Garlic, durian and sotong? Darlie gives bad breath a surreal twist

Darlie Malaysia has launched a new campaign for its Double Action Toothpaste range, turning some of Malaysians’ most beloved foods into larger-than-life characters to spotlight the everyday issue of bad breath.

Created by THE SHOUT GROUP, the “You are what you eat” campaign dramatises post-meal bad breath by depicting people literally transforming into foods such as garlic, durian and dried squid through exaggerated “food head” visuals.

The campaign aims to tap into a highly relatable local insight: Malaysians’ love for pungent foods often comes hand-in-hand with concerns over lingering breath odour.

Don't miss: Malaysia Airlines, Hyundai, Carlsberg and more, hand creative duties to The SHOUT GROUP 

At the centre of the campaign is Darlie Double Action Toothpaste’s antibacterial formula, which the brand says kills 99.9% of oral bacteria and provides up to 12 hours of protection against bad breath caused by food.

Rather than focusing solely on temporary freshness, the campaign positions the product as tackling bad breath at its source.

Visually, the campaign leans heavily into humour and surrealism, with the food-headed characters appearing in everyday social situations that quickly become awkward due to their overpowering odours.

Melissa Wong, director of Hawley & Hazel Marketing Malaysia and regional brand development, said the campaign was designed to turn a familiar oral care concern into something consumers would instantly recognise, remember and talk about.

"‘You are what you eat’ takes a familiar experience and brings it to life in a way that instantly sparks conversation," said Wong. She added that the idea has already sparked interest from regional markets looking to adapt the campaign for their own audiences.

“Moving forward, consumers can expect more from the brand — innovative products introduced in unforgettable, entertaining ways that truly connect with what today’s audiences are looking for,” she added.

According to the agency, balancing comedy with strong visual craft was key to making the concept land effectively without becoming overly gimmicky. To achieve the desired tone and cinematic execution, THE SHOUT GROUP brought in a director from Thailand to help bring the campaign world to life.

Wang Le Tjer, executive creative director at THE SHOUT GROUP, said the team wanted the concept to feel visually entertaining while still clearly communicating the product benefit.

“From the beginning, we knew this campaign needed the right balance of humour, craft and visual storytelling. The ‘food head’ world could easily have felt too over-the-top or gimmicky if not executed properly, so we wanted a director who understood exactly how to strike that balance," he said.

"We specially flew in a director from Thailand to help bring the scripts to life with the right tone, energy and cinematic style the campaign deserved,” added Wang.

The campaign officially rolled out in May 2026 and is currently running across digital, social and out-of-home channels nationwide, with more campaign assets expected to launch throughout the year as part of Darlie Double Action Toothpaste’s ongoing communication platform.

In November last year, Darlie is tapped into pop culture’s fascination with the undead for its latest campaign, “Light on, bacteria gone,” which reimagines bacteria as zombies that fear the light.

The campaign introduced the brand’s upgraded 'Charcoal spiral graphene' toothbrush, featuring the 'LightActiv technology' powered by graphene. When exposed to light, the toothbrush’s graphene-infused bristles kill bacteria on their surface three times faster, offering Malaysians a cleaner and safer brushing experience.

To spotlight this innovation, Darlie and SHOUT GROUP dramatised how light can be a weapon against bacteria. Drawing inspiration from horror tropes where monsters thrive in darkness, the campaign flips the script where this time, it’s the bacteria that run from the light. The result is a cinematic, tongue-in-cheek narrative that turns everyday oral care into an entertaining battle between light and darkness.

Related articles: 
Darlie embraces horror with zombie-themed graphene toothbrush campaign
Darlie brings double action to oral care in minty-fresh campaign 
Darlie MY refreshes brand image with new tagline and campaign