Subway Malaysia spoofs iconic films in localised SubPizza push

Subway Malaysia is turning pop culture on its head to introduce its latest menu item, the SubPizza, with a series of cheeky film parodies designed to get Malaysians laughing and craving something new.

Launched this week, SubPizza promises two bold flavours in every box, combining the familiar taste of pizza with Subway’s customisable sandwich experience. To drive the point home, the brand has released four short films spoofing beloved classics: Men in Black, (Men in Hitam), Hantu Kak Limah (Hantu Kak Imah), Baashha (Paashaa), and Shaolin Soccer (Bola Shaolin).

In "Men in Hitam", an agent is seen bringing a secured package to another agent known as Agent K. When he opens the briefcase, it unveils the seafood omelet and cheese & chick SubPizza. Agent K then erases the memory of the agent, in hopes that he will keep returning with more briefcases and more SubPizzas.

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Meanwhile, "Hantu Kak Imah" sees a man and a ghost enjoying a SubPizza box together while watching TV and "Paashaa" parodies the 1995 Indian Tamil-language gangster action film to showcase the new SubPizza. 

Finally, "Bola Shaolin" sees a shaolin master making the SubPizza from scratch in the kitchen. 

The campaign was developed by creative agency Beatnk, which wanted to anchor SubPizza in local culture while highlighting its flexible, lighter take on pizza. It will run across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.

“We know Malaysians love bold flavours, but sometimes a whole pizza can feel heavy or hard to finish alone. With SubPizza, you get the best of both worlds — two flavours in one box, freshly toasted on our signature bread, and made just the way you want it,” said Lee Ping, director, Subway Malaysia.

“We wanted the campaign to feel as fun and unexpected as the product itself — and what better way than through the movie moments everyone remembers," added Lee. 

In tandem, Tanner Nagib, founder of Beatnk, said that "Pizza is such a big part of pop culture — but SubPizza reframes it as something more flexible, lighter, and made for one."

“We knew parodying iconic film scenes would not only make people smile but also clearly communicate the idea: with SubPizza, you can pick and customise two flavours, toasted fresh. It’s pizza vibes, Subway style," he added. 

The parodies follow a string of cheeky, creative pushes by the brand as of late. Most recently, Subway marked its debut on Grab Signatures with a scavenger hunt across Kuala Lumpur’s MRT network, hiding miniature 6-inch Subway billboards at high-footfall stations. The campaign played on Subway’s iconic sandwich size while encouraging Malaysians to discover the brand in unexpected places — both online and off.

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