History of television broadcasting in Malaysia
The television industry is a multi-billion-dollar business in Malaysia. Television has long been one of the most important media there. Malaysian television broadcasting was first launched on 28 December 1963. It was a single, black-and-white network known as Rangkaian Pertama (Channel One in English). Six years later, at the end of 1969, Rangkaian Dua (Channel Two in English) was launched, providing information, entertainment, and education.
Let’s take a look at a compilation of historical TV ads that Malaysians still remember with nostalgia:
Video: Compilation of Malaysian TV advertisements (1960–1989)
Television is one of the most important platforms
Television is one of the most important communication channels in Malaysia, which provides entertainment and social issues to the masses and is often used as a means of communication by the government to convey important news etc. The monitoring of television advertising is the responsibility of a government body. Television advertisements are aired by almost all television stations and networks in the country, whether state-owned, private or paid.
There are usually two commercial breaks during a half-hour programme, while a one-hour programme is interrupted by three commercial breaks. This does not apply only to news programmes. Terrestrial television may only broadcast advertising during the programme currently being broadcast, except before the announcement of the breaking of the fast in the month of Ramadan.
Advertisers in Malaysia don’t have an easy life
Malaysia is a highly dynamic market in television broadcasting, with strong competition in advertising. Advertisers have a huge number of channels to choose from, which makes it difficult for them to decide where to place advertisements.
However, there are several factors that can make their decisions easier. If they want to target town and city dwellers as part of their brand promotion, it is a good idea to look more towards satellite and IPTV channels. If they are targeting a rural community, FTA channels are a better option, but the time slots are more limited and restricted. Sports brands and products for men tend to appear on channels such as ESPN and Starsports while products for urban and younger groups are usually placed on channels such as MTV and Star World.
Multicultural and multiethnic environment
Malaysians are happy in their multicultural and multi-ethnic environment and place great emphasis on the values associated with the Malaysian lifestyle. Therefore, it is only natural that they celebrate every holiday such as Deepavali, Christmas, Chinese New Year and Hari Raya with great pomp.
Petronas as a benchmark
One of the highlights of every major holiday in Malaysia is the television advertising presented by the national oil and gas company, Petronas. In fact, it is often one of the most anticipated advertisements during every major holiday. Why? Mainly because Petronas’s ads usually touch the hearts of viewers strongly, either because of their highly emotional message or because of their controversial nature. Television ads that have reached millions of Malaysians in this way undoubtedly include the “Plastic Bowl” TV spot aired on Hari Raya in 2006 and the “Boyz in da Hood” ad aired during Deepavali in 2003.
Any Czech viewer who paid just a little attention in literature classes will find a strong analogy with the poem “Grandfather’s Bowl” by Jan Neruda (where the author writes about a father’s shaking hands and a son making a bowl for him) in the “Plastic Bowl” ad. It is an image of the bond between a father and his daughter, which invites us to reflect on the responsibility of children to their parents.
Video: PETRONAS Raya 2006: Plastic Bowl
The humorous TV ad Boyz in da Hood was created by PETRONAS for Deepavali 2003. It is one of its most memorable TV ads. The ad features two hip-hop Indian boys who are chastised by their grandmother for trying to act “cool”. The grandmother does not like at all that one of the boys has changed his name from Muthusamy Karrupiah to simply “Sam”. Malaysians see this as a metaphor criticizing that some people are able to go too far to deny their roots and accept their newfound affluence.
Video: PETRONAS Deepavali 2003: Boyz in Da Hood
The campaigns that Petronas runs during the festive season promote positive, harmonious values. Often, they seek to convey a message to strengthen family ties among Malaysians across the country.
Tv advertising and the advertising code of practice
Advertising in Malaysia is much the same as in other countries. However, there are rules that must be followed. Malaysia professes Islam as its official religion and is a country with different ethnic groups, so it is extremely important that these rules are followed. Advertising regulation in Malaysia is the responsibility of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which was established in 1977 to promote and enforce high ethical standards in advertising used in the Malaysian media.
Advertisers in Malaysia must adhere to the Malaysian Code of Advertising Practice, which was first introduced by Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the founding father and first Prime Minister of Malaysia.
This Code essentially regulates and specifies what constitutes good advertising. The rules of good advertising stipulate that advertisements must be decent, honest and truthful. Unlike some Western countries, advertising in Malaysia should reflect Malaysian culture and identity. If possible, it should reflect the unique and harmonious multi-ethnic character of the country’s people. A very important element of advertising is that it must NEVER typify a particular ethnic group or gender. The traditional values and background of the people must always be preserved and promoted.
Advertisers in Malaysia must adhere to the Malaysian Code of Advertising Practice, which was first introduced by Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the founding father and first Prime Minister of Malaysia.
This Code essentially regulates and specifies what constitutes good advertising. The rules of good advertising stipulate that advertisements must be decent, honest and truthful. Unlike some Western countries, advertising in Malaysia should reflect Malaysian culture and identity. If possible, it should reflect the unique and harmonious multi-ethnic character of the country’s people. A very important element of advertising is that it must NEVER typify a particular ethnic group or gender. The traditional values and background of the people must always be preserved and promoted.
