Hari Raya Aidilfitri is one of the most important holidays in the country, and many Malaysians return to their hometowns aka balik kampung just to be with their families and loved ones. This year, the joyous festival fell on 6th and 7th July.
To further celebrate the meaningful festival, major companies in Malaysia will release heartwarming campaign ads to highlight the importance of tradition and family every year. Here’s a list of this year’s must-watch Raya ads that will definitely pull on your heartstrings:
1. Samsung Ramadhan – Siberturahim
https://youtu.be/h2VJz0VbhnQ
Unlike typical Raya advertisements, Samsung cleverly used WatsApp, a popular messaging app, to remind customers and viewers of the importance of forgiveness. Its campaign ad titled “Siberturahim” (meaning relationship, in this case family) focuses on a group chat conversation among family members.
The climax of the story is when Adik (younger sister), points finger at Along (older brother) for a past argument that caused Angah (middle sibling) to stay away from home. Along then exits out of frustration. The family eventually reconcile after Papa adds Angah and him back.
Aside from the wordy yet touching storyline, the video also shows off some of Samsung’s specifications such as the camera and the S-Pen.
2. Maxis – #Sarikatahati
“Technology has made it so easy for us to stay in touch with the people we care about, but what about those who are slow to pick it up? Are we leaving them behind?”
Maxis, one of the country’s largest network providers, tied in its Hari Raya “#Sarikatahati” campaign (literally translated as “heart’s subtitle”) with technology and it hit us right in the feels. The 2-minute long video shows us how youngsters these days tend to ignore their parents or grandparents’, even with the most simple of requests.
3. Petronas – Vroom Vroom
The new Raya ad campaign released by national oil company Petronas titled “Vroom Vroom” reminds us the importance of having appreciation for our parent’s sacrifice and unconditional love. The 5 minute Malay-speaking video tells the heartwarming tale of Azlan and his saxophonist father, Rashid.
In the beginning of the clip, the father-and-son duo was kicked out of their home, causing them to be temporarily homeless. But even so, Rashid wanted to give Azlan hope. He put all his luggages in an abandoned shopping trolley and tells his son that he is on a “race car”.
Fast forward to 29 years later, Rashid is now an old man sitting in a wheelchair while Azlan is married. One early morning at 4am, Azlan takes his distraught father out for a “race” to cheer him up.
4. Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) – #Lepastu
TNB’s “#Lepastu” (literally translated as and then) is one of the few light-hearted videos in this year’s Raya ad campaign ine-up.
After many teasers, the cute ad was released on 26th June and it focuses on a little boy named Din. During a family gathering, Din asks for forgiveness from his father for all the “wrong” he did in the past year such as losing his watch, accidentally pouring juice on his father’s shoes, flooding the kitchen, breaking the iPad, and breaking his mother’s cabinet.
The short video delivers a simple message of forgiveness, reminding us that “there’s no wrong that cannot be forgiven”.
5. Telekom Malaysia (TM) – Rezeki Yang Dikongsi Lebih Diberkati
“Rezeki Yang Dikongsi Lebih Diberkati”, the title of TM’s ad campaign, is about blessing, kindness, sharing, and humanity.
Sofea is a kind-hearted woman who helps and prepares food for the less-fortunate but is always laughed at by her colleagues because of her habit of collecting leftover food from parties, weddings, and buffets. One day, her manager saw her giving away food to the poor and since then, her colleagues offered to help her with her cause.
Which was your favourite ad this year? Let us know in the comments below!
Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri everyone, we hope that you’ll have a meaningful time with family and friends 🙂
