Tenaga Nasional pulls consumers into the VR world in new CNY spot

Tenaga Nasional (TNB) has collaborated with Reprise Digital to launch its festive film "Reality Not Virtual" for Chinese New Year. The film was directed by Quek Shio Chuan of Reservoir World and is scheduled to air across all TNB social media channels, with content across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and free-to-air TV networks.

The four-minute video features Bryan who receives a package at work from his mother after informing her that he is unsure if he will be returning home for Chinese New Year. The package turns out to be a VR headset and when turned on, transports Bryan virtually back home to participate in the celebrations with his family. Bryan gets immersed in the VR world and ends up wrecking things in the office and causing a lot of disturbance. The film ends with Bryan's boss asking him to head home to spend time with his family, with a heartwarming tagline "celebrations are best experienced in real life".

The film garnered approximately 2.5 million views on TNB's YouTube channel at the time of writing. As part of its integrated campaign, TNB has also launched a 360 video contest which ties into TNB’s Energy Efficiency initiative. Viewers will discover Bryan’s VR world and be asked to spot things they can do to conserve energy, leaving their answers in the comments section.

Sutapa Bhattacharya, general manager of corporate strategic communications at TNB, said the company is a strong advocate of family values, and thus find festive occasions like Chinese New Year important in maintaining family bonds.

"This is our third CNY film with Reprise, and we are always looking at ways to keep the brand relatable to remain in step with the times. The team has managed to hit all the right notes in both the virtual and real worlds of Bryan, and effectively convey the positive essence of our brand," she added.

Kevin Le, ECD of Reprise Digital, said it wanted to reiterate how technology cannot replace tradition with the film.

“Youths today don’t favour spending time with family during festive occasions as they deem it boring or a tedious journey back home. When coming up with the idea, we thought, what if we could bring CNY to them? That’s how the VR simulation came about. Through this medium we were able to bridge and collide these two worlds to take the viewer through a humorous journey together," Le added.

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