ZUS Coffee and Fishermen Integrated Celebrate “Made in Malaysia”

This Malaysia Day, ZUS Coffee and Fishermen Integrated are taking the next step in their quest to elevate local brands, with a follow-up to their award-winning “Buatan Malaysia” collaboration from 2023.

Fishermen Creative Director, Andrew Perera said for version 2.0 of the campaign, the team’s mission is to help ZUS Coffee raise the profile of Made in Malaysia for all. 

“There is greatness made in Malaysia every day. But we realised most homegrown brands seem reluctant to display the ‘Made in Malaysia’ label prominently. It is usually found near disclaimers at the bottom, or tucked away at a corner in small print.

This trend contrasts sharply with other places such as Europe, where ‘Made in France’, ‘Made in Germany’ or ‘Made in the United Kingdom’ are displayed with pride. We saw an opportunity for ZUS Coffee — a proudly Made-in-Malaysia brand — to take the lead and help correct this,” Perera explained further. 

The result is a new “Made in Malaysia” logo that incorporates elements reflecting Malaysia’s identity. Inspired by the iconic Malaysian immigration stamp, the logo features the country’s international dialling code “+60” and includes a humorous description of Malaysia’s geographical location: “Below Thailand, Above Singapore, Not Indonesia.” 

“The goal was simple: to create a mark that Malaysian products can proudly showcase. ZUS Coffee has made the logo available for all to download, share and use for free. This will hopefully start the transformation of ‘Made in Malaysia’ from a footnote into a brand of its own, and build a newfound sense of pride in being ‘Made in Malaysia’ among local businesses,” added Perera. 

As part of the campaign, ZUS Coffee has also released “Made in Malaysia, Dicintai Dunia”, a five-minute film produced by Fishermen Integrated and Imagineers Film that celebrates Made-in-Malaysia greatness, and features fellow local brands Inside Scoop, Spritzer, Munchy’s, BananaBro, Pestle & Mortar Clothing, HYGR, and Pos Malaysia.

Several well-known Malaysian personalities also appear in the film: highly celebrated graphic illustrator, Izzati Suza; the world’s number one tower runner, Soh Wai Ching; 2024 TikTok Awards Malaysia Animation Creator of the Year winner, YIMO the Tapir; Fly FM radio DJs Ryan Howlett and Arieff Yong; and content creator, Jenn Chia.

Fishermen Co-founder and Managing Director, Mark Darren Lee said the participation of other local brands and personalities makes this campaign one of a kind. 

“The campaign just launched and we are already receiving so many positive responses. It’s one big ‘Buatan Malaysia’ family coming together for a common cause — celebrating and inspiring pride in Made-in-Malaysia businesses. As another homegrown brand, we are humbled to be part of this initiative that showcases the incredible local brands that make Malaysia unique.

“A special shoutout to our Fishermen team for creating something that feels more than just an ad. What makes this Malaysia Day film truly remarkable is how each brand embraces its identity while contributing to something bigger. Seeing multiple brands united for a good cause is what makes this campaign so meaningful.”

Echoing Lee’s sentiments, ZUS Coffee Creative Director, Shafiqah Othman said the “Made In Malaysia” campaign holds a special place in the hearts of her team, as it’s all about celebrating the greatness that’s born right here at home.

“The most exciting part of this journey is collaborating with incredible partners and brands, bringing them all together under one roof like a family reunion. We believe that businesses should uplift one another while also providing platforms for local artists and talents to shine.

We take immense pride in the talent, creativity and innovation that Malaysia nurtures, and it fills us with purpose to share this with the world. Our campaign video, released in conjunction with Malaysia Day, is a heartfelt tribute to the spirit of excellence that unites us as Malaysians.

Working with Fishermen Integrated to bring this vision to life has been a beautiful part of this journey. We are incredibly excited to continue championing Malaysian greatness, now and always,” she added. 

The “Made in Malaysia” campaign will continue beyond Malaysia Day with a nationwide festival celebrating the vibrant spirit of Malaysia, culminating with a spectacular music carnival, “Made in Malaysia: Lokal Kasi Vokal”, as the grand finale in Genting Highlands on 2 November 2024 to mark ZUS Coffee’s fifth anniversary.