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2022 | |

Painting Malaysia pink with Pau-Pau, foodpanda’s first-of-its-kind brand ambassador

Advertiser: Delivery Hero Malaysia
Brand: foodpanda
Creative Agency: Ensemble Worldwide
Credits: Chai Yen Yen - Universal McCann, Vice President Lum Sin Yeh - Universal McCann, Business Director Stephanie Kok - Universal McCann, Media Manager Mak Ai Sin - Universal McCann, Senior Media Planner Ang Jia Ying - Universal McCann, Media Planner Cindy Eliza - Universal McCann, Head of Digital Carol Chia - Universal McCann, Digital Manager See Hooi Marn - Universal McCann, Performance Marketing Executive Vindy Wong - Rapport, Business Director - Outdoor Teo Li Wen - Rapport, Senior Executive - Outdoor Tracy Mok - Universal McCann, Implementation Manager Tan Lay Kee - Universal McCann, Senior Implementer Bernard Chong - foodpanda, Marketing Director Caroline Wee - foodpanda, Head of Marketing, Food Dzeti Mohamed - foodpanda, Media Activation Senior Manager Aida Hanim - foodpanda, Media Activation Associate Rena Tay - Ensemble Worldwide, Business Director How Seok Sim - Ensemble Worldwide, Brand Manager Nicolle Fong - Ensemble Worldwide, Senior Brand Executive

Objective & Challenge
During the lockdown, government initiatives and movement restrictions propelled food delivery services into the limelight, allowing Malaysians to order from their favourite businesses with a single tap of their smartphone. Within a short time, the industry has grown rapidly. New entrants like ShopeeFood and AirAsiaFood compete in an intense market with more than a dozen existing players, including GrabFood, Beep and foodpanda. In a category where players are undifferentiated with deals and discounts being the top drivers for consumers, foodpanda needed to drive differentiation by building brand love and creating awareness for our functional superiority in order to whiz past competitors and increase orders.

Insight & Strategy
The pandemic had disrupted almost every aspect of our lives. Grappling with lockdowns and Covid19, Malaysians were forced to give up some of their most ingrained habits, like dining out and shopping. As we were stuck at home, making and receiving delivery orders, became a connection with the outside world. And we looked forward to these deliveries. However, this is a very functional process. The delivery business in Malaysia, lacked personality. Hence, we needed to humanize foodpanda’s brand identity. The solution a first of its kind brand avatar that evoked happiness. Meet PauPau, foodpanda’s fun loving ambassador who speaks Pandanese. He loves food and is always on the search for a good deal. He is the food and delivery expert you can rely on. If you are craving for food, PauPau knows the best places in town to order from. If you are looking for deals, PauPau will recommend the best deals with pandapro (foodpanda’s subscription membership that gives you access to exclusive deals). If you are planning the perfect birthday surprise, PauPau can get you everything delivered conveniently through pandashop. PauPau is indeed our joy and happiness ambassador, delivering joy and happiness right to your doorstep. Our goal was to make Malaysians fall in love with PauPau and the foodpanda experience by unleashing PauPau and bringing alive his fun rebel personality at every touchpoint.

