These were some of the best Hari Raya 2024 campaigns of the season

Every year, Muslims all around the world will come together and celebrate Hari Raya together with their loved ones. It is a special time, marking the end of Ramadan, a period of fasting. 

Beyond familial celebrations, it is also a time for brands and agencies to stretch their creative muscles and to come up with brand films and campaigns to encapsulate the meaning of the season and to connect with their loved ones.

From hilarious car chases to languid stories that will bring tears to your eyes, these are some of the Hari Raya campaigns the A+M team loved 

1. Carro

Singapore-based online used car marketplace Carro released a new Hari Raya film that adds a cheeky take on the journey to one’s hometown for the festive season (balik kampung journey) with a high-speed car-chase to find Siti.

Titled ‘Who is Siti?’, the film begins with a mother suddenly asking her son to follow a bright orange car to meet Siti despite the family being stuck in a jam. In a hilarious twist, the 'Siti' the mother was referring to was the Honda City car that they traded for their current car with Carro last year.

2. Celcom Digi

Malaysian telco CelcomDigi celebrated the shared experiences of a multicultural Malaysia through three Raya campaign films this year. Done in collaboration with Naga DDB Tribal and M&C Saatchi, the series titled "Bukalah Hati" ("Open our hearts") explores the themes of sincerity, acceptance and openness and plays on the phrase "Buka Puasa" (break fast).

The three films were done by three aspiring filmmakers from diverse backgrounds who were mentored by Nadiah Hamzah of Wayang Works fame and CelcomDigi’s One Team. Celcomdigi’s first film titled "Aidil dan Fitri" by actor Fabian Loo features a pair of mischievous twins who play video games instead of listening to their mother.

Towards the end of the film, Aidil and Fitri learn that true sincerity brings about greater appreciation of "Aidilfitri" as a day of victory and apologised to their mother.

3. Dettol

Reckitt's disinfectant and hygiene brand Dettol has partnered with Havas Malaysia to launch a video campaign titled "Selangkah Lebih, Selangkah Kasih" which directly translates to "An extra step, an expression of love". 

This campaign carries an objective to embody the spirit of Ramadan, whereby acts of kindness and compassion go hand in hand with the pursuit of spiritual purity. According to Dettol, "Selangkah Lebih, Selangkah Kasih" represents a strategic move by Dettol and Havas Malaysia to reintegrate into consumers' lives, fostering emotional connections through everyday hygiene routines.

4. Julie's

Malaysian biscuit brand, Julie's Biscuits, tackled gender biases and stereotypes in artificial intelligence (AI) in its new Raya ad. Titled "A Raya A.I.dilfitri ad", three marketers at Julie's are seen using AI called AdGPT to make a Raya ad to promote the brand's love letters biscuits.

They are however met with several issues such as extra fingers on the characters, and gender biases and stereotypes that can't be changed despite giving AdGPT specific prompts. 

When trying to fix the AI, the marketers are sucked into the AI realm itself and chat face to face with AdGPT itself. AdGPT reveals that it learned its biases and stereotypes from old Raya ads and documentaries. 

After some reflection by the marketers, AdGPT added that forgiveness is the true meaning of Hari Raya and suggested restarting the ad all over again. 

5. Maxis

Maxis is celebrating meaningful connections among loved ones this festive season through the launch of its "Makna Raya si menantu" (The meaning of Raya as newlyweds) brand film. The film showcased a unique take on how new families bond using the backdrop of an extended family's Hari Raya celebration at their kampung (village). 

In the brand film, a man in green baju melayu (Malay traditional wear) is celebrating Hari Raya for the first time with his in-laws. While surrounded by his in-law's extended family, the man ponders the meaning of Raya and receives a picture message from his younger siblings, who are all seen wearing the same shade of pink.

By the end of the film, the man embraces this new experience and learns a new meaning of Hari Raya altogether.

6. NinjaVan

Logistics company Ninja Van Malaysia released a heartwarming music video in celebration of Hari Raya Aidilfitri. 

The video showcased the story of how a Ninja Van Malaysia rider's life took a positive turn from a fateful encounter with his future love during one of his deliveries. It also unravels the joys and sorrows that his job entails.  The music video later brings viewers to the future when the man, now older, is surrounded by his children and grandchildren, but sits alone without his beloved. 

7. RHB

A week before Eid-al-Fitr, RHB Group released a heartwarming ad that has quickly gained traction in Malaysia, Titled "Lembaran Baharu" (Forgiveness), RHB Bank’s latest film is a true story with a dramatic reenactment of the most unforgettable case of Malaysian lawyer Ahmad Zaharil Muhaiyar’s long and illustrious career. 

The film takes viewers back to 1998, when Zaharil found himself helping a woman who had stolen a pencil case as a gift to her son who had ranked number one in class. Zaharil went on to represent her in court pro bono and was able to reduce her sentence to a "Good Behaviour Bond" rather than serving seven years of jail time.

About two decades after the fateful encounter, he was then approached by a young man who revealed that he was the son of the woman whom he defended back in 1998, and who is now following Zaharil’s footsteps by becoming a lawyer.

Read this article on MARKETING-INTERACTIVE's website.