Rapid KL wants you to hold on to the handrails, and your feelings

Rapid KL, the service brand under Prasarana Malaysia, has found a creative way to engage audiences with public service announcements (PSAs) by leaning into the emotional relationship reels trend popular on Instagram and TikTok.

These stylised, dark-themed reels typically feature just two lines of white text over moody visuals, combining humour, sentiment, and relatability to reach younger commuters in the spaces they frequent online.

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The series of posts, which first began around May this year, tackle everyday scenarios with a clever twist. One reads: "Please wear your headphones when listening to music on the train. Not everyone wants to hear your playlist, some are already listening to the sound of their broken heart."

Another, set against the backdrop of a monorail station, captures the melancholy of waiting: "A train may take its time, but it still arrives, right on the line. Some people don't. They leave, and never explain why."

Among the campaign’s most popular posts is a TikTok video showing a train door with moving buildings in the background, captioned "Cuba buat lawak, nak gelak jap" ("Try telling a joke, feel like laughing for a bit"). The clip has garnered 1.7 million views, over 164,000 likes, and more than 8,000 comments, illustrating how quickly simple, relatable content can gain traction online.

Rapid KL itself has actively engaged in the comments, joining the playful banter with lines like: "Apa beza kita dengan kerusi spare dalam meeting room office? Takde beza. Diperlukan bila tak cukup... tapi tak pernah jadi pilihan pertama" ("What's the difference between us and a spare chair in a meeting room office? None. It's only needed when there isn't enough, and it's never been the first choice").

The campaign’s bilingual approach, posting content in both English and Malay, ensures broad appeal across different segments of Rapid KL’s audience. This accessibility, combined with a lighthearted yet emotionally resonant tone, has sparked significant engagement.

Netizens have responded with their own playful, reflective, and sometimes “cringey” comments, though many have praised the social media team for its creativity and clever execution.

Beyond the numbers, Rapid KL’s campaign highlights a shift in digital marketing, where humour and emotion are increasingly used to humanise corporate messaging. By adopting popular formats like reels and leaning into social media trends, the brand shows that even routine PSAs can resonate when delivered in a relatable, shareable way.

The emotional reels trend combines relatability and humour, while its short, visual format aligns with the scrolling habits of younger Malaysian audiences, driving engagement across platforms.

This isn’t Rapid KL’s first foray into emotional reels. In 2023, the brand went viral for offering commuters quirky love advice, including a tip to avoid farting as a sign of respect, while acknowledging it could spare heartbreak. The pun-filled posts, blending public transport etiquette with romance, were timed for Single’s Day on 11 November.

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