Karta goes 'Kaw-kaw-nut' in new coconut water campaign

Coconut water brand Karta is leaning into bold local flavour, both in taste and tone, with its new campaign that centres on the iconic Malaysian expression “kaw.”

Launched in May, the campaign introduces the cheeky line “So kaw-kaw-nut”, a playful spin on the product’s core ingredient. Developed by boutique creative agency Muma Malaysia, the campaign celebrates Karta’s uniquely rich taste, which emerged as a key differentiator in blind taste tests conducted during the concepting phase, the agency shared in a statement.

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With over 80% of consumers rating Karta’s coconut water as the richest in flavour during testing, the brand and agency saw an opportunity to own the sensory edge, and the local slang that goes with it. In Malaysian parlance, “kaw” is shorthand for something strong, thick, or intense, usually used to describe coffee, but here, repurposed to give coconut water a bold new identity.

The campaign is anchored by a 30-second film, which will roll out across digital out-of-home (OOH), social media, and in-store touchpoints, supported by mobile activations to drive trial and brand visibility.

It portrays a set of parents who stay "cool" with Karta's coconut water drink, while chilling by a poolside. In walks their daughter, who introduces her new boyfriend, Ken. Met with judgmental looks from the girl's father, she passes a Karta coconut water drink to Ken to lighten up the situation. Upon drinking, it unleashes his "kaw" side, or his bold personality, prompting a warm welcome hug by the girl's father. 

Karta’s ready-to-drink coconut water contains no additives and is packed with electrolytes, positioning it as natural hydration with a "kaw" kick. While most brands play to the category’s refreshing and light credentials, Karta is banking on flavour-forward messaging to win over consumers with more adventurous palates.

“Muma has created a strong campaign concept that communicates the distinguishing feature of Karta coconut water, perfectly encapsulated in the one word which every Malaysian knows,” said Thompson Chuah, head of marketing, signature brands at Kara Marketing. “It’s invigorating to work with a partner who understands our product and finds the best way to communicate with our consumers," he added. 

The campaign film, which aims to encourage Malaysians to unleash their own “kaw” personalities, was directed by Gavin Simpson of Directors Think Tank. “The ‘So kaw-kaw-nut’ storyboard was already bursting with fun and personality. My job was to match that energy and convey it to the audience on screen," he said. 

This marks the first-ever brand film that Karta Malaysia has published on its YouTube channel, despite the brand’s presence in the market since 1999. Karta Malaysia operates as a consumer goods distributor and is also the owner of several homegrown brands, including Kara, Akasa and Naco. While its YouTube presence is relatively new, its Instagram account has seen significant growth since it refreshed its content strategy last year.

The coconut water brand began experimenting with influencer marketing, teaming up with creators to promote collaborations such as its tie-up with smartphone brand Honor. Influencers also shared festive recipes using Karta’s coconut water for Chinese New Year, paving the way for more content-led campaigns.

Riding on that momentum, the brand rolled out recipe videos during Ramadan and Raya 2024, alongside campaign content for its fruit drink line, Fruta, with some videos reaching as many as 530,000 views.

More recently, Karta Malaysia has ramped up its lifestyle partnerships, collaborating with events and venues such as Sneakerlah 2024 at MITEC, pickleball venue Paddleup Malaysia, and local cafés including Curio Coffee Roaster and ONO, signalling a strategic push to connect with younger, trend-savvy consumers.

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