SAFI's AI campaign lets viewers prompt their own dreams in a virtual dollhouse

Halal personal care brand SAFI has launched its "Serlah seri diri" ('Unleash your inner shine') campaign, which leverages artificial intelligence (AI) technology to personalise engagement.

Created in collaboration with Mediabrands Content Studio, the "Serlah seri diri" campaign sees the release of a brand film titled "Anugerah dihayati" ('An appreciated gift'). The film featured the story of Nor Seri, a young woman balancing her own dreams with the expectations of those around her. 

Set within a "dollhouse", 19-year-old higher education student Seri is seen in the midst of applying for a scholarship to further her dreams. As Seri explores different rooms within the dollhouse, she is presented with the different expectations that others have for her in the midst of her pursuit. This includes her mother, who wants her to marry early; her aunty, who believes Seri should give birth soon; and her friends, who are already in established careers.

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Once the film arrives to a point of discovering Seri's own dreams for herself, users are invited to key in an AI prompt, which generates a video clip that is weaved into the film as a part of the storyline. At the end of the film, Seri is ecstatic as she receives a confirmation that her scholarship application was approved.

The Raya campaign ties in with the brand's "Biasiswa Siswi SAFI", a RM1 million scholarship aimed at supporting young women in their pursuit of higher education. The program is now in its second year running, and offers scholarships of up to RM40,000 to 25 female students in Malaysia who are enrolled in top public universities. 

In addition, the campaign is hosted on the SAFI AI microsite and invites audiences to join in by incorporating their own aspirations into the brand film utilising an AI prompt.  Upon entering the microsite, users are greeted by a video by SAFI's brand ambassador Qasrina Karim, promoting a chance for 50 people to win the brand's "Rumah Seri" ('Seri's house') dollhouse, which doubles as PR kit containing SAFI products.

The dollhouse serves as a symbol of hope and possibilities, anchoring the initiative’s message, with each door representing special hidden gifts for young women to stand out and be the best version of themselves, said SAFI in a statement seen by A+M. 

Explaining the approach, Jennifer Wee, creative director at MBCS said “We utilised powerful storytelling with an AI twist to replicate the vast dreams and choices that young women have today. This is the key to reaching Gen Z, a generation that lives and breathes technology.”

“The dollhouse is a universal representation of play, dreams and imagination around the world. We used this to demonstrate the doors of opportunities available for young women through the SAFI scholarship. Each dream they have is unique, and this is their chance to reach for the opportunity," added Wee.

Wee also said that through the campaign, MBCS and SAFI wanted to remind young women that they own the power to achieve their dreams. 

“At SAFI, we are deeply committed to empowering the next generation to dream big and achieve their goals – it’s about inspiring confidence, igniting ambition, and standing alongside these incredible individuals as they turn their dreams into reality," said Kazlina Mohd Kassim, SAFI brand and insights specialist of Wipro Unza.

"Our first cohort of 'Biasiswi Siswi SAFI' applicants last year was a big success, and we are excited to relaunch this aspirational opportunity and welcome new management trainees into the SAFI fold. It’s a privilege for us to play this role in nurturing their hopes and dreams," added Kazlina. 

This campaign is one example of how AI can be woven into a campaign for personal engagement, rather than just to use it for the sake of keeping up with the trend. Last week, national broadcaster RTM utilised AI avatars to present its Raya public service announcement. The avatars named Aaron Lim and Che Rita, were used to remind those traveling during the festive period to check their homes and cars ahead of the journey.

The video ends with the two avatars wishing viewers Selamat Hari Raya, in a messy out of sync fashion. Upon further checks by A+M, RTM’s PSA video made it to the r/Malaysia thread on Reddit. Some netizens commented that RTM should have hired a proper actor or person to host the PSA, and that dystopia has arrived. Another netizen said “It says a lot when a government agency whose main job is media agency turns to AI.”

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