Inside Scoop celebrates Merdeka with 'Lokal legends' collaboration

This Merdeka, Malaysian ice cream brand Inside Scoop is turning nostalgia into dessert with the return of its popular 'Lokal legends' collection. For its second edition, the homegrown brand has teamed up with six iconic local F&B favourites — Gardenia, GSC, Julie’s, Beryl’s, ZUS Coffee, and Farm Fresh — to create limited-edition flavours inspired by some of Malaysia’s most beloved treats.

The collection transforms nostalgic favourites into creamy, handcrafted ice cream, celebrating the country’s culinary heritage. Gardenia’s Twiggies Choc-A-Lot, for example, layers milk chocolate ice cream with bite-sized pieces of the childhood snack, offering a scoopable reminder of simpler times. 

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GSC’s Caramel Popcorn pays homage to weekend cinema trips with salted caramel and buttered pecans, evoking the golden aroma of freshly popped popcorn at Malaysian cinemas. Meanwhile, Julie’s Le-mond Lemon combines zesty lemon ice cream with Julie’s signature sandwich crackers and a ripple of citrusy curd, creating a bright, playful flavour that recalls the joys of a well-stocked Malaysian pantry.

Other flavours in the collection continue the theme of local favourites reinvented. Beryl’s Gula Melaka Chocolate blends rich gula melaka (malaccan sugar) ice cream with chocolate pieces and buttery crumble, turning a traditional taste into a decadent dessert. ZUS Coffee’s Spanish Latté takes inspiration from the homegrown café chain’s signature drink, fusing espresso-based milk ice cream with condensed milk and crunchy chocolate-coated cone bits for a modern twist.

Finally, Farm Fresh’s Choco Malt Kaw delivers an intensified take on last year’s hit, with fudgy chocolate swirls and crunchy choco malt soil that bring the nostalgic chocolate malt drink to life in ice cream form.

Andrew Hong, head of marketing at Inside Scoop, told A+M exclusively that planning for the collection began as early as March. “When we launched the first 'Lokal legends' last year, we asked ourselves how we could celebrate Merdeka meaningfully without resorting to discounts. We realised that the brands we grew up with truly shaped the Malaysian experience, and we wanted to tell that story differently this year,” he said.

Choosing which brands to collaborate with proved a challenge. “The whole team pitched their favourite brands, so narrowing it down to six was tough. But we’re very intentional, if we genuinely love the brand or partnership, it really shows in the final product. Our customers can feel the excitement, because after all, we’re customers ourselves,” Hong added.

The campaign will be launched with a media event on 19 August (today) at Inside Scoop TTDI, where co-founders Edmund Tan and Shiew Li are set to demonstrate live ice cream making, just as they did in Bangsar when the brand first started. Until Malaysia Day (16 September), the outlet will feature Merdeka-themed décor showcasing the partner brands' colours. The campaign is being amplified primarily through social media, with collaborative posts and influencer content driving engagement.

Inside Scoop's co-founder Edmund Tan described the initiative as “a love letter to Malaysia,” noting that every scoop is handcrafted locally. Hong echoed this, saying, “All our partners were super collaborative, and we had a lot of fun creating these flavours together. At Inside Scoop, we are always trying to push the boundaries of what Malaysian ice cream can be, and we hope one day to become part of the Malaysian experience that these iconic brands already represent.”

The 'Lokal legends 2025' collection is available from 18 August to 21 September at all Inside Scoop outlets nationwide, either as single-scoop flavours or in the limited-edition 'Lokal legends' party pack priced at RM68. Each ice cream comes in a custom-designed cup sleeve featuring the collaborating brand’s colours and the 'Lokal legends' mark, a perfect keepsake this Merdeka season.

Earlier this month, Julie's Biscuits, launched a cross-industry collaboration alongside popular local scarf brand TudungPeople, launching a limited-edition collectible designed to celebrate Malaysian heritage and unity. Meanwhile, pasta brand Barilla is celebrating Merdeka by merging fashion and food in a collab with iconic handbag designer Christy Ng.

Separately, KFC Malaysia is celebrating Merdeka with a campaign that blends fried chicken with fine art, turning 14 of its outlets into vibrant canvases of Malaysian pride. The 2025 edition of "KFC cara kita" (“KFC our way”) sees the fast-food giant teaming up with 11 homegrown artists to tell uniquely Malaysian stories through mural art.

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