Execution
We carefully hatched a plan to introduce PauPau to Malaysians in 3 stages: 1)DRIVING ANTICIPATION We first teased Malaysians, showing glimpses of PauPau. Travelling on the road, you will catch PauPau swaying his rounded hips but showing only his back view to motorists, telling them to “”Get set for something pink”” and to “”Prepare for panda action”” on Digital Billboards, Pillar Wraps and Roving Trucks nationwide. Social media postings of the same created even more buzz. In a series of breaking news format on TV, PauPau was seen hijacking news programmes and disrupting the news anchor with his pink paw. All this whilst not revealing his face. 2)UNLEASHING PAUPAU When the day came to unleash PauPau, we took over the massive, iconic CuBig Digital screen in Anamorphic 3D format in the heart of KualaLumpur, befitting its largerthanlife personality. PauPau, in all his glory, emerged from his virtual world and introduced himself to Malaysian motorists and passerbys! We painted the town pink by repurposing all 81 units of foodpanda’s Billboards, Pillar Wraps and Roving Trucks nationwide to announce PauPau’s arrival. Bespoke Train interior and exterior wrapped in that familiar foodpanda pink, had PauPau greeting commuters on the KelanaJaya and Ampang train lines. For all delivery needs, whether a pizza party, shampoo, bubble tea or groceries, our OOH domination reminded Malaysians to order from foodpanda and PauPau would take care of their needs! Working with popular graffiti artist, Cloakwork, we created two Wall Murals along JalanTunTanChengLok and JalanTunSiewSin, landmark locations in KualaLumpur. The murals incorporated PauPau’s arrival with his favourite Malaysian delicacies, such as NasiLemak, AisKacang and Kopitiam drinks. And also a QR code for hungry passerbys to scan and immediately place orders. We captured the process of creating the mural through a content video, broadcasting on YouTube and social platforms. To ensure Malaysians familiarised with PauPau, we encouraged netizens to interact with PauPau like how they would with a friend. Partnering Twitter, we created Malaysia’s first ever, Emoji Triggers where Twitter users tagged us @foodpanda_MY and tweeted #PauPauBelanja (#PauPauTreats) with emojis of food, groceries and personal care products. In response, PauPau recommended the best food and deals, corresponding to the emoji used! Twitter was flooded with netizens joining in the fun. As a result, #PauPauBelanja became a trending topic. Our unique and eyecatching introduction of PauPau drove mass visibility and extended awareness beyond OOH to digital. Social coverage of live video postings and photo uploads by netizens sparked a frenzy of buzz and talkability. Coverage by news and lifestyle content platforms TheRakyatPost, Says, OhBulan and ViralCham further amplified campaign. 3)DRIVING FOODPANDA MOMENTS To complement the innovative launch placements, we tapped onto a combination of awareness and conversion drivers to sustain campaign longevity: a)We ran four versions of commercials on TV and OTT platforms. Each communicated foodpanda’s USP of being the delivery expert, whether food, grocery or daily essentials. b)The same videos were contextually served on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. Audience segments were targeted with the version most relevant to them and subsequently retargeted with the other versions to showcase foodpanda’s variety. c)Multiple languages of Radio live reads, high frequency spotbuys, credit mentions along with social postings drove constant TOM and reminder to order the best foodpanda deals with our various promo codes. d)Different versions of PauPau’s Programmatic Banners featuring promo codes for different foodpanda offerings targeted audiences at the right contextual moments to make the final push for conversion.

Effectiveness
Malaysians flocked to foodpanda for all their delivery needs. Our Pau-Pau launch campaign delivered positive growth across foodpanda Business and Brand Health metrics (comparing against previous quarter): 1)+13% in Sales Lift 2)+8% on Total Sessions 3)+3% on Top Of Mind 4)+2% on Market Share On campaign media metrics, we delivered: 1)+26% lift on organic foodpanda searches compared to previous quarter 2)9.24 million Malaysians reached with our innovative OOH domination 3)5.22 million and 3.52 million Malaysians reached on FTA and Astro 4)304.2 million impressions across programmatic, video and social platforms 5)41.22 million video views 6)485K social engagements That’s how Pau-Pau and foodpanda delivered joy and happiness to Malaysians!

2022 | |

Disney+ Hotstar Takes Over Every Single Touchpoint

Advertiser: The Walt Disney Company (Southeast Asia) Pte. Ltd.
Brand: Disney+ Hotstar
Creative Agency: Leo Burnett
Credits: Moiz Bilwani - Zenith, a division of Vivaki (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Business Director Kym Chan - Zenith, a division of Vivaki (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Senior Planning Manager Aaron Wong - Zenith, a division of Vivaki (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Senior Media Planner Sze Wei Cheong - Zenith, a division of Vivaki (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Senior Media Planner Thein Kwee yean - Zenith, a division of Vivaki (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Associate Director, Out-of-Home Sheylin Lek - Zenith, a division of Vivaki (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Senior Media Planner Soo Chin Tan - Zenith, a division of Vivaki (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Implementation Manager Julie Kam - Zenith, a division of Vivaki (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Senior Media Buyer

Objective & Challenge
Disney+ Hotstar was finally going to launch in Malaysia with a lot of fanfare among audiences given the lockdown situation and the lack of entertainment options locally. Abiding by the COVID-related protocols, shoot delays and production hiccups were inevitable, causing a huge content shortage. Having said that, given that we were launching on 1st June, there was a lot of pressure because we were the only market to launch in Q2 of 2021 in SEA region – this meant that Malaysia was going to have a big role to play when it comes to Disney+ Hotstar’s regional subscriber base growth in Disney’s quarterly report. Given we’re the under-dog against an OTT giant Netflix, it was always going to be an uphill task to convince Malaysians to sign-up to yet another platform with a paywall.

