Flip leans into Chinese drama trend to drive engagement in latest campaign

As brands crowded the Ramadan marketing landscape, Indonesian fintech firm Flip took a different route – stepping away from hard-selling and into culture already embraced by its audience.

Through its “Bulan yang Fitri” campaign, Flip adopted the increasingly popular dracin (Chinese drama) format as its primary storytelling vehicle, using it to communicate its Flip Deals cashback feature, which integrates with multiple eCommerce platforms in Indonesia. The approach positioned the campaign less as advertising and more as entertainment, helping to unlock large-scale organic engagement.

Winardi Cristian, head of marketing at Flip, said the idea stemmed from shifting audience behaviour in digital content consumption. “Nowadays, people choose to watch ads. So if the content doesn’t feel relevant or entertaining, they’ll skip it. From there, we positioned the brand within formats they already enjoy, so the impact extends not just to engagement but also to product usage.” 

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The results followed. During Ramadan, the number of daily active transacting users rose by around 23%, while total daily transactions grew approximately 31%. Daily transaction value also increased by up to 42% compared to the non-Ramadan period.

Ramadan proved to be a timely moment for the dracin-inspired approach, as digital content consumption typically rises ahead of iftar, when audiences seek light, easily digestible entertainment.

Flip translated the hallmarks of the format – short episodes, fast-paced narratives, and cliffhangers – into a parody mini-series titled “Prahara Tahta di Bulan yang Fitri”, distributed across social media. The episodic structure encouraged audiences to watch through to the end and return for subsequent instalments, reinforcing sustained engagement.

Casting also played a key role. By featuring Indonesian personality Fitri Tropica as the lead, Flip tapped into a familiar comedic style and strong storytelling persona aligned with the campaign’s tone.

Despite the entertainment-first approach, the brand ensured that its product message remained embedded within the narrative. The storyline emphasised everyday financial habits, positioning cashback as a simple, accessible way to save – rather than a behavioural shift requiring major effort.

To extend reach beyond digital, the campaign included offline activation through a communal iftar event titled “Bukber yang Fitri”, bringing together dozens of individuals named Fitri from across Indonesia. This was complemented by interactive social media initiatives such as “Kuis di Bulan yang Fitri”, designed to sustain conversation across platforms.

The strategy proved effective in attracting attention. Over the campaign period, Flip recorded more than 50 million views, reached over 100 million users, and generated upwards of 1 million interactions. Audience response reflected the campaign’s entertainment value.

For Flip, the campaign underscores a broader shift in how brands compete for attention during peak seasons. 

“In the midst of so much competing content, attention cannot be bought entirely. Brands need to enter formats that audiences already enjoy, so the messages delivered feel more organic and are easier to remember,” Cristian said.

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