IdeaFactory brings Cambodian excellence to the international stage and takes home gold

This post is sponsored by IdeaFactory Advertising.

Cambodia reached a new milestone this year with IdeaFactory Advertising proudly bringing home two gold awards from the 14th annual edition of the Marketing Events Awards in Singapore.

This lean team stood tall against some of the best agencies across Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the ANZ regions, winning in the categories of Best Multi-Day Event Experience and Best Creative Element for an Event, showcasing how Cambodian creativity can shine on the world stage.

The recognition came from two standout campaigns delivered with Heineken Cambodia:

• The Tiger X Anchor Beer Foam Splash Festival, which won Best Multi-Day Event Experience.
• The Heineken Silver “Surprisingly Smooth” Launch, which earned Best Creative Element for an Event.

These wins highlighted the agency’s ability to deliver events with both scale and spectacle, while also shining a light on Cambodia’s presence on the international marketing and events stage.

Celebrating the Khmer New Year with a global standard

The “Tiger X Anchor Beer Foam Splash Festival” campaign brought an energising twist to Cambodia’s most celebrated holiday, the Khmer New Year. This celebration is known for its vibrant, multi-day street parties that attract both locals and tourists who seek high-energy entertainment and a cultural connection.

The challenge for brands has always been sustaining excitement across the five-day festival. IdeaFactory addressed this by designing a consumer experience that merged the urban festival culture of Tiger with the nostalgic hometown spirit of Anchor on one iconic street in Siem Reap.

The result was a five-day fusion playground of fun and tradition, uniting the two types of KNY party goers and creating the ultimate inclusive Sangkran celebration that kept crowds engaged day after day. Highlights included:

• Nostalgic Khmer traditional games and cultural activities.
• A neon foam splash party, energising nights with DJs, and endless foam splash.
• The spectacular Tiger x Anchor Balloon Skyfall, showering the crowd.
• The Anchor Cash Flying Machine, where lucky participants won cash prizes.

The numbers spoke for themselves:

• 65,000 total attendees across five days (exceeding targets).
• 16.1 million digital impressions, showing online buzz and virality.
• Over 900 beer products sold, more than double the previous year’s sales.

This dynamic approach created an all-day entertaining experience for consumers, which earned IdeaFactory gold for Best Multi-Day Event Experience, setting a new standard for how brands can celebrate Cambodia’s biggest holiday of the year.

A surprisingly smooth April Fool’s takeover

The Heineken Silver “Surprisingly Smooth” Launch redefined how a global beer brand can connect with Cambodia’s trend-driven youth.

The challenge was to rejuvenate Heineken’s image in the midst of crowded premium beer marketing in Cambodia. IdeaFactory saw April 1 as the perfect opportunity to stage Cambodia’s boldest-ever April Fool’s prank. Instead of a traditional product launch, Heineken debuted “Heineken Smootheriser”, a fictional cheeky beauty product that playfully hinted at the beer’s “surprisingly smooth” and “sociable” character.

To take it up a notch, Cambodia’s grandest disco ball-themed beauty influencer party was hosted. The creative centrepiece was an enormous shimmering disco ball, a symbol of glamour and celebration. From the AR invitation sent to influencers to the glossy mirror-ball photo op and a beauty product booth that transformed into a Heineken Silver bar, every detail kept guests guessing until the grand reveal.

At the peak of the night, the host introduced the launch of Heineken Smootheriser, accompanied by a dazzling performance of human disco-ball performers and a stage show. On the stage, the giant disco ball rotated to reveal a Heineken Silver and transformed into an epic DJ booth.

The prank extended beyond the launch event, with human disco balls invading pubs and bars nationwide, serving Heineken Silver to unsuspecting consumers, and transforming mundane beer orders into Instagram-worthy surprises.

The campaign was a smooth success.

• 629 influencers attended (125% of the target).
• Over 835 influencer content pieces created (417% of the target).
• 8.1 million views generated across digital platforms.
• PR coverage worth US$31,000 across 28 press releases.

This disruptive approach captured Cambodia’s most elusive young audience, securing IdeaFactory gold for Best Creative Element for an Event, and showing that creativity can be both cheeky and culturally resonant.

Raising Cambodia’s creative flag in regional excellence

For this Cambodian agency, these two gold awards were a testament far beyond the awards themselves, but a signal of the country’s growing voice in the regional creative landscape.

“Bringing home two gold awards on the international stage is not just a win for our agency, it is a proud moment for Cambodia,” said Chheng Sokha, CEO of IdeaFactory.

“These awards prove that our creativity, passion, and event execution can stand alongside the region’s best, and we are proud that our work resonated with judges and audiences across borders," added the CEO.

Looking ahead, the agency remains focused on its mission of creating brand activations that are culturally relevant and audience-driven while delivering measurable business impact to its partners. For global and local brands exploring opportunities in emerging markets, it showcases the untapped potential of rising creative hubs on the global stage.