ZUS Coffee serves up a reality check for tired working adults

Southeast Asian coffee chain ZUS Coffee is leaning into the emotional weight of adulthood in its latest regional campaign, reminding consumers that progress is still progress, even if life does not always feel that way.

Central to the campaign is a short film titled “Work in progress”, which follows two children, Adam and Amelia, navigating the realities of corporate life. Set in an office environment, the pair are thrown into familiar adult situations that reflect burnout, pressure and quiet frustration.

Amelia is seen presenting a report at a board meeting to colleagues who dismiss her findings, before later staying back past 6pm to meet a midnight deadline set by her boss. Meanwhile, Adam works under the watchful eye of an overbearing colleague determined to ensure he stays productive. While co-workers discuss KPIs in the pantry, Adam quietly sips a ZUS Coffee while counting down the minutes until he can leave the office.

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The film ends with both Amelia and Adam returning home after a long day at work. When their boss calls again, the pair choose to ignore it. The final scenes then reveal the characters in their adult forms, enjoying a cup of ZUS Coffee while pursuing passions outside of work.

Throughout the film, the brand’s mascots, known as “ZUS Buddies”, appear as visual representations of the characters’ emotions. In one scene, Porta Pal is seen looking burnt out on Amelia’s desk as she attends back-to-back meetings. Elsewhere, when Adam becomes distracted at work and starts tossing paper balls into a waste basket, Frappe Fren appears visibly bored and melting.

The campaign also introduces the brand’s new “Kinda Adult Meal” box.

Ahead of the launch, ZUS Coffee teased the campaign on social media through a series of short clips featuring the ZUS Buddies in workplace scenarios. One video showed Blue Buddy tripping and spilling coffee while Frappe Fren frowned at a laptop and Pinky Boo dozed off at work.

Another teaser saw Blue Buddy falling asleep in the pantry before being transformed into a “Kinda Adult Meal” box.

The campaign is set to run across Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand and the Philippines. A+M has reached out for more information.

The campaign follows ZUS Coffee’s continued regional expansion, with the brand recently entering Indonesia through a partnership with Kapal Api Group. The Malaysia-founded chain opened its first Indonesian outlet at Puri Indah Mall in May, as competition heats up across Southeast Asia’s growing coffee market.

Founded in 2019, ZUS Coffee has rapidly expanded across markets including Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei and Thailand, surpassing 1,000 stores globally in 2025. As part of its localisation strategy, the company has rolled out market-specific beverages such as the Gula Melaka Latte in Malaysia, Ube Latte in the Philippines, Kopitiam Double Espresso in Singapore and Thai milk tea-inspired drinks in Thailand.

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