Other basic rules for advertising in Malaysia:
- In Malaysia, advertising must not depict or disparage competitors
- Fair competition must be respected.
- Using professionals such as dentists and doctors to promote a brand of health products such as toothpaste or pharmaceuticals is not allowed.
- A certain percentage of locals must be used in Malaysian-made advertisements and domestic locations must be used wherever possible.
- Adverts must not contain sexual elements or indecent content.
- Services such as fortune tellers may not be advertised.
- Advertisements must not promote "non-halal" products such as pork and pork products.
- No disco scenes are allowed in the spots.
- Weight loss products must not be promoted.
The best ads in 2023
Malaysia’s biggest holiday is Hari Raya, marking the end of Ramadan, which signifies the breaking of the fast and three days of exuberant celebration. At this time, no brand wants to be left behind - be it manufacturing companies, fashion brands or consumer products. The importance of advertisements during this holiday can be likened to the American Super Bowl. Malaysian ads during this holiday tend to be entertaining and highly emotional. Although they may be more or less unpretentious in their delivery, they are usually literally packed with messages that encourage collective reflection.
The following TV spots topped the list of this year’s best:
1. Raya Macam Star Bulan Bintang
2. Jodoh Syafiderella, Safi
3. P.E.R.I.T. (Persatuan Rahsia Ibu Tunggal), Julie’s
4. Panorama Abah Den - Etiqa
5. Gaya Raya Kita, Hong Leong Bank
6. Mak, Kau Tak Hijau – Gamuda Land
Let’s take a closer look at some of them.
The top spot went to popular Malaysian clothing brand Bulan Bintang, which came up with its own Raya Macam Star ad for the first time this year. A village youth, Zul, falls in love with a girl he sees passing by and tries to find a way to meet her. A magic shirt helps him to do so.
Video: Bulan Bintang Raya 2023 – Raya Macam Star
The fact that celebrities can be used successfully in Malaysia is evidenced by the ad from the second position on the list. It is a TV spot for the Safi brand offering skincare, personal care, and toiletry products. The music-themed spot features popular Indonesian celebrities such as Kilafairy, Sofea Shra, Aniq Suhair, Jaja Iliyes and Ainaa Azhari. It tells a story of a girl, Syafi, who is a victim of bullying by her own family. With an imperfect appearance, locked in her room, the grieving Syafi gets help from the fairy Safi who transforms her appearance. Just like Cinderella!
Video: Safi Malaysia – Jodoh Syafiderella
Etiqa’s spectacular advertisement earned applause for its highly emotional message. The TV spot, titled Panorama Abah Den, tells the story of a father, Abah, who travels home with his son Jamal via Kuala Lumpur to celebrate the festive season. He delays his son on the way because he wants to take pictures of the city. Jamal is ticketed for bad parking and is angry with his father. But the father had his own legitimate reasons for taking the photo in Kuala Lumpur... This ad by Etiqa tries to show the spirit of togetherness and highlight the need to always share the joys of life with family and those in need.
Video: Etiqa Raya 2023 – Panorama Abah Den
Global brands in malaysia
And how are global brands doing in Malaysia? After watching KFC’s commercial for the Malaysian market for K-Cheeses Crunch with spicy Korean sauce, a Czech viewer would undoubtedly get hungry.
Video: KFC Malaysia
Interestingly, McDonald’s in Malaysia is betting on the same thing. The advert is like the KFC one. Both companies obviously know very well what works for Malaysians:
Video: McDonald's Malaysia
Do you know that…
- One of the funniest Czech TV ads - a spot for Kofola from 2006 with the famous catchphrase “Hey, Naďa... Well, Tučková!” was not filmed at a Czech pond as the ad might have suggested but in Malaysia?
- The Menera TV Tower in Kuala Lumpur is the seventh tallest tower in the world at 421 metres, and McDonald’s has a restaurant there?
- Malaysian dancer and actress Michelle Yeoh Choo-Kheng, who won Miss Malaysia and is often seen in advertising campaigns, portrayed a bond girl in Tomorrow Never Dies?
Some statistics in conclusion:
- Ad spending in the traditional TV advertising market is expected to reach USD 208 million in 2023.
- Advertising spending is expected to exhibit a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.87% from 2023 to 2027, leading to a projected market size of USD 224 million in 2027.
- The average ad spend per TV viewer in the traditional TV advertising market is expected to be USD 8.12 in 2023.
- The traditional TV advertising market is expected to reach 26.9 million users by 2027.
Where do we go next?
On our round-the-world trip to see TV ads, we will visit the land of world-famous brands such as Ikea and Volvo, which are famous for their TV spots. Volvo in particular is a true fountain of originality when it comes to TV advertising, regardless of whether it is just betting on celebrities like Jean-Claude Van Damme performing a side split between two reversing trucks, or unprecedented stunts like four trucks on top of each other in a 2020 ad. We probably won’t run into Van Damme in Sweden now, but we will definitely see Volvo along the way. Buckle up. We will step on the gas soon!
