Macao tourism turns to vertical drama to reach Indonesia's Gen Z

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The Macao government tourism office (MGTO) has turned to vertical scripted drama rather than conventional tourism advertising as it looks to engage Indonesian Gen Z audiences on TikTok.

Titled Don’t Make a Wish!, the 10-episode vertical drama series was produced by Indonesian production house Bersinema Pictures - under Flux Creative Universe - and filmed on location in Macao in April.

The campaign is designed to introduce Macao as a travel destination to Indonesian audiences while reflecting the growing preference for short-form, vertical content among younger consumers.

Don't miss: Flux Creative Universe acquires AI firm GetCore to fuse creativity, attention and automation

@alunajinnynanika Aluna harus segera ke Macao dan pergi ke Toko Antik serta mengurus warisannya. Dalam perjalanannya di Macao, ia tiba-tiba bertemu dengan jin yang sudah lama terkutuk di dalam lampu selama ratusan tahun!😱 Dimanakah Aluna bertemu jin tersebut? Bagaimana pertemuan Aluna dan Sosok Jin selama Di Macao? Nantikan serial Don’t Make a Wish, yang akan tayang perdana besok secara eksklusif di akun @alunajinnynanika dan @Experience Macao pukul 15.00!✨ #AlunaJinnyNanika #VerticalScriptedDramaBersinema #TikTokSeries #DiscoverMacao #ExperienceMacao ♬ suara asli - Aluna Jinny Nanika

Rather than placing the destination at the centre of a conventional tourism advertisement, MGTO and Bersinema Pictures have opted to integrate Macao into a scripted storyline, with the destination appearing naturally within the narrative.

The decision to work with an Indonesian production house was also intended to ensure the series reflected local viewing habits, including the tone, humour and pacing familiar to Indonesian audiences.

MGTO said the approach was based on recognising that creative strategies need to be adapted to the audience they are intended to reach.

“We know that what works for a Macao audience doesn’t necessarily work for an Indonesian one. So instead of forcing our own perspective, we chose to team up with a production house from Indonesia, because they’re the ones who really get how this story needs to be told to actually land with their audience. And it turns out that approach paid off. Vertical drama has proven to be an effective way to draw tourist interest to Macao; people aren’t just watching an ad, they’re following a story, and Macao shows up in it naturally, not forced,” it said.

The series is directed by Aldho Mulia Trijaya, also known as Alji Habibie, with Yunita Puspita serving as line producer and Protus Didid Musyerianto Belle as director of photography. Hendra Ramadhanny is the editor, with EXP Global Digital serving as the production crew partner.

The series is airing throughout August 2026 exclusively on the official TikTok accounts of MGTO and lead cast member Aluna Jinny Nanika.

Discover what's next in Indonesia's fast-moving digital landscape at DMA Indonesia 2026 on 13 October in Jakarta, where marketing leaders will explore how AI, creator ecosystems, social commerce, and omnichannel strategies are reshaping customer engagement and business growth.

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