Delivering messages of patriotism and local culture to younger generations is no longer confined to weighty narratives or lengthy documentaries.
Instead, local creative industry players are turning to micro-content comprising one-minute-long videos to highlight Malaysian core values. This bite-sized storytelling format is well-suited to today’s social media trends, particularly Reels and TikTok videos.
This creative approach has been adopted by the creators of local animated series ‘Kisah Bawah Tanah’, who have released four one-minute episodes themed ‘Rasa Kita, Cerita Kita’ (‘Our Feelings, Our Stories’) in conjunction with National Month, in collaboration with coffee brand Luckin Coffee. The episodes, featuring the ghostly characters from ‘Kisah Bawah Tanah’, are aired on social media.
(‘Kisah Bawah Tanah’, which premiered on Astro and Sooka earlier this year, is an animated horror-comedy series aimed at audiences aged 16 and above, featuring characters such as pontianak, pocong and hantu raya.
(Interestingly, this series does not feature horror scenes. Instead, the characters inject humour into the harsh realities of “adulating”, such as financial woes, difficulties finding a job and the burden of paying bills.)
As for the new mini-series, although each episode is only about a minute long, patriotic elements are subtly woven into the micro-content through stories highlighting core Malaysian values such as the spirit of friendship among the various characters who help each other overcome challenges, as well as resilience and harmony.
The national identity theme is further reinforced when iconic characters such as Sam, Zack, Ina, Tok Mart and Pocing join forces to resolve their everyday problems, reflecting the spirit of togetherness and shared identity among Malaysians.
Co-creator Hendra Wardi said the one-minute format presented storytelling challenges, but proved effective in delivering messages about independence and local culture in a straight-to-the-point manner through local humour.
“Although each episode is only about a minute long, these four new stories were specially created for viewers. They provide a quick platform for delivering local stories in a light-hearted and easily digestible way,” he told Bernama recently.
According to Hendra, the creative freedom given by their collaboration partner to develop the scripts for the mini episodes enabled his team to convey patriotic values and local culture authentically, without making them feel forced or overly rigid.
Meanwhile, the launch of the micro-content on social media comes at an opportune time for its creators to sustain audience interest following the conclusion of the first season of ‘Kisah Bawah Tanah’ on television recently.
“Our first season has just ended and people have already started asking when the second season will be released. So, through these four mini episodes, viewers, while enjