RHB Bank conjures tale of resilience this Deepavali with magic and durian

RHB Bank's latest Deepavali film titled "Light in a Time of Darkness" tells the tale of renowned magician Vikneswaran Allagu also known as Vikey, whose real-life story of resilience serves as inspiration for a nation trying to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Done in collaboration with FCB Kuala Lumpur, the new spot shows how with live shows, performances and show business were no longer viable during Malaysia’s Movement Control Order. Hence, Allagu chose a very different route to provide for his family - becoming a durian seller. Undismayed by his initial lack of success in selling durian conventionally, Allagu’s fortunes took a turn for the better after he decided to add elements of performance into his sales pitch, creating Vikey’s Magic Durian shop. Launched on 20 October, the spot currently has close to two million views across RHB Bank’s social and digital channels.

CMO Abdul Sani Abdul Murad said Malaysia and her people have lost so much to the pandemic this year. Now with the CMCO in effect again, Malaysians are even more concerned about the future than ever, and rightfully so.

"But as a brand that believes in ‘Together We Progress’, we want to remind Malaysians that staying resilient during these difficult times is the light that will eventually triumph over darkness, as demonstrated by Vikey’s incredibly powerful true story," he added.

FCB's creative director Wang Le Tjer said the struggles that Allagu endured are not only real, they are, in some shape or form, things that millions around the world have been going through or maybe even are still going through right now. "That’s why when we learnt about this story, we knew we had to tell it. And thanks to the amazing effort put in by the team at FCB and our production partners, we told it really well," she explained.

Meanwhile, FCB's co-owner and chief creative officer, Ong Shi Ping, said in its essence, this is a story about change and reinvention. "It is human nature to be fearful of change and being out of our comfort zone. However, when we do find the courage to take the first step towards reinventing ourselves instead of throwing in the towel, perhaps there’s hope that we can not only counter the devastating effects of this pandemic, but also thrive in everything that we do moving forward," he explained.

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