Passion Pictures goes a long way home this Chinese New Year

MARKETING speaks to Adrian Lai, Passion Pictures Executive Producer on Petronas Chinese New Year commercial
Chinese New Year has become a time for marketers to develop ads about the importance of family and coming home for the holidays.

And the commercials that Malaysians look forward to every festive season are definitely the ones from Petronas. This year for Chinese New Year, Leo Burnett Malaysia teamed up with Passion Pictures for another tear-jerker commercial that every Malaysian is bound to relate to.

A Long Way Home tells the story of a young man, Seong, and his father on their trip back home to celebrate the New Year with the family, during which tension rises and an argument ensues between the two.

Amid the altercation, Seong, ridden with guilt, experiences flashbacks of fond memories he shared with his father while growing up.

MARKETING magazine chats with Adrian Lai, Executive Producer at Passion Pictures who sheds some light on how the commercial was brought to life.

What did Leo Burnett Malaysia have in mind for Petronas’s Chinese New Year commercial when they first approached Passion Pictures?
They basically wanted a fresh idea. Yasmin Ahmad’s works have touched the lives of many, with their underlying message of harmony between the races. That was the legacy we wanted to continue, a film injected with meaningful messages based on real human values and insights but executed in a modern way.
For this Chinese New Year commercial, Passion Pictures teamed up with Victor Manggunio. How was that experience? 
Leo Burnett Malaysia wanted a director that could give the audience watching the commercial a different feel.

I have known Victor for close to seven years. An ex-staff of Leo Burnett Hong Kong and China. he is one of the loveliest people to work with, an absolutely humble man.

We and Victor at Passion Pictures are fully appreciative to Leo Burnett Malaysia for showcasing his talent. We also worked alongside James Yap and Jaz Lee, the creative leads from Leo Burnett Malaysia.
The commercial highlights the issue of a generation gap, which is something we are all familiar with. How did the team come to the idea?
This idea, we fully credit it to the team at Leo Burnett Malaysia. The script came from them.

It was a bunch of ideas gathered together giving fruit to a really good script. Plus, all five of Petronas commercials in a year revolves around a theme.

Furthermore, we wanted to deliver an important message to the younger generation. The opportunity to reconnect with their parents, their childhood. It is time to close the generation gap.
What have you planned for 2018? 
I just plan on doing more storytelling and just being a big part of the Malaysian ad industry that is blooming at a great pace. Passion Pictures are also looking forward to more future collaborations with Leo Burnett Malaysia.
We at MARKETING look forward to more creative work by Passion Pictures in the future.