Marketing Excellence Awards Malaysia 2026 finalists revealed

Malaysia Airlines, MR.DIY and KFC are among the brands shortlisted for the 15th edition of the Marketing Excellence Awards Malaysia 2026.

Spanning 48 categories, this year's shortlist recognises work across the marketing landscape, including three new categories: Excellence in Cultural Storytelling, Excellence in O2O Marketing and Excellence in Financial Empowerment Marketing.

Malaysia Airlines is in the running with campaigns ranging from “Thousand-Mile Horse: Journeying Together in the Year of the Horse” to “MAYA: Introducing Asia-Pacific’s first AI-powered cabin crew by Malaysia Airlines”. The airline is also shortlisted for “Pilot Parker: A Story Inspired by True Memorable Moments” and its Manchester United partnership campaign, “Proud supporters of supporters”.

Meanwhile, MR.DIY's “Satu Beg, Seribu Cerita” is among the shortlisted campaigns. In May, the brand took its iconic yellow reusable shopping bags to Malaysia's highways as part of the campaign. KFC is also a finalist, with “KFC Treats Secret Agents: Cracking The Youth Snacking Code”, developed with VML Malaysia, shortlisted for Excellence in Launch Marketing.

The coveted Marketer of the Year title is also up for grabs, recognising an individual who has demonstrated marketing excellence through their work.

Other shortlisted brands include Unifi, Munchy's, Spritzer, Julie's Biscuits and Touch 'n Go. See the full list of finalists here.

For Cecilia Wong, chief digital and marketing officer at L’Oréal Malaysia and Singapore, the standout campaigns were those that turned audiences into active participants. 

The strongest campaigns create a reason for people to participate, not simply consume.

She added that meaningful participation is what transforms campaigns into brand experiences and builds lasting connections.

Archana Sridhara (Archie), global brand director for Sunquick and marketing director APAC at CO-RO, highlighted the importance of responding to changing consumer behaviour and finding ways for brands to remain relevant in a competitive market.

In tandem, Vince Yeoh, general manager of marketing at Kia Sales Malaysia, said the strongest ideas often made complex thinking look simple, backed by a clear understanding of the challenge, a strong insight and measurable results.

Sharing a similar perspective, Felice Lim, digital marketing director at Taishin Group, praised entries that carried one clear idea consistently across every touchpoint, demonstrating how focused execution can outperform complexity.

For Winnie Chan, head of group brand sponsorship and events at Maybank, the most compelling campaigns were not necessarily the biggest, but those built around a clear problem, a distinctive idea and tangible results: 

Creativity gets attention, but when it is grounded in strategy and delivers meaningful impact, that is where marketing excellence really comes through.

Jill Yeap, general manager of marketing at Tune Talk, also highlighted the need to balance creative excellence with customer understanding, strategic effectiveness and measurable business outcomes.

Zaid Areff, head of group brand and consumer marketing at Time Internet, also pointed to the role of technology in strengthening marketing efforts, emphasising the importance of enhancing traditional approaches without becoming overly reliant on technology.

Check out the full shortlist to see which campaigns are in the running for this year’s honours.

The winners will be announced at the awards gala on 13 November at Hilton KL.

For sponsorship and awards opportunities, contact:

Mohanesh Kumar
Senior regional project manager
Tel: +65 6423 0329 Ext 230
Mobile: +65 9895 3365 / +60 16 907 693
Email: mohaneshk@marketing-interactive.com

Abigael Ayerdi
Regional project manager
Tel: +65 6692 9031 Ext 814
Mobile: +63 9614187758
Email: abigaela@marketing-interactive.com

Advertising and sponsorship opportunities
Email: partnerships@marketing-interactive.com