TikTok Shop captures Chinese Malaysian audience with cultural creativity

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TikTok Shop Malaysia collaborated with creative agency Fishermen Integrated to launch a culturally resonant campaign around the Hungry Ghost Festival, engaging Malaysian Chinese audiences in a fresh and entertaining way.

The festival, traditionally associated with taboos and superstition, presented an opportunity for the brand to create culturally relevant content. “By tapping into a festival that is widely recognized and observed, we were able to create culturally relevant content that resonates with the target audience for TikTok Shop Malaysia,” said Tan Lih Wern, associate account director at Fishermen Integrated.

“We reframed the narrative in a playful and approachable way, transforming a ‘scary’ or taboo event into a fun and engaging brand moment," she added.

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The campaign’s creative concept drew inspiration from familiar pop culture references for Malaysian Chinese audiences. “Many of us grew up watching and bonding over Hong Kong films, especially Stephen Chow’s comedies and the classic zombie genre,” said Fish Cheng, associate creative director.

“To make the film resonate more closely with our target audience, we tapped into this familiar reference as a creative hook. Ultimately, we wanted the audience to enjoy the ad as a piece of entertainment, while feeling that TikTok Shop carries that same fun, entertaining vibe," he explained.

This culturally tuned approach translated into measurable engagement. TikTok Shop Malaysia saw a significant uplift in likes, shares, and comments on its social channels, demonstrating the campaign’s ability to capture attention while creating a positive and memorable brand association.

“The primary objective was to capture the attention of the Chinese Malaysian audience for TikTok Shop,” a brand spokesperson shared. “By creating content that was culturally relevant, memorable, and shareable, the campaign aimed to drive awareness, engagement, and brand consideration among a key demographic segment.”

Through this campaign, TikTok Shop Malaysia showcased the value of integrating local cultural insights with playful storytelling to build meaningful connections with audiences, proving that even traditionally “taboo” events can be transformed into opportunities for engagement and brand growth.

Recently, Astro Malaysia also launched an immersive campaign during the Ghost Month, for its new Astro Original supernatural period drama, Bride From the Past (幽冥新娘). The main activation brought the ghost bride Adou to life in three high-traffic MRT and LRT stations in Kuala Lumpur, culminating at Bukit Bintang MRT Station with a haunting er hu performance.

The campaign also featured towering OOH pillars covered in Chinese talismans, which carried the show’s title, call-to-action, and transmission details, allowing commuters to take them home as collectibles. Much like TikTok Shop, Astro was armed with the mission to spark curiosity and reflection around these traditions.

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