ZUS Coffee blends the warmth of Raya with comedic horror

This Hari Raya coffee chain ZUS Coffee is blending the warm of the festive season and comedic horror in its latest "Sembang-sembang dengan ZUS" ('have a chat with ZUS') campaign. 

Central to the campaign is a song titled Cerita malam raya ('on the night of Raya'), which celebrates the importance of being present. The track will also be available for streaming on Spotify.

The song is accompanied by a music video created in collaboration with Faithful Music and Loko Films, as well as local talents Luqman Podolski and Zeppo Youngsterz Crew.

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The music video follows a family gathering on the night of Hari Raya as they navigate an eerie yet amusing experience together, a play on the concept of ghost stories being woven into Hari Raya films and late-night conversations for generations.  

Horror-comedies have long been a part of the Raya culture in Malaysia, with the release of Raya horror comedy movies such as Sue on and Debunk beraya in 2023, Syif malam raya in 2020, as well as I know what you did last Raya in 2004. Takaful Malaysia also released a Raya ad back in 2023 titled “Al-kisah malam raya” ('an Eid al-Fitr story'), also playing on the horror-comedy theme. 

In addition, ZUS Coffee has collaborated with local artist collective Projek Sembang-Sembang for exclusive Raya-themed designs on its products and packaging. The collective is known for creating nostalgic Malaysian artwork and memorabilia.  

The local coffee brand will also be rolling out an online-exclusive tumbler series as well as other festive collectibles including Raya money packets, stickers, keychains, and a conversational card game, which will all be available later this March.  

ZUS Coffee has also invited Malaysians to be a part of a dance challenge, by showing off their best dance moves to the song for a chance to win a year’s worth of free coffee. Participants may enter the competition by sharing their dance videos on TikTok and tagging ZUS Coffee. It also encourages everyone to use the hashtag #SembangSembangDenganZUS to share their own spooky Raya stories online.  

"Cerita malam raya is a project that reminds us of the fun that happens when we put our phones down and truly chat with each other. It’s collaborations like these that remind us why we love working with local talents such as Luqman, Faithful Music, Loko Films, and Zeppo Youngsterz Crew—because when we come together, sparks fly, ideas flow, and we create a piece that resonates with the community," said Shafiqah Othman, creative director at ZUS Coffee.

Meanwhile, content creator and singer Luqman said he truly appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with ZUS Coffee and be part of the creative process for the Cerita malam raya music video.

"The arrangement by Faithful Music really brings out the festive spirit. The dance performed by Zeppo Youngsterz accompanying the song further brought the festive spirit to life," said Luqman. 

“The song brings a fresh and unique twist to Hari Raya, combining the festive spirit with a thrilling storyline. The ghosts were terrifying, making it an exciting and unforgettable project to be part of. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as we did creating it," Luqman added.

Just last month, ZUS Coffee rolled out a limited-edition card holder for the launch of the first ZUS Signature, as well as a limited-edition Signature card holder and exclusive tumbler. The coffee brand has shown no signs of slowing down on its marketing campaigns, after it collaborated with local clothing brand Pestle & Mortar Clothing to release a limited-edition clothing collection in November last year.  

The clothing collection included bowling shirts, socks and customisable oversized T-shirts. The collaboration aimed to celebrate Malaysian pride and creativity by showcasing the spirit of local talent through a fusion of streetwear and community building. 

Prior to that, ZUS also launched a vertical and canned fizzy coffee in January 2024 as it eyed the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and lifestyle products market.

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