Insight & Strategy
Given the abundance of OTT platforms in the market, it was important to identify pockets of competitive advantage. So, the insight was largely around deciphering and capitalizing on competitors’ blind spots. Our biggest competitor and category leader, Netflix, had no local content and was very weak among kids’ content. Meanwhile, other players like Viu, iFlix and iQiyi specialized in specific content like Korean or Taiwanese/Chinese etc and so, lacked options. There was no single player who could lay claim to being the platform for all types of content. That insight led straight to Disney+ Hotstar’s positioning in-market. We bucketed the communication into four pillars that would ensure we’re able to tackle the blind spots of our competitors and further amplify our stronger suits. The four content pillars were as follows: Pillar 1: Home of Marvel – biggest crowd puller for Malaysians based off performance of Marvel movies Pillar 2: Malaysian Hits – no OTT player had proactively worked towards developing this component Pillar 3: Disney+ Originals – to counter Netflix’s original programming clout Pillar 4: Disney Favorites – featuring all kids related content, aka every parent’s dream The strategy revolved around unveiling every pillar in isolation as part of pre-hype to ensure we’re able to drive the messaging around content options. Meanwhile, on the day of launch (1st June), the messaging transforms to Disney+ Hotstar as a platform for everybody showcasing all pillars together.

Execution
Our pre-hype activations revolved around an unveiling by pillar the four days before platform’s launch, we activated very high impact buys across every single touchpoint: TV: We used the 10s teaser video featuring the respective pillar as unveiling using heavy frequencies (4 spots per hour, per station) across key Media Prima and Astro stations. Digital: Heavy focus during teaser using bumpers, short-form videos, display and rich media to showcase pillars unveiling mirroring our overall strategy. This was through buys like Google Blast, 100% inventory buy-out across Rev Asia, Mobile First View buys across Tik Tok etc. to ensure impact. OOH: The approach mirrored overall strategy and amplified pillar wise reveal on DOOH but, on static billboards, all pillars were showcased in one-go to counter logistical challenges. Radio: Heavy frequencies of airing across MP Radio and Astro Radio with pillar-wise communication and talk sets focusing on those respective pillars to drive further hype. While we did continue hygiene buys across all platforms during launch phase, here are some of the clutter-breaking and innovative executions that helped to drive impact and visibility: TV: News was a hot topic during launch with viewership on Buletin Utama and Mandarin News on an all-time high. We wanted to take a piece of the hype. On launch day, we unveiled “Breaking News” across all 4 MP stations every hour. The execution mirrored the look and feel of Bulletin Utama and it featured breaking news that Disney+ Hotstar has officially launched in Malaysia and showcased all our 4 content pillars. Digital: It was a takeover like no other. We secured YT Masthead, Tik Tok’s Takeover, Grab Masthead, Twitch Masthead, Fandom Takeover, Twitter Takeover etc. Across 8 top digital platforms under Media Prima like Says, OhBulan, Harian Metro etc., we executed a first-of-its-kind 100% takeovers (this involved takeover of their Masthead, changing platform name to D+, 100% SOV and floating widgets). The execution was also replicated on Astro’s top digital platforms like Xuan. Further to this, we also acquired 100% inventory across partners like Loop Me (in-app inventory) and Imagine Mobile (display inventory) and Teads (video inventory) to name a few. OOH: Disney+ Hotstar became the first official 3D DOOH advertiser on Big Tree’s newest screen opposite the high traffic KLCC junction. The execution was also scaled across Pavilion’s 3D screen. This is in addition to a total of over 100 screens across MY – with at least half the screens operating on 100% SOV on launch day. Radio: There was a total takeover of all MP radio stations. They were branded as “Disney+ Hotstar FM” across radio and their digital ecosystems (FB, Twitter, and Tik Tok). Aside from that, all songs played during the launch were from Disney’s content library exclusively. The approach was mirrored on Astro Radio barring the exclusively Disney songs.

