Have you heard Renai’s story?

(Marketingmagazine.com.my) – Malati Siniah

Today the folks in Sabah and Sarawak will be celebrating their annual rice harvest festival. Better known as Hari Gawai for the people in Sarawak and Pesta Kaamatan in Sabah, the festival is celebrated annually by the indigenous community in West Malaysia.

In conjunction with the celebration, Petronas launched an online ad telling the tale of a young girl whose parents came from both states. Renai, a little girl living in a longhouse in Bario, Sabah, narrates her life in the ad sharing the struggles of her parents who were constantly working and leaving her to spend most of her time alone.

Understanding that their sacrifice was, in the end, to secure a better future for her, we see Renai growing up to become a successful young lady returning to her roots, visiting her parents at their longhouse.

The three-minute, 47-second-long video which has been viewed over 900 thousand times on YouTube has struck a chord with many Malaysians with some viewers on YouTube commenting:

Great Job Petronas team. You’re always coming up with great ads. Bagus bangattt! Hehe. Terima kasih Petronas– Kimberly Yeoh

I’m from Sabah.. and my gf from Sarawak.. similar to this video – Jai Rul

The company which has a strong presence in West Malaysia has been releasing festive ads celebrating Gawai and Kaamatan for the past two years.

The agency behind the ad is Petronas’s longstanding creative agency, Leo Burnett.

Producer: Noell Goh – Leo Burnett
Creative Director: James Yap – Leo Burnett
Art Director: Chan Sze Mei – Leo Burnett
Copy Writer: Jaz Lee – Leo Burnett
Brand Team: Eswara V.A.N Sharma, Amelia Peng, Mohd Fareezan, Michelle Hor – Leo Burnett
Production House : Reservoir
Director: Philip ROM