ZUS Coffee and MR D.I.Y. stir up DIY fun with Merdeka collab

Two proudly Malaysian homegrown brands, ZUS Coffee and MR D.I.Y., have joined hands this Merdeka season to celebrate the nation’s DIY spirit with a playful and interactive campaign. Running from 18 August to 21 September 2025, the collaboration pays tribute to Malaysia’s “Malaysia boleh” (Malaysia can do it) ethos, spotlighting creativity, accessibility, and the joy of personalisation.

At the heart of the campaign is ZUS Coffee's "Kita-kita series", a special drink menu designed to let Malaysians put their own spin on their beverages with unique modifiers and toppings. The star of the series is the 'Chocoleleh' topping, a rich, dripping chocolate drizzle inspired by the local word leleh, meaning “melty” or “dripping”. It seeps into every sip for a decadent, layered treat that’s extra manis (sweet) and unapologetically playful.

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On the other hand, home improvement retailer MR D.I.Y. has pulled out the stops with a limited-edition MR DIY x ZUS Coffee coffee-time essentials, including a canvas jute bag, sport crew socks, and frozee cup, which are available in selected MR D.I.Y. stores and online. 

Jennifer Sim, head of marketing at ZUS Coffee, told A+M that the collaboration is about empowering customers to experiment with their drinks. “At ZUS, we’ve always believed coffee should be a necessity, not a luxury," she said. "This Merdeka, we wanted to give Malaysians the freedom to DIY their drinks and express their creativity. Partnering with MR D.I.Y., a brand that embodies the spirit of Malaysia boleh, felt natural,” added Sim.

Meanwhile, Alex Goh, vice president of marketing at MR D.I.Y. Group, said the campaign taps into Malaysians’ innate love for customisation. “Malaysians are naturally hands-on and love to personalise things, whether it’s fixing up their homes or customising their meals," he said. "This collaboration with ZUS Coffee celebrates that DIY culture in a fun, interactive way, from collectible keychains to customisable drinks, to merchandise available in our stores,” added Goh.

For ZUS Coffee, the campaign goes beyond drinks, offering interactive experiences and exclusive rewards for fans nationwide. Customers can join the "DIY cup sleeve colouring contest", where they decorate their drink sleeves, share their creations online with #kitadiycupsleeve, and stand a chance to win up to a year of free ZUS drinks.

Fans are also encouraged to get creative with the "Secret menu creation challenge", submitting their dream DIY drink recipes on Instagram through the "add yours” templates for a chance to win handcrafted drinks and collectible keychains. Collectible blind-pack keychains, named "Kedai kita" (Our shop), "Bengkel kita" (Our workshop) and "Van kita" (Our van), can also be redeemed with a minimum spend of RM25 on handcrafted drinks via the ZUS app.

On the ground, the "Van kita" pop-up will take over the Sunway Pyramid Car Park from 29 August to 1 September, offering exclusive drinks and limited-edition merchandise. From 29 August, the collaboration will also extend to MR D.I.Y. stores nationwide, where Kita-Kita Series merchandise will be available, bringing the campaign closer to even more Malaysians.

By combining ZUS Coffee’s innovative, accessible drinks with MR D.I.Y.’s focus on convenience and affordability, the "Kita-kita series" transforms a simple coffee run into a playful celebration of Malaysian creativity. Framed as a proudly homegrown collaboration, the initiative invites Malaysians to create, customise, and enjoy the Merdeka season their way, from café counters to DIY aisles.

Just last month, ZUS Coffee teamed up with Jotun Malaysia to launch a lifestyle collaboration dubbed "Home is where the Brew is", bringing together the charm of home brewing and the comfort of beautifully curated spaces. The collaboration looks to blur the lines between interior aesthetics and everyday indulgence, offering consumers a multisensory experience rooted in colour, comfort, and cosy living.

This Merdeka season has also been filled with other collaborative campaigns between brands. Most notably, Inside Scoop turned nostalgia into dessert with the return of its popular 'Lokal legends' collection. For its second edition, the homegrown brand has teamed up with six iconic local F&B favourites — Gardenia, GSC, Julie’s, Beryl’s, ZUS Coffee, and Farm Fresh — to create limited-edition flavours inspired by some of Malaysia’s most beloved treats.

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