Cadbury pays tribute to birth of Malaysia

Cadbury Malaysia has launched a film as part of its Merdeka campaign that pays tribute to the founding of Malaysia.

Done in collaboration with Ogilvy Malaysia, the film titled “Merdeka Unseen” encourages Malaysians to look at Merdeka differently and in turn, change the way they celebrate this significant day in the history of Malaysia.

This year, Cadbury Dairy Milk wanted to show Malaysians a different side of Merdeka that’s never been seen before. Instead of centring the narrative around the iconic speech of Tunku Abdul Rahman, the brand had chosen to centre it around the millions who watched the speech and more.

Rather than produce a film with a fictional story, the film features Johan, a gentleman that was present during that iconic Merdeka Day in 1957 and brought him back to the stadium to relive that experience. Through the use of technology, the film brought to life the many symbolic moments that happened that same day, defining the spirit of what it means to be Malaysian.

In real-time, as Johan walked through the stadium, memories were projected onto the seats where those moments happened. Through Johan’s memories of Merdeka, the film serves as a reminder that generosity has always been at the heart of the Malaysian spirit.

Cadbury’s Merdeka campaign will be running until mid-September. A+M has reached out to Ogilvy for additional information.

Nikhil Nicholas, marketing lead of chocolates, Mondolez SEA said: “Cadbury Dairy Milk has always strived to shine a spotlight on the generous instinct that exists in all of us and found the perfect opportunity here to do just that this Merdeka, by recreating Johan’s memories of the everyday goodness that he witnessed all around him on that momentous day.”

Nizwani Shahar, chief executive of Ogilvy said: “We are proud to be a part of a winning team that continues to drive brand impact and business growth in a modern landscape. We hold the Cadbury flag high having worked on this business for so long and the ability to keep pushing out impactful, powerful work is a true testament to a solid partnership with clients who give us permission to play and push boundaries.”

Adrian Miller, chief creative officer of Ogilvy said: “The truth of today is that no one wants to spend any second of their day watching any form of advertising, especially during an occasion like Merdeka where the same stories have been rinsed and repeated,”

“But what people do want to watch is a powerful story that they haven't seen before. A story that intrigues them and adds value to their day,” he added.

Separately in 2019, Mondolez’s biscuit brand Jacob's Malaysia also launched a Merdeka-inspired campaign titled “#TheOriginals” showcasing how various Malaysian icons are sketched out and engraved on Jacob’s original cream cracker. Featured on television and digital platform, the stop-motion film garnered about 2.4 million views on YouTube in three weeks.

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