The Challenge

Axiata, a homegrown multinational telecommunications company, sought to commemorate Malaysia's 65th Independence Day with a powerful, inspiring campaign that would promote unity and celebrate the nation’s diversity. 

However, to avoid playing into common themes that are often used during Independence Day campaigns, Axiata wanted to showcase the brand's values of embracing diversity, inclusion, and unity.  

As a leading telecom company in the region, Axiata initiates brand conversations by delivering a series of culturally relevant, inclusive, and inspiring content. Leveraging Its tagline, “Advancing Asia”, presented a golden opportunity to showcase its commitment to the country’s marginalised communities — the indigenous people who are often overlooked. 

The campaign's target audience included Malaysians of all age groups, with a focus on young people who are passionate about social justice and equality. Key competitors included other brands that had previously produced Independence Day campaigns.

The Strategy

1. Listening to the people

The campaign aimed to outline the challenges faced by Malaysia’s marginalised communities. Through social listening, we were able to gain insights and understand the sentiment within the country. By understanding the issues faced, we could formulate effective solutions to support them.

2. Connecting communities to opportunities

Axiata wanted to showcase how the brand bridges the digital divide by providing people and communities with the right tools needed for progress, ensuring equitable access to technology. The brand aspired to be the “Turning Point” for the marginalised community – a platform to provide communities with a brighter future and better life.

3. Crafting a unified and seamless integrated experience

To create a unified and seamless integrated experience and promote the brand across multiple channels, the strategic approach was to craft a campaign that would tell a compelling story resonating with Malaysians. To reach a wider audience, the campaign was promoted through a mix of paid, earned, and owned media channels.

4. Aspiring to inspire Malaysians

By featuring a powerful message of hope and unity, the campaign aimed to inspire Malaysians to embrace their differences and work together towards a brighter future. The brand film highlights the story of an indigenous girl and her community. It showcases their culture and traditions while addressing sensitive topics such as the marginalisation of indigenous communities in Malaysia.

The Execution

1. Launching of the campaign

The campaign was rolled out in two phases. During the launch phase, the objective was to create awareness of the brand's message while driving views of the brand film. To achieve this, we decided to release the brand film a few days earlier before Merdeka.

2. Releasing "The Turning Point” film

The film tells the story of a young indigenous girl from a village in Pahang, who encounters Axiata and is inspired to make a positive change in her community. The film aimed to inspire Malaysians to embrace their differences and work together towards a brighter future.

3. Gaining traction for the campaign

In the sustenance phase, the objective was to amplify the campaign message and engage the viewers. The film was edited into three 15-second shorts, each offering snippets of the story and driving clicks to the full film for increased views.

3. Developing "My Turning Point Story" 

In the sustenance phase, the objective was to amplify the campaign message and engage the viewers. The film was edited into three 15-second shorts, each offering snippets of the story and driving clicks to the full film for increased views.

The Results

• The brand film generated 1 million views within 3 days of launch
  
  
• Achieved 4.4 million views on YouTube and Facebook, vs. planned views of 1.45 million
  
  
• The campaign generated over 10 million impressions across various platforms including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
  
  
• 4.3 million engagements on social media and more than 80,000 clicks
  
  
• Improved brand perception with net positive brand sentiment
  
  
• Cost per click at RM0.90 vs. industry benchmark at RM0.27
  

• Cost per engagement at RM0.02 vs. industry benchmark at RM0.15
  
  
• Cost per view at RM0.02 vs. industry benchmark at RM0.06
  
  
• View through rate at 49.43% vs. industry benchmark at 30%

• The success of the campaign demonstrated the brand’s commitment to sustainability, innovation, and inclusivity, and set a strong foundation for future initiatives
  
  
• The brand film received strong and positive media coverage in the nation’s top publications and was featured in their respective ‘Must Watch’ list
  

Awards

• Gold in Best Use of Video Content category at Content Marketing APAC Awards 2023
  
  
• Bronze in Most Effective Use – Multicultural Marketing category at MARKies Awards 2023