VR and grit collide in MISC’s tribute to female seafarers

In celebration of this year’s International Day for Women in Maritime, Malaysia International Shipping Corporation (MISC) is spotlighting the untold stories of female seafarers through a highly immersive exhibition titled "Chart her course".

Developed in partnership with Chariot Agency, the interactive experience aims to challenge stereotypes and open up new possibilities for women in one of the world’s most male-dominated industries.

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Despite global efforts, women still make up just 2% of the maritime workforce, Chariot said in a statement. Recognising that career perceptions often form at a young age and are influenced more by emotion than logic, "Chart her course" was built as an emotionally resonant activation designed to connect, engage, and inspire.

The campaign marks a strategic pivot away from traditional outreach, offering a visceral glimpse into life at sea through the lens of three Malaysian women: a captain, a fourth engineer, and a deck cadet. All three are graduates of ALAM, Malaysia’s leading maritime academy under the MISC Group.

The experience integrates interactive technology, projection mapping, and spatial audio, all developed in collaboration with tech partner Far Out and event partner Tree Seed Management. Designed to respond in real time to visitors’ movements, the exhibition brings to life the grit, ambition, and resilience required to forge a maritime career as a woman.

The "Chart her course" installation is open to the public from May 16 to 18 at Muzium Telekom in Kuala Lumpur. Admission is free, with pre-registration encouraged through the official website to ensure access.

“These women have braved everything from typhoons to traditions, and we wanted every part of that to be felt,” said Christyna Fong, creative director of Chariot Agency.

“We built this to bridge the emotional distance between everyday life and the maritime world, using tech and storytelling not just to inform, but to move and inspire," she added. 

Last year for International Day for Women in Maritime, MISC collaborated with Malaysian artist and speed painter Haze Long to turn stories and emotions into a painting in a new campaign titled "Her, as told by them".

The campaign centred around heartfelt testimonials from the loved ones of female seafarers. Through a series of intimate interviews, these personal reflections have been documented and transformed into powerful works of art.

Meanwhile in 2022, MISC also partnered up with Chariot for that year's International Day for Women in Maritime, with a QR-code led campaign featuring five different soundbites, where each woman shares her experiences and struggles she faces working in maritime.

The campaign mainly ran on print, as the brand only saw it fit to go for the masses this way, given how 2022 marked the first-ever International Day for Women in Maritime.

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