Effectiveness
The campaign turned out to be an astronomical success from both, the media perspective and business results perspective as well. We reached over 90% of our target audience on the day of the launch alone (cumulative reach as per agency’s proprietary all-platform tool). And 97% reach in 5 days of pre-hype and launch. Here are some of the other key success metrics: 1. The “Breaking News” execution on TV delivered a reach of 58% in a day 2. Audiences on Twitter kept tweeting about how much they loved the Disney takeover on MP radio 3. The digital takeovers on Rev Asia (that we pioneered!) were so effective from a visibility perspective that Media Prima has started selling them as a regular buy 4. Our 3D Digital Billboards were a huge hit – it became the talk of town across social platforms and gained traction in news. Furthermore, seeing the impact, the execution was replicated by Thailand and Australia for their respective D+ launches. From a business standpoint, Disney+ Hotstar launch turned out to be a huge success story. The response from audience exceeded all expectations and the huge influx of traffic crashed our entire back-end tech ecosystem. Even the ex-Malaysian PM, Najib Razak, tweeted and FB-ed about the platform crash. Not every day you get a shout out from an ex-PM! We were able to achieve 50% of the yearly subscription target within first week of launch. And, according to Comscore, in the first month of launching Disney+ Hotstar, we were able to achieve the highest number of minutes consumption for any OTT platforms – beating long-established players like Netflix, Viu, iFlix and iQiyi.

2023 | |

House Of Guinness – It’s A Matter Of Taste

Advertiser: Heineken Malaysia
Brand: Guinness
Creative Agency: DENTSU X (MALAYSIA) SDN BHD
Credits: -

Objective & Challenge
Challenge: Guinness Draught was exclusively available on tap in pubs and bars, leaving stout enthusiasts with limited options for savoring its iconic flavors outside these establishments. While the Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (GFES) can/bottle offered an alternative, it failed to capture the unique smoothness and creamy head that makes Guinness Draught so distinctive. To address this gap, Guinness Malaysia introduced Guinness Draught in a Can (GDIC), a breakthrough innovation that brings the beloved pub experience of enjoying a perfectly poured pint of Guinness to the comfort of your own home. Guinness was primarily enjoyed by a mature group of beer enthusiasts and it has been the key hurdle to overcome. To successfully introduce GDIC and make it more relevant to a younger demographic, the campaign needed to break away from the traditional associations and rejuvenate the brand in a fresh and exciting way. The goal was clear—to spark interest and curiosity among the younger generation. Objective: 1) To enhance achieve the target KPI of 9,500 attendees. 2) To entice the younger generation (Gen Z) and new drinkers who previously never considered a Gunniess

Insight & Strategy
Insight: 1) Gen Z individuals are characterized by their drive to explore and discover, constantly seeking new skills and experiences. They are drawn to brands that align with their values and contribute to their personal narratives. To effectively engage Gen Z consumers, marketers must provide unique and exciting offerings that cater to their desire for novelty and personal growth. 2) Implementing a marketing funnel provide valuable insights to comprehend the customer journey, allowing for a comprehensive evaluation of each stage. This understanding enables marketer to identify areas that require further optimization, ensuring that our marketing efforts are targeted and effective. Strategy: The campaign was planned with a specific goal in mind: to attract 9,500 attendees to the two-weekends of House of Guinness events. To accomplish this, we developed a comprehensive approach that incorporated a full-funnel concept. This involved utilizing an integrated media strategy, including broad targeting to generate awareness, retargeting techniques to drive consideration and conversions, and implementing branded content marketing to create excitement and engagement. Through careful optimization and continuous monitoring, we aimed to ensure that each stage of the campaign contributed towards achieving the desired end result.

Execution
The campaign funnel consists of three stages: top, middle, and bottom. The top-funnel focuses on raising awareness about the campaign, while the middle-funnel aims to drive consideration among the audience, measured by the number of people who land on the microsite. Finally, the bottom-funnel focuses on the ultimate conversion, which involves the number of sign-ups and attendees. This was paired with an integrated media strategy for each stage and media impact for different parts of the consumer journey. The campaign rolled out by deploying social reach ads and programmatic broad targeting ads to raise the campaign awareness within the digital landscape. The messaging was generic and straightforward to ensure that audiences were informed about the campaign’s existence instead of asking them take action right away. To innovate beyond the traditional programmatic display format, we ventured into the realm of “In-display streamed video” with SeenThis. This format leverages display placements of varying sizes, effectively reaching a broader audience. With the assistance of SeenThis’s creative studio, we seamlessly adapted our creative assets to fit these different sizes, ensuring optimal visual impact. Subsequently, we ensured tailored communications that align with specific ad objectives. Retargeting efficiencies effectively communicates the valuable benefits participants can expect from engaging in the event, fostering a sense of urgency and facilitating sign-ups. Strategic utilization of interactive rich media formats serves to captivate readers’ attention as they peruse articles, subsequently piquing their interest and driving traffic towards the microsite. We also strategically used influencers and social content publishers to amplify word-of-mouth and generate buzz. We implemented a staggered approach to paid content, beginning two weeks prior to the event, by releasing a series of teaser posts that highlighted the exciting activities attendees could expect in the event. As soon as we initiated the content dissemination, we observed a notable increase in not only the traffic to the microsite, but also the sign-up number. Further strentghened by paid content on Xiao Hong Shu platform to leverage on its content-focused nature. The outcome of this endeavor was highly beneficial, as it generated an additional surge in traffic to our microsite due to Xiao Hong Shu’s distinctive algorithm that prioritizes content-driven engagement and facilitates user-to-user interactions. The platform’s inherent nature played a pivotal role in maximizing the visibility and impact of our campaign, ultimately leading to the amplified traffic we observed on our microsite.

