian children are unable to go to school. “Society owes it to children to provide them with equal and quality education. Each child has the skills that can be developed with formal education, and by not pursuing these skills, society misses out on the potential for advancement and enlightenment," he explained.

According to him, Taylor's short film aims to highlight the need for us as a society to help children by providing "help" beyond just superficial assistance. More than that, society needs to start creating opportunities for the young generation – to nurture them to become great leaders, thinkers, and innovators, Foo said.

U Mobile

U Mobile wanted to remind Malaysians the true spirit behind Merdeka and Malaysia Day. Done together with TBWA\Malaysia and Mojo Films, the film depicts the sacrifices of Malaysian heroes who fought bravely to achieve independence for Malaysia. It also pays tribute to those who made it possible for Malaysians to celebrate Merdeka and Malaysia Day.

At the heart of film is a message of gratitude and inspired by true events. The story follows Adam who is sent by his mother to deliver a parcel to Pak Ngah, a distant family relative whom Adam knows little about. This chance of a meeting with Pak Ngah and his friends, Johnny and Selvem sends Adam down a curious path where he discovers their incredible past.

Head of brand and marketing services, Bernard Lee, said: "Every generation is capable to show same courage and resilience of their generations before. Important thing is for us to never forget our roots, embrace our history and honour heroes so that this generation is able to enjoy true freedom and independence in this age and era."

Meanwhile, TBWA\Malaysia's associate creative director, Kenny Pang, added: "From the fishermen who brave the rough seas to the teachers who instilled in us the importance of education, we express our gratitude. Malaysia didn’t turn up on a map overnight. So many people have contributed to a country that we can be proud of, that we can be loyal to, today."

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