Award-winning Malaysian actor Shaheizy Sam helps launch Mahsuri sauces via TBWA KL

TBWA\Kuala Lumpur has launched a new campaign for Lee Kum Kee’s Mahsuri range of sauces.

A regional first for Lee Kum Kee Malaysia, Mahsuri targets the Malay market and will debut in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei with a subsequent launch in Indonesia. Slated to become a staple of the Malay household, Mahsuri sauces are certified by JAKIM – Mahsuri is wholly halal and contains no preservatives.

TBWA was appointed to the brand after a hugely successful Disruption workshop in which TBWA created the strategy of Suci Sejahtera for the brand. Tapping into the true essence of Malay cooking, Suci Sejahtera demonstrates the importance of purity and wholesomeness during preparation of Malay food.

“We first met TBWA in 2013 and were immediately impressed by the enthusiasm the team brought to the table,” commented Danny Khoo, Marketing Director of Lee Kum Kee Malaysia. “From the Disruption workshop it was clear that they had genuine passion and interest in building the brand and it’s been a real thrill working with them.”

“For us the best part about advertising is when you get to build a brand from scratch. So when we heard that Lee Kum Kee were looking for an agency to handle a new brand, we leapt at the opportunity,” added Shaun Tay, General Manager of TBWA\Kuala Lumpur. “We progressed, it quickly became clear that we were onto a winning formula: Great product, insightful strategy and engaging creative idea.”

The fully integrated campaign centers on the antics of award-winning Malaysian actor Shaheizy Sam and his efforts to help Malay cooks maintain Suci Sejahtera with the help of Mahsuri Manis (sweet) and Mahsuri Pedas (spicy) sauces.

Initially, audiences were introduced to two different personas of Sam via social media, which then led to a media launch at the renowned Rebung Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. The new TVC also showed both personas of Sam helping out a home cook whilst singing a jingle inspired by a reinterpretation of the classic P. Ramlee song, “Yang Mana Satu Idaman Kalbu”. The jingle will feature in a series of radio ads and a series of print and magazine ads round out the campaign, while online recipe videos will show Sam preparing his favorite dishes using both Mahsuri Manis and Mahsuri Pedas to inspire other home cooks to try the brand.

“From inception we needed the idea to work beyond just TV and print,” explained Sa’ad Hussein, Chief Creative Officer and Executive Director of TBWA\Kuala Lumpur. “The high levels of social media interaction within our audience offered us the perfect avenue of creating relevance between young Malay cooks and our fresh, innovative brand. For example, the branded content platform that we created around Shaheizy Sam’s use of Mahsuri products is entertaining, informative and built for community sharing. A good example of a brand not blindly following the conventions but making an effort to understand and operate within today’s culture.”

Credfits – Chief Creative Officer: Sa’ad Hussein. Deputy Executive Creative Director: Ian Lee. Creative Group Head: Fazlee Sabbaruddin. Art Directors: Davina Tan, Nadzrin Hakim. Copywriter: Maton Shukor. General Manager: Shaun Tay. Planning Director: Carl D’Souza. Agency Producer: Chey Feng Mey. Account Director: Janine Wai. Senior Account Executive: Joanne Lie. Content Strategy Director: Johanan Sen. Photographer: Lee Yien Song. Director: Faizul Izwal Bin Mohd Jais. Director of Photography: Kenz Koh. Editor: Boyd See. Production Company: Barry Gladmore Productions. Production Company Head Producer: Winston Khor. Associate Producer: Elroy Lee.