Has TikTok’s short videos killed Malaysian TVCs?

By The Malketeer

It’s 8:00pm.

The golden hour once ruled by prime-time TVCs.

But your Gen Z customer isn’t watching Buletin Utama.

They’re deep in a TikTok wormhole.

Laughing at a cat that sounds like it’s ordering teh tarik, or watching a street food vendor flip roti canai with cinematic flair.

In 2025, TikTok is the new TV.

Let’s face it, the rakyat has moved on.

If your million-ringgit campaign isn’t scroll-stopping within the first three seconds, it’s not storytelling.

It’s just expensive background noise.

Meanwhile, that cheeky kid from Tumpat with a fried chicken review just hit 1.2 million views… wearing slippers.

From Astro Prime Time to TikTok Snack Time

For decades, the Malaysian marketing playbook was predictable:

• Hire a celebeity
• Shoot a glossy 60-second TVC
• Book Astro prime slots
• Hope for awards

But Gen Z didn’t get the memo.

They’re watching, sure but on the LRT, in the toilet, in bed at 3:00am.

With the sound off.

While multitasking.

You think they’ll wait for a full storyline to unfold?

If you don’t grab them by the second beat, they’re already swiping to someone making nasi lemak using a hairdryer!

In short: TV is still around, but TikTok owns time and attention.

What’s a Legacy Brand to Do?

The shift isn’t just about platform — it’s about culture.

TikTok isn’t a media channel.

It’s a full-blown ecosystem of inside jokes, hyper-niche subcultures, chaotic edits, and algorithmic sorcery.

A place where authenticity trumps polish.

Where lo-fi is the new luxe.

So yes, your ayam goreng ad can — and should — live there.

But you need to stop thinking like a traditional marketer, and start thinking like a creator.

Here’s how:

1. Forget Control — Embrace the Chaos

Gen Z doesn’t want perfect.

They want real. That means:

• Less storyboard, more spontaneity
• Less studio shoot, more roadside stall
• Less “brand voice”, more human voice

Take myBurgerLab, for example.

Their TikToks show messy cheese pulls, kitchen chaos, and customers doing taste tests — all raw, funny, and relatable.

No million-dollar budget, but millions of impressions.

2. From Message to Meme

A classic TVC wants to convey a clear message.

TikTok?

It wants to become a moment.

Don’t sell sambal.

Start a sambal dance challenge.

Don’t tell us your drink is refreshing — get a makcik to sip it and break into a TikTok remix of “Feeling Good.”

The goal isn’t comprehension.

It’s conversation.

Make your brand a meme, not a monologue.

3. Collab, Don’t Command

TikTok thrives on creators.

Not influencers with curated feeds but creators who speak the native language of virality.

The funny uncle, the Gen Z girl ranting about traffic, the guy who reviews mamak stalls in full suit.

Let them take the mic.

Give them your product, not your script.

Watch what magic happens.

The moment brands loosen the grip and hand the reins to creators, the content flies.

And more importantly, it connects.

4. Be Local, Be Now

TikTok is Malaysia’s real-time barometer.

From floods to political satire to durian drama, it pulses with the rakyat’s mood.

Legacy brands love evergreen messages.

But TikTok thrives on timeliness.

Jump on trends.

React to cultural moments.

Localise content with Manglish, dialects, slang.

Be the brand that laughs with Malaysians not just at boardroom jokes.

Remember: a Hari Raya ad on TikTok doesn’t need to be a tearjerker.

It just needs to get it.

5. Your Metrics Need a Makeover

Still obsessing over GRPs and reach?

Time to add these KPIs to your dashboard:

• Shares to WhatsApp groups
• Duet requests
• Stitch mentions
• Comment sections with “where can buy?”

In the TikTok economy, a 15-second video with RM300 in boosted spend can outperform a six-figure TVC if it hits the right nerve.

The metric isn’t how many people saw it.

It’s how many people felt it.

But Is TV Really Dead?

Not quite.

Traditional TV still holds value — especially for mass-reach campaigns, older demographics, or prestige positioning.

But it’s no longer the main dish.

It’s the side order.

Think of it this way: TV tells.

TikTok talks back.

And in a world of audience participation, talkability beats tradition.

Mamak Tables Are Digital Now

Malaysians used to discuss ads over teh tarik.

Now, they share them on TikTok before the glass even lands.

The mamak table has gone digital and if your brand isn’t sitting at it, you’re being left out of the conversation.

So go ahead, marketers.

Swap your storyboard for a scroll board.

Let your ayam goreng ad dance, laugh, and spill a little sambal.

Because in 2025, it’s not the loudest ad that wins.

It’s the one that belongs on your For You Page.