Effectiveness
Media: Over 240,000 unique traffic flow into the campaign microsite 24,547 resgistered individuals to on-ground activation 12,809 people attended the on-ground activation, versus target of 9,500 (KPI overachieved by 135%) 52.18% turnout rate 21 million earned PR impressions Social Organic: 1903 public posts on Instagram 275 tagged @guinnessmy on Instagram Activation: 27,310 glasses consumed/ purchased (330ml) 100% of attendees tasted one or more Guinness products 40% of consumption were sales 18% purchased GD/GFES for home consumption 100% of attendees completed the product USP education journey Brand: Market Share +0.8 versus Aug2022 Brand power among younger group (21-35yo) +0.4 versus Q32022 Salient +0.3 versus Q32022

2023 | |

Defy Segment Norms

Advertiser: UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd
Brand: Toyota Vios
Creative Agency: SEED INTEGRATED MALAYSIA SDN BHD
Credits: -

Objective & Challenge
The 2023 all-new VIOS holds immense significance for UMW Toyota, representing one of the most crucial models in our lineup. Within the highly competitive Bsegment category, Honda City has maintained a dominant position, primarily attributed to its stylish and perceived “premium” image. While the VIOS has consistently enjoyed a reputation for reliability and trustworthiness, it has struggled to generate the same level of excitement and positive sentiments as its rival, the Honda City. n response to this challenge, our objective was to shift the market sentiment surrounding the all-new VIOS and reestablish the car as the best choice. With the official launch imminent, our aim was to shift the spotlight entirely onto this upcoming model, diverting attention away from our archenemy, Honda. By creating a compelling narrative and capturing the interest of our target audience, we sought to establish VIOS as a formidable contender in the market, capable of captivating hearts and minds.

Insight & Strategy
The automotive landscape in Malaysia has witnessed a phenomenon where overeager automotive portals often spoil the novelty and excitement surrounding new car model launches. These portals frequently expose upcoming models through unflattering images or rumored specifications, leading potential buyers to form premature conclusions influenced by keyboard warriors and their comments. Consequently, a traditional teaser and launch campaign alone would no longer be as effective, given that the market is already aware of the imminent arrival of the car, courtesy of these publishers. For the all-new VIOS to achieve the desired success, Toyota must regain control over the narrative and information circulating online, launch innovatively with a strong presence, and finally convert attraction to sales. In short, we needed to create a positive groundswell before the big reveal, while ensuring we are making an impact on Toyota sales. Since this is a mass model, we needed an integrated campaign that would target drivers aged 20 to 45, from Kuala Lumpur to Kelantan.

