Naga DDB has partnered with Astro to bring audiences a hauntingly beautiful campaign for Bride From the Past, an Astro Original supernatural period drama that explores love, loss, and the courage to let go.
At first glance, Bride From the Past appears to be a tale of romance between worlds – following filmmaker Xichi, who encounters and falls in love with Adou, a ghost bride with unfinished business. But beneath its supernatural layers lies a deeply emotional story about confronting the past in order to move forward.
The campaign’s challenge was to invite viewers to look past the ghostly surface and connect with the show’s emotional heart – the universal human struggle of reconciling with one’s past.
“We wanted to position Bride From the Past not merely as a ghost story, but as a symbolic journey of closure and emotional healing,” said Alvin Teoh, Chief Creative Officer at Naga DDB Tribal. “As Experience Makers, our goal was to move audiences beyond passive viewing – to make them feel the emotional heartbeat of the story. By using the metaphor of haunting, both literal and emotional, we invited people to confront their own ‘inner ghosts’ that linger when the past is left unresolved.”
The campaign draws from the understanding that many within the Chinese community still practise age-old traditions as a way of honouring their culture. However, as society modernises, the original meanings behind these rituals often fade with time. Guided by the communication strategy “Finding peace with the past brings peace to the present,” the campaign speaks to this emotional tension — reminding audiences that confronting the past allows one to find calm in the present.
At the heart of the campaign lies the idea “Don’t let your past haunt you.” Here, the word “鬼” (ghost) is used metaphorically to represent emotional baggage that continues to “haunt” us when left unresolved. This concept ties directly to the show’s message: Face the past, cherish the present. Timed to premiere during Ghost Month, the campaign took inspiration from Chinese taboos and traditions — bringing the ghost bride Adou to life in the real world.
“To generate buzz without showing a single frame from the show, we looked to tradition, taboo, and timing — bringing a ghost story to life right in the middle of Kuala Lumpur,” said Alvin Teoh.
The main activation took place across three high-traffic MRT and LRT stations in the heart of the city, where commuters were startled by ghostly appearances of Adou — portrayed by haunted house actresses and even the real cast themselves, who joined in the fun to interact with the public.
The ghost bride wandered through the MRT stations, silently gliding past confused and intrigued onlookers, before eventually ending up at the main activation area at Bukit Bintang MRT Station. There, she was accompanied by the haunting melody of an er hu performer, creating an immersive, cinematic atmosphere that blurred the line between fiction and reality.
The Bukit Bintang activation area quickly became a public spectacle, drawing crowds who captured the eerie yet mesmerizing scene on their phones. Passersby took photos and videos, flooding social media with clips of the ghost bride’s mysterious appearance — organically amplifying the show’s presence online.
Just beyond the stunt locations, commuters encountered towering OOH pillars completely covered in Chinese talismans, reimagined as promotional pieces for Bride From the Past. Each talisman carried the show title, call-to-action, and TX details, while inviting passersby to take one home as a collectible. This simple yet powerful execution blurred the line between the mystical and the modern, cleverly reinforcing the show’s central theme.
Hidden cameras discreetly captured the entire activation, documenting the real reactions of the public. The resulting PR video – intercut with confused, amused, and fascinated onlookers – was later released as part of the show’s launch content. The talisman wall also became a viral photo hotspot, attracting curious commuters who followed the “trail of the ghost bride” and shared their encounters across social media platforms.
The campaign’s creative integration of cultural relevance, surprise, and emotional storytelling delivered strong results across channels:
The show’s promo talismans appeared everywhere — online, in public, and across social media feeds
“At Astro, we believe it’s important to build genuine resonance with our audience by creating content that is both culturally meaningful and authentic. The Hungry Ghost Festival is widely recognized within the Chinese community, yet many are unfamiliar with its deeper significance. Through this campaign, we aimed to spark curiosity and reflection around these traditions. While the subject may be seen as sensitive, we’re proud to have initiated conversations that encouraged people to ask, ‘Why is this considered taboo?’—ultimately turning cultural tension into thoughtful engagement”, said Benjamin Woo, Head of Group Marketing, Astro.
Bride From the Past is now streaming exclusively on Astro One and sooka. Don’t miss this hauntingly beautiful story of love, redemption, and the power of letting go.
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