In 1993, a 10-year-old boy in Kuala Lumpur bought a domain name for US$100. Three letters. Two characters, really. AI.com. Three decades later, that same address sold for about US$70 million (RM300 million) — and suddenly the quiet Malaysian technologist behind the purchase, Arsyan Ismail, found himself sitting on one
Every January, marketing pretends to discover the future. Slides are polished. Buzzwords are refreshed. And somewhere between “next-gen engagement” and “hyper-personalisation,” everyone quietly hopes last year’s strategy still works. But the best trend reports do not predict the future. They reveal what is already happening — only faster than most
Chinese New Year advertising often stretches into cinematic long-form territory, chasing tears, nostalgia, and multigenerational drama. Sunquick went the other way. Thirty seconds. Two children. A burst of colour. And a reminder that festive storytelling does not need seven minutes to be remembered. Its 2026 Chinese New Year spot, “Sip
Some artworks hang in museums. Others hang in the public imagination. And a few — like the famous Children on Bicycle mural in Penang — end up doing something far more powerful: they become shorthand for a place itself. Snap a photo of George Town and chances are that mural
Advertising once taught us how to sell soap. Now it is learning how to move souls. Across Malaysia, something unusual is happening. Humanitarian organisations — traditionally modest, procedural, quietly operational — are beginning to communicate with the strategic sharpness of global brands. Not louder. Not flashier. Just clearer, smarter, and
On what would have been his 123rd birthday, tributes to Malaysia’s founding father, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, were filled with familiar references to Merdeka, leadership and unity. But for those in the communications, branding and storytelling industries, the commemorative reflections by his granddaughter Datin Sri Sharifah Menyalara Hussein —
Fireworks, lanterns and televised variety shows have long defined the Lunar New Year spectacle in China. This year, however, another performer is stepping confidently into the spotlight: the humanoid robot. What might once have been a novelty sideshow is rapidly becoming a national demonstration of technological ambition — and, increasingly,
Chinese New Year advertising loves spectacle. Firecrackers, red lanterns, improbable family reunions and enough gold symbolism to bankrupt a jewellery store. Yet every few years, a film appears that quietly reminds us of what the festival was meant to celebrate in the first place. McDonald’s Malaysia’s 2026 Chinese New Year
Valentine’s Day advertising has long suffered from a shortage of imagination. Roses, candlelight, violins, perhaps a slow-motion walk across a beach if the budget allows. Love, apparently, smells faintly of perfume and chocolate. Flipkart’s latest Valentine’s campaign suggests something rather different. It smells like floor cleaner. Romance Begins Before the
In an age defined by endless scrolls, algorithmic playlists, and short-form content designed to be skipped in seconds, a quiet cultural counter-movement is beginning to surface across Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley: the rise of vinyl listening cafés. A recent report by Malay Mail highlights how spaces such as
