Celcom celebrates diversity with a foreign and local perspective
THE social media scene has been buzzing with National Day spots from some of the favourite brands. One which caught the eye balls was Celcom’s latest campaign.
To celebrate the nation’s independence, the mobile operator launched the campaign “Negaraku yang ku sayangi”. Created to bring out the true spirit of unity and acknowledge those who have taught the values of tolerance and racial harmony, the campaign incorporated two short films launched on Hari Merdeka and Malaysia Day. The online showcase entitled Timeless Teachings featured famous quotes from the father of independence Tunku Abdul Rahman.
The campaign kicked off on the Celcom website with inspiring quotes about peace, harmony and diversity, bringing to life different artwork for each quote.
Celcom released the first short film of the campaign, “Emma” on Aug 29 just days before National Day. This story, inspired by true events, tells the tale of a young British teacher who was sent to Malaysia in the 1970s.
Narrated by the title character, Emma brings a foreign perspective on unity, as she is introduced to the unique nuances of a multi-racial Malaysia through her interactions with her students.
Through the film’s heart-warming vignettes, Emma falls in love with the racial unity demonstrated by the people, eventually making Malaysia her home.
This charming spot garnered over 2.1 million YouTube views to date and was shared over 5,000 times since its launch.
While “Emma” allowed us to see a united Malaysia through the eyes of a foreigner, Celcom took on a local spin to drive the message of unity with “Lagenda 5 Sekawan” – its second short film also set in the 70s.
The film is about a diverse group of Malaysian students and their teacher who was always there for each other through the good and bad times. The film also pays homage to former educators who continuously share the values of harmony and unity.
Partnering with creative agency M&C Saatchi on all three initiatives, the campaign eloquently sums up unity.
“This campaign reminds us that it’s our unity that got us to where we are today, and it’s going to be our unity that will take us even further. Celcom, as a brand embraces harmonious diversity and our Merdeka-Malaysia Day campaign series salutes those who taught us racial unity. “We’re humbled to be part of this endeavour, as a growing nation, never forgetting our roots and lessons given to us as we progress,” Celcom Axiata Bhd head of brand marketing Grace Chan said.
The campaign can be viewed on the Celcom website and its YouTube channel as well as on all of its social channels.