Behind the scenes: Royco brings Cinta and Rangga back for a new chapter

A decade after Indonesia’s iconic romance Ada Apa Dengan Cinta (AADC) concluded, Royco has reunited members of the franchise’s original cast for a new campaign exploring what happens after the “happily ever after”.

Titled “Bahasa cinta yang beda” (“A different love language”), the Unilever Indonesia seasoning brand’s campaign revisits the relationship between Cinta and Rangga, whose story first captivated Indonesian audiences in the 2002 film, before returning in its 2016 sequel AADC 2.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE went behind the scenes of the campaign to speak with the creative team during the shoot. Developed with frank. Singapore, Omnicom’s dedicated Unilever team, the campaign was directed by established Indonesian filmmaker Teddy Soeria Atmadja.

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AADC has become a landmark in Indonesian popular culture, with Cinta and Rangga growing into one of the country’s most recognisable on-screen couples. Its portrayal of teenage romance, friendship and growing up resonated with a generation of Indonesian audiences, while its dialogue, poetry and soundtrack became defining elements of the film’s enduring legacy.

The film’s influence continued well beyond its original release, with AADC 2 bringing Dian Sastrowardoyo and Nicholas Saputra back as Cinta and Rangga in 2016, 14 years after the original. Royco, meanwhile, has been part of Indonesian kitchens since the 1970s, giving the brand its own longstanding connection to everyday cooking and family meals.

Royco now adds another chapter to the story with a short film starring Sastrowardoyo, alongside Sissy Prescillia (Milly). The film follows Cinta as she seeks to understand Rangga’s love language and attempts to perfect an omelette, his favourite dish, as an act of love.

The dish becomes a simple expression of the campaign’s broader message: that love can be found in everyday gestures rather than grand romantic declarations. Royco Ayam Kampung is woven into these moments, positioning cooking as a way to express affection while giving the brand a natural role within the story.

“For Royco, the story goes beyond making everyday meals more flavourful. It explores how cooking can become a way for couples to reconnect and bring new energy into a relationship that may have become familiar or routine over time,” said Nuning Wahyuningsih, head of marketing – foods at Unilever Indonesia.

The film also marks a first for Royco, moving into a longer-form storytelling format as the brand looks to extend its role beyond the kitchen and into everyday relationships.

Ilham Chairat, Royco masterbrand and innovation lead at Unilever, explained that the campaign’s “different love language” shifts from poetry in the original film to cooking, helping Royco connect with younger audiences by showing that cooking is not limited to mothers or the kitchen.

“We want to build a closer connection with our audience. This is the biggest campaign we’ve ever undertaken for Royco, and we’re approaching it as a proper film, complete with a premiere, rather than as a conventional brand campaign,” Chairat said. 

Beyond the film, “Bahasa cinta yang beda” extends into social and on-ground activations, including a premiere event, KOL activations, a limited-edition Royco x AADC omelette kit at TikTok Food Fest and a live podcast with TS Media.

Omar Sotomayor Noel, group creative director at frank. Singapore, said the campaign was shaped by the unique cultural insights of the Indonesian market, while drawing on the agency’s longstanding relationship with Unilever to push the brand into a more ambitious storytelling format.

“Format-wise, this is the longest fictional film we’ve shot as an agency, especially with such an iconic and beloved franchise,” Noel said, highlighting the ambition behind the project.

Sastrowardoyo, who has worked with Unilever across several of its brands over the years, said the storytelling-led approach gives creative partners greater room to explore ideas and collaborate, particularly when the brand allows the work to develop beyond a conventional advertising format.

“It’s my responsibility to ensure that the story – from the first film to the second and now into the advertising – remains cohesive, so that everything feels connected and belongs to the same universe,” she said.

Director Atmadja also credited scriptwriter Titien Wattimena, while highlighting the importance of a treatment that elevates the product integration without compromising the cinematic approach to storytelling.

“We have a nice balance between applied art and artistic expression, and the collaboration between the agency, myself and the scriptwriter allowed us to come up with something that is in line with and in harmony with the storytelling, while infusing the brand,” he said.

The campaign invites consumers to recreate Cinta’s gesture by cooking their own “Omelette Cinta” for their partners. KOL activations and a user-generated content campaign will further encourage audiences to share their own recipes and expressions of love across social media.

Discover what's next in Indonesia's fast-moving digital landscape at DMA Indonesia 2026 on 13 October in Jakarta, where marketing leaders will explore how AI, creator ecosystems, social commerce, and omnichannel strategies are reshaping customer engagement and business growth.

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