Execution
Our strategic approach consisted of five key phases to ensure we establish a strong marketing funnel: Redefining the narrative: We emphasized that the VIOS was not just an upgrade but a complete transformation, redefining the standards of a premium Bsegment sedan. Our messaging and medium were carefully crafted to soften the impact of an inevitable price increase, ensuring that customers understood the value proposition behind the new model. Start the buzz rolling: We executed an unconventional teaser campaign that garnered grassroots support and generated a wave of positive reception leading up to the reveal. Leveraging popular influencer Sean Lee, we orchestrated an ‘accidental’ leak of behindthescenes photos from the VIOS photoshoot on Instagram. This strategically engineered ‘mistake’ created intrigue and excitement, with followers and seeders capturing and sharing the leak. Seeders, in various languages, added their own narratives, building momentum and positioning the strengths of the VIOS against luxury competitors. The leaked post was shared and reshared on platforms such as Instagram and XiaoHongShu within a 48-hour window, effectively infiltrating relevant Facebook communities. A week later, we followed up with ‘booking interest’ ads across programmatic platforms like Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok to engage prospective buyers. Broadcasting a phygital stage: For the launch event, we took a phygital approach to reach a nationwide audience. Prime time news media from PAY TV and FTA were invited to interview the President of Toyota, creating credibility, and generating extensive coverage. The media launch was broadcasted through a boosted live stream on Facebook, which was crossposted across key lifestyle media groups and Toyota’s 96 dealers’ Facebook pages. This strategic distribution ensured widespread exposure and maximized reach. Sustain the impact: On the launch day, we leveraged a brand film that invited the audience to defy the limits of their journey. We utilized high share of voice (SOV) impactful formats dominating platforms like Youtube, Twitter, and content publisher sites, to effectively engage the audience. Our communication extended to video-driven platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and Youtube, where we showcased the features and highlights of the VIOS through product videos, retargeting previously captured audience. Additionally, we intercepted competitors’ news and content on top automotive publishers, such as Paultan, Carlist, and Wapcar, using high visibility ad formats. Our offline channels played a crucial role in delivering salient messaging to the masses. We strategically allocated high-frequency buys on radio and PAY TV during peak listenership and viewership hours, expanding our reach through over-the-top (OTT) platforms and selected static out-of-home (OOH) sites. As dealer support, we also ran full-page full-colour ads on all major titles nationwide, with front page dominance for East Malaysia. Convert attraction: We used an OOH programmatic tactic to target ‘automotive intenders’ and aired commercials on screens that were geofenced around Honda showrooms, disrupting competitor considerers and reroute attention to the VIOS instead.

Effectiveness
Within 48 hours of seeding, our unconventional teaser campaign reached an audience of 4,163,379 (1), generating a remarkable 5.3-point increase in positive buzz for the all-new VIOS compared to Honda, marking the highest difference observed in the past year (2). The announcement of VIOS order taking drove a 477% increase in page views on Google Analytics. The launch was viewed by 2.33 million viewers of which 582,500 of them were organic. This is a 17% uplift from the previous launch achievement. Our postcampaign research revealed a 14% uplift in purchase consideration among exposed audiences (4) and reflected a positive perception of the 2023 VIOS, with 86% of car decision-makers deeming it stylish and modern. Notably, four out of five aware respondents acknowledged its enhanced premium appeal. Programmatic OOH drove a 46% uplift in showroom footfall among exposed individuals (4). We secured 5,000 bookings in less than a month (3), surpassing the two-month sales target within one week. The VIOS exemplifies the success of our strategies, igniting widespread excitement and positioning it as a top choice in the competitive Bsegment market. Sources: 1. VIOS Seeders Post Campaign Report  2. Toyota YouGov BrandIndex Tracking 3. Autobuzz 4. VIOS PostCampaign Research by Vodus 5. Hivestack

2023 | |

KFC Turned Themselves into a Football Club

Advertiser: QSR Stores Sdn Bhd
Brand: KFC
Creative Agency: UNIVERSAL McCANN
Credits: -

Objective & Challenge
FIFA World Cup 2022. The most awaited sporting event the world-over! It was finally here, and sports obsessed Malaysians were ready for it! Brands were poised to jump on the bandwagon to ride the football wave. But how could you when not a global sponsor? For KFC, the challenge was even bigger – our biggest competitor WAS a sponsor, ready to take on eyeballs, hearts and tummies, as Malaysians shouted ‘goooooooooooaaaal’ along with their favourite teams. Some smart, strategic planning was called for, to comply with FIFA’s rules around sponsorship and brand hijacking. To bring the common love of fried chicken to the foreground. We looked to see how we could include KFC into every football celebratory occasion, suitable for every football fan, and to place the idea of the Colonel as top of mind throughout the month.

