ABC turns up the heat in Malaysia with life-sized sauce bottles and street activation

Southeast Asian cooking brand ABC has brought its signature spice to the streets of Kuala Lumpur, launching the new ABC Pedas (spicy) range with a bold and immersive marketing activation. The activation, held at high-traffic areas in Bukit Bintang including Pavilion and Lot 10, invited shoppers to experience the brand through sampling, interactive moments, and eye-catching visual displays.

At the centre of the campaign were giant, life-sized ABC sauce bottles carried around by the activation team—an idea designed to turn a familiar kitchen item into a bold icon in the busy cityscape.  The eye-catching bottles served as bold visual icons, designed to stand out amid the bustling city environment, spark curiosity, and encourage organic social sharing.

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Members of the public could try all three Pedas flavours, take photos with the oversized bottles, and receive limited-edition ABC aprons and complimentary sauces. The combination of sampling, giveaways, and visual spectacle made for a fun, memorable experience that brought the brand’s personality to life. The activation also coincided with ABC’s launch of its official Malaysian social media accounts in October, signalling a strategic effort to deepen engagement with local consumers.

Although ABC already has many loyal fans in the country, the brand is now investing in direct engagement with Malaysian consumers. The brand shared with A+M that the local social platforms allow it to create content that suits Malaysian tastes, highlighting the way Malaysians cook and enjoy food, participate in local trends, and communicate more closely with audiences.

The campaign extended beyond on-ground activations. Influencer partnerships showcased the sauces in everyday meals, digital media amplification boosted reach, and content captured during the activation was repurposed for ongoing social storytelling. ABC is also exploring additional OOH and DOOH opportunities for future campaign phases.

Kittinai Viputthikul, head of regional marketing, SEA & HK, ABC, told A+M: “ABC understands the diverse spice preferences of Malay consumers, that’s why we’re expanding our chili sauce range to offer choices that truly reflect their tastes." He added: "With ABC’s strong heritage in Indonesia, it’s time for us also to deepen our connection with Malay consumers and accelerate more consumer engagement activities across Malaysia.”

Looking ahead, ABC Malaysia is gearing up for more festive and seasonal initiatives, particularly around Ramadan. Consumers can expect recipe inspirations, collaborations, and on-ground experiences designed to celebrate local food culture and family traditions.

The whole Pedas campaign—from the activation, KOL partnerships, and social media—was managed by ABC's agency partner, Actstitude. “Relaunching ABC was a chance to celebrate a classic brand while making it exciting and fresh for a new generation. It felt like throwing a big flavour party, and I’m still amazed at what our team pulled off," shared Alvin Kok, the agency's managing director of Malaysia and Singapore. 

Speaking of life-sized activations in the streets of KL, Subway Malaysia went big with the launch of "The ultimate footlong meal", a campaign that’s as playful as it is indulgent. The real showstopper is parked right in front of Lot 10, Bukit Bintang: a massive 3D Subway bag installation that looks like it’s bursting at the seams. The oversized bag is part of the campaign’s “Too big to contain” concept, inviting curious onlookers to peek through six interactive lubang jenguk or “viewing spots,” each revealing a different part of "The ultimate footlong meal" story. 

Meanwhile back in June, Charlotte Tilbury teamed up with Sephora Malaysia for an on-ground activation featuring several models clad in the brand's iconic colour walking down Jalan Bukit Bintang with oversized Charlotte Tilbury shopping bags and copies of the "Tilbury Times".

Last year, Domino's Malaysia took to the streets of KL in its "Find your double" activation, to promote its new 'double cheeseburger pizza', where pairs of promoters were also seen donning double T-shirts to promote the new item. And ZALORA also took things offline for its 11.11 sale in 2024 by painting the town red with models dressed in bright red spandex strutting the streets of Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

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