TIME dotCom dials up fun brand personality with 'Kabel Besar' to disrupt telco scene

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TIME dotCom's aims to disrupt the telco scene with its latest Kabel Besar campaign which was deployed to solve "all your Internet woes". The campaign, which comes after TIME dotCom refreshed its agency line up earlier this year, features Jalaluddin bin Hassan, host from the Malaysian version of "Who wants to be a millionaire"; Paduka Mustapha Kamal who is known for his characters in Malaysian dramas; and Malaysian comedian Joanne Kam. The video had more than two million views at the time of writing.

Head of marketing Andrew Yeoh told A+M that this campaign disrupts the telecommunication scene by focusing on entertainment first expressed through iconic and current pop culture characters. By injecting irreverent fun and a maverick brand personality, the company was able to differentiate itself from its competitors, he added.

According to Yeoh, the three iconic actors embodied their characters perfectly and truly gave life to the meaning of having Kabel Besar. "Kabel Besar ticked the magical trifecta of marrying a relatable cultural insight, a real product truth as well as relevant Malaysian characters. It is birthed from our ethos of standing out by entertaining first and selling later," Yeoh explained, adding:

Kabel Besar is our first step in carving out an ownable space in this crowded market where we believe creativity and storytelling will make a long-term difference.

Meanwhile, Fisherman Integrated's creative partner Andrew Tan said the creative concept came from a clear product truth, strong connection. "TIME dotCom has been widely known to have a strong Internet connection thanks to its 100% fibre network. Similarly, the words, 'strong connection' also means having a strong human connection in Malaysia's slang, Kabel Besar. With this in mind, the rest of the execution was just making sure the concept was dramatised," Tan explained to A+M.

The campaign was done with its digital agency, Fisherman Integrated and is said to run until the end of the year. Fisherman Integrated and Kingdom Digital Group's appointment came after a pitch that was held from May to June. Together, the pair manages the overall brand and social media duties respectively for a period of one year with the option to extend for another. Yeoh told A+M that the agencies were given 33 days to respond including a tissue session for interim feedback and all were compensated for pitch fees in accordance with 4A's regulations. Work is expected to roll out by year-end and dentsu Malaysia is the incumbent.

"Fishermen Integrated was chosen because it is a kindred challenger with an indie spirit and an innate understanding of social trends to amplify communications," Yeoh said. He added that the team produced effortlessly entertaining and enjoyable creatives to maximise reach and most importantly, it has passionate owners who are hands-on as well as an energetic team.

Separately, the telecommunications company also appointed Entropia to handle media duties for two years with the option to extend for another, following a pitch in August. PHD and Invictus Blue were also eyeing the account. Syahar Khalid, partner at Entropia, said TIME and Entropia is truly a match made in heaven – two highly credible and future-driven Malaysian challenger brands that are very well aligned on the importance of customer experience. "Whilst our TIME partnership portfolio currently covers integrated media only, we look forward to further expand it to other aspects of digital transformation in the near future," he added

Meanwhile, when asked about the company's marketing plans for next year, Yeoh said, it has major plans for 2022 and beyond, and the agency partners work as its extended marketing team. "There will be ups and downs, as with all relationships. However, the company is fully invested for the long haul. My firm belief is that great, creative, and effective work comes from trust, honesty, and psychological safety," he added.

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