Prasarana pulls HYGR ad from trains, tightens ad reviews

Prasarana Malaysia, the parent company of LRT train operator RapidKL, has removed a personal care products advertisement from its Ampang and Sri Petaling LRT lines following public backlash and triggering conversations around racial sensitivity.

The image in question was raised by an activist who said the image was discriminatory, according to media reports on NST. The ad showed two LRT passengers with two deodorant mascots between them commenting: “Busuknya...” ('So smelly').

Prasarana said the ad visuals were to promote personal care products, which then portrayed different daily situations which involve Malaysians from various backgrounds using public transport.

Don't miss: Deodorant brand HYGR takes over LRT lines with interactive redesign

"It is aimed at promoting the importance of using personal care products and is not targeted at any individual or specific community," the statement from Prasarana posted on Facebook read. "Immediate action has been taken to tighten our ad review process to ensure that visuals for advertisement purposes do not trigger sensitivities among the public."

The company also added that the ad had undergone the necessary processes, including reviews by external and internal parties which checks aspects such as racial, religious and social sensitivities, before the ad is printed and put up. "Despite that, we have decided to remove this ad from our trains following feedback from the public," Prasarana said. 

"As a responsible public transport operator, Prasarana values community feedback and views, especially when the matter can be misinterpreted as being targeted at a certain individual or community,” it added. 

In tandem, HYGR, who was the brand in question, posted a statement on its Instagram account, appreciating its audience for providing feedback, and promised to do its very best to improve. 

"Back in 2024, we launched an LRT advertisement that covered the Ampang/ Sri Petaling line. The six months contract was from 13 September 2024 to 28 March 2025, but its dismantling was delayed due to Raya celebrations," the statement read. It added that the ad was designed to showcase that its products can be useful in everyday Malaysian life.

"The visual featured characters of various ages, genders, and races to reflect our country's multicultural diversity. We recently realised that the designs created might not have reflected as such to our audience and we are very appreciative of the people who have raised their concerns," HYGR said in its statement.

The company further apologised for the issue, and said it was never in its intention to offend or hurt anyone through the campaign. It also claimed full responsibility for the hurt that it may have caused to the public. HYGR also acknowleged that it could have been more thoughtful in its execution, and understood why it caused discomfort and concern.

"We are committed to doing better, being more mindful, and growing from this experience," added HYGR.  

A+M first wrote about the campaign last year where the company said the campaign came about as netizens tag the brand on social media complaining about the scent of smelly armpits in the train. It also aims to remind people who commute via public transport to wear deodorants because of the infamous stinky issues in LRT, according to HYGR when A+M reached out, adding that advertisement placement was an appropriate venue to start with brand awareness.

Join us this coming 21 May for #Content360, an extravaganza centered around three core thematic pillars: Challenging the norm; Conquering Media Fragmentation; and Unlocking Imagination. Immerse yourself in learning to curate content with creativity, critical thinking, and confidence with us at Content360!  

Related articles: 
Softlan the latest to jump on the LRT scent train 
Tealive brings the chaos of Gotham to TRX MRT station in new Joker collab
HBO brings 'House of the Dragon' to life with immersive KL MRT station takeover