Taylor's University's Raya ad teaches forgiveness through a single father's pain

Taylor's University has launched a Hari Raya ad titled "Maaf" to hit close to home with its viewers. The campaign tells the story of a father apologising to his children over his perceived failures to adequately provide for his family. The video starts with a downcast tone and establishes that the main character as a single father, who instead of participating in the usual session of his children asking his forgiveness during Hari Raya, turns the tables and asks their forgiveness instead.

The story shows the family’s troubles during the pandemic, such as the father losing his job, forcing his family to give up their home and move to a smaller residence. According to the team at Taylor's University, with the Human Resources Ministry declaring nearly 100,000 Malaysians losing their jobs last year and amidst a series of imposed lockdowns,‘Maaf’ is bound to resonate with many Malaysians due to the dampened celebrations this year.  The team has also created an AR filter of a ketupat (a diamond-shaped woven leaf pouch filled with rice cake) done up for Raya as another form of creative execution.

The video ad was shared on Taylor's YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. Its YouTube video, garnering over 144,000 views at the time of writing, received positive comments that said it was the "Best story". Its Instagram post met with 2,306 view, 239 likes, and four comments at the time of writing. The comments shared a theme of support, attributing the sentimental value of the video saying: "This video made me cry". Its Facebook post captioned "Eid speech is a tradition practiced on Hari Raya. But Raya this year, what caused Daddy to apologize? Together we watch the Raya movie on May 3th," received three likes. 

In a conversation with A+M, Taylor's University Group chief marketing officer Ben Foo said, "Over the past year, the lack of celebrations and usual rituals during the pandemic has made many of us look beyond the commercialisation and the embellishments during festive seasons, and go back to the basics of what makes us family, and what makes life worth living for."

Foo added that Taylor’s aims to recognise the dynamics of education in various forms. Often, life lessons stem from the values emulated in our family environment through the actions of parents. “Within the Taylor’s University and Taylor’s College environment, we recognise the values our students possess and we create an atmosphere of learning and collaboration in and outside the classroom that amplifies these values. This is why we speak of our community of students with much pride, simply because they emerge to become the best version of themselves given that atmosphere and platform. It is precisely what we mean in our tagline, ‘Rise with the Best’ because each of us rise up along with the best of us,” he said.

Foo added that the brand has been consistent in its messaging for the past few years and is clear on building a brand reputation based on the stories of student as well as QS World and Asia rankings. “In my opinion, no other private university brand has come out strong the way Taylor’s has to unashamedly show the human truths in good and not so good situations where our values prevails. In the Hari Raya video, we want to highlight the revelation the father receives from his daughter’s observation of his own sacrifices. Unbeknownst to him, his daughter has learnt a life-changing lesson, through the example of her father’s values. In a time of extreme duress, his values shine as a beacon of hope. And that is what Taylor’s stands for - to face the realities of life and the future through community, our values and to help our students to find meaning and hope in their world,” he added.

This is not the first time Taylor's has released a traditional holiday themed ad. Prior to this, it released a Deepavali ad in November 2020. The ad follows the journey of a young Indian boy Kumar, who goes about asking questions that invoke serious discussions about racial issues in Malaysia. Besides this, Taylor's also recently invested approximately RM100,000 for its International Women's Day (IWD) campaign video which urges the younger generation, especially females, to not be afraid of challenging norms. Working with Imagineers Film, the two-minute spot focuses on societal expectations of women and takes audiences through thought-provoking scenes that highlight the stereotype and gender biases women often faced in society. This thus raises questions on the hopes, dreams and ambitions of women across different ages and cultures.

Other brands in South East Asia have also gone all out with the Ramadan campaigns. According to YouTube, brands across Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have told stories that reflect the unbreakable spirit of kinship and gratitude during the month of Ramadan. For example, McDonald's Singapore and IM3 Ooredoo captured the hearts of audiences by reuniting families across borders using technology, while McDonald’s Malaysia and Zakat SG highlighted the significance of gratitude and giving back. Grab Indonesia also tickled viewers with an entertaining take on saving the day by delivering the food and groceries people need this festive season.

Related articles: 
Taylor's University confronts uncomfortable convos around gender in 2-minute spot
Taylor's University provokes thought with controversial questions this Deepavali
Taylor's University to incorporate AR learning via Snapchat partnership