Everything Malaysian is taken to the next level in TikTok's new spot

TikTok has put a uniquely Malaysian spin to its Merdeka Day video titled Ini Style Kita (This is our style), piecing together everything that would viewers can relate to. This includes scenes at the mamak, mentions of roti canai and assam pedas, Proton Saga, and even durian. The video also showcases Malaysia's multiracial and multilingual society and features one of the nation's beloved athletes, Lee Chong Wei.

The spot was done with The Chariot Agency, executive producer Claudine Sequerah, flim director IClaudius, post production house Meccanica EFX, and audio house Two AM Music Global. 

The Chariot Agency's creative group head, Christyna Fong, told A+M that TikTok is a showcase of various aspects of humanity in 2022. "The good, the weird, the downright hilarious; it is a platform of our shared experience," she said. The team felt that with this brand, instead of a narrative-driven National Day film, it was a chance to share and celebrate everything that makes Malaysians unique.

"All the ‘pattern-pattern’ that are undeniably Malaysian. Topics other creators have touched on before, taken to another level. It was important to us that every Malaysian would be able to see a version of themselves in this ad without pandering," she explained.

According to Fong, this was one of the biggest productions many in the agency had ever been a part of, and everyone was excited to drop by the set throughout the four-day shoot. Employees from The Chariot Agency were also used as extras on the set.

"To bring out the idea of Malaysian multiplicity through the styling of the film, we had everyone in the art team contribute their personal styles to different scenes. It served to amplify the message of ‘Ini Style Kita’ through vivid, colourful imagery," she added.

Meanwhile, IClaudius said the National Day campaign has to be "one of the funniest and coolest things" he has shot in a long time. "The ultra-creative and wacky bunch at The Chariot Agency, and open-minded clients, laid the path for this left-field film to manifest. What we embarked on harnessed the uniqueness of being Malaysian to create a visual stimulus that bodes with the ever-evolving brand," he added.

While TikTok declined to comment on the ROI it hopes to achieve for the video, marketing manager Hooi Yin Yin said through TikTok, Malaysians can grow, learn, and even seek out alternative sources of income even in the toughest of times. "So what better way to celebrate our tenacity and can-do attitude than through this campaign that cheers on our unique quirks and habits that make us stronger together as a family?" Hooi said.

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