Insight & Strategy
Our insights told us that football is only as exciting as the pundits and commentators make it out to be. Our insights also showed us three types of football fans: 1. The Butterflies: those FOMOs who always want to be in the know 2. The Sports Fans: those who catch all the big games and are hungry to know the scores 3. The Die Hards: those who have a strong emotional engagement for their favourite football team. How do we capture the attention of these unique football fans into the game they love? We married together this diversity with the idea of a football pundit, and that’s how ‘Pak Pandit’ was born – an eccentric, affable, knowledgeable uncle-like character with a penchant for all things football, and all things KFC as well, of course! Pak Pandit would become the face of football, bringing together predictions, football scores, strategies and highlights, all done in his own unique style – think football dialect and lingo and all things fried chicken. His name – a play on words of folktale character Pak Pandir would speak to Malaysians. The sales hook: 3 hero products to appeal to the 3 types of football fans: Firstly, Spicy Cheese Crunch for “The Butterflies” to indulge in taste while not missing out. Secondly, the Spicy Cheese Burger for “The Sport Fans” as the pre-packed configurations to make games catch ups convenient and hassle free. Thirdly, the Dipidap Bucket, perfect nibbles for “The Die-hard Fans” who host parties at home. To further enhance World Cup relatability, our approach was bold and daring – going beyond by hijacking all crucial football moments online via engaging content and strategically positioned digital placements, ensuring KFC had high TOMA throughout the World Cup duration.

Execution
All this would happen within “Kepci FC”, a Malaysian based fandom hosted by Pak Pandit. Haniff, the ERA drivetime DJ was chosen to portray Pak Pandit due to his charisma, genuine football passion, and authentic love for KFC. His fluency in BM and English amplified his ability to flawlessly embody Pak Pandit’s traits. Exciting fans with his warm character, Haniff brought Pak Pandit to life across 360 touchpoints in partnership with Astro, matching the World Cup’s immense scale. Firstly, Pak Pandit posted daily videos with personalized, unsolicited comments about matches on various social platforms (his IG, ERA’s IG, Gempak’s TikTok, Astro Arena’s FB, and MeleTOP’s Twitter). He tailored 24 videos for different audience segments, including match highlights for The Butterflies with Spicy Cheese Crunch, match forecasts for The Sports Fans with Spicy Cheese Burger, and detailed yet quirky match reviews to remind The Diehard Fans to grab nuggets from Dipidap Bucket. Twitter KOLs were engaged to enhance Pak Pandit’s relatability through humorous interactions and friendly banter. Identifying key football moments on digital platforms (e.g., game kickoff, end, half time, draws, yellow & red cards, and free kicks), we deployed dynamic creatives in multiple formats to ensure contextual relevance for various audience segments. Using realtime sports sync API, we served ad visuals featuring Spicy Cheese Burger with dynamic messaging to The Sports Fans on Display & Social platforms, generating prematch excitement when a game kicked off. Additionally, we utilized computer vision and mirror technology to hijack competitor ads on platforms like YouTube and news/sports sites, displaying video and inimage ads when their logos or products were detected. Catering to nondigital natives, Pak Pandit hijacked the sizzling Astro TV talkshow Hlive, engaging in delightful banter with his distinctive forecast. He seamlessly integrated his passion for football and KFC by enjoying the KepciFC Combo alongside the hosts. He made surprise appearances during clockface countdowns to key prime time TV programs on Astro’s Malay channels. His videos on social were also converted as TV branded capsules, running across Astro Malay and Sports Channels throughout the campaign period. Ensuring Pak Pandit’s hilarious commentary was extended beyond social to broader TV audiences. To extend his radio footprint, we customized sports news segment on ERA & Hitz, so Pak Pandit could give his forecasts and unique match opinions with KepciFC product messaging during morning and evening timebelts. And fellow DJs Radin and Ray joined in to LIVE KepciFC, with product reviews on air, shared across their socials. Pak Pandit also attended on ground events through World Cup viewing parties at KFC stores, with a Finals live viewing party hosted by Astro ERA SyokVaganza, giving his lively forecast to 10k fans to reinforce his status as Malaysia’s favourite football pundit.

Effectiveness
Overall we saw positive uplift across YouGov metrics. During world cup period: Ad awareness increased by 4pts while consideration increased by 4.5pts, Purchase intent increased by 3.6x. Recommendation score & Brand Index increased by +6pts & 6.5pts respectively after the campaign. Pak Pandit videos recorded 1,001,088 views on Astro’s social media (82% more views than planned). Haniff’s IG Story reached additional 7,517 NEW unique accounts. The 78 sets of customized KFC creatives celebrated live football moments with 24 million eyeballs throughout the FIFA season! Achieved 20% lower in overall CPM and 2% higher CTR than sport sync benchmark. Impressively, KFC sales obtained 15% growth vs past year! All with smart hijacking!