CIMB Gives Your Travel Dreams a Voice and a Visa

By The Malketeer

In a time when travel has resumed its place as a source of joy and self-discovery, CIMB is asking Malaysians a powerful question: “What’s really stopping you from going?”

Their latest campaign, Travel Only With CIMB, does more than sell a banking product. It gives your travel dreams a nudge and, quite literally, a voice.

Launched by CIMB Bank Berhad and CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad, the campaign brings to life the common emotional tug-of-war every would-be traveller faces: the yearning to go versus the excuses not to.

The creative team’s response is to give those thoughts a character.

Inanimate travel items—luggage, passports, boarding passes—become animated narrators, voicing your internal hesitations with both charm and honesty.

The result is a campaign that doesn’t just talk about travel—it talks to you.

At its heart, this is part of a bigger movement.

CIMB’s “Kita Bagi Jadi” (“We Make It Happen”) platform underpins the campaign’s spirit: dissolving the what-ifs, the financial fuzziness, and the practical potholes that stall travel dreams.

According to Toni Darusman, Group Chief Brand & Marketing Officer at CIMB, “Travel should ignite wonder, not stress. ‘Travel Made Possible’ is our promise to remove those barriers. Every fee, every worry, every what-if is nullified, so all our customers need to think about is where they want to go next—and with CIMB, Kita Bagi Jadi.”

Unlike most travel-linked campaigns that ride seasonal waves or event tie-ins like Matta Fair, this initiative positions CIMB as a long-term travel enabler.

It folds together travel planning, currency exchange, rewards redemption, lounge access, and even lucky draw holidays—reimagining what it means to “bank for travel.”

The creative charge is led by local agency The Clan, with production helmed by Directors Think Tank under the visual direction of Maurice Noone.

Together, they’ve stitched together a campaign that blends brand warmth, national optimism, and creative eccentricity.

“As a frequent traveller, I’ve had moments where the desire to get away just takes over—but life, its routines and responsibilities, always gets in the way. We realised that many people feel the same: not a lack of want, but a lack of push. That’s where the spirit of Kita Bagi Jadi came in,” said copywriter Martin Wong.

That “push” is translated into dialogue from anthropomorphised objects—reminiscent of Pixar’s heartstrings-meets-humour approach.

It’s a risky move in the heavily regulated world of banking campaigns, but one that pays off with relatability and cultural charm.

Senior Art Director Rachel Joyce adds, “We took that relatable travel urge and gave it a quirky twist. Instead of just telling people to travel, we let their own desire do the talking—literally. Sometimes, all it takes is a chatty luggage to push you to finally book that trip.”

The production strikes a tone that’s both whimsical and empowering, balancing financial assurance with emotional liberation.

While the talking luggage and passport provide the humour, the underlying mechanics—travel perks, CIMB products, redemption points—are all firmly grounded in practical value.

Suraiya Abdul Samad, Head of Consumer Marcomm at CIMB, highlights how the campaign bridges aspiration and action:

“We built this proposition with one guiding question: how do we turn ‘I wish I could…’ into ‘I’m on my way’? By speaking directly to those feelings of anticipation and hesitation, we’ve created more than a campaign. We’ve created a companion for every journey.”

In the cluttered world of travel banking, CIMB’s effort is a rare mix of heart, humour, and helpfulness.

It doesn’t just sell travel—it solves travel anxiety.

In doing so, it reinforces a key truth: no one books a trip just because they can.

They book it when they feel it’s finally time.

CIMB’s campaign is built to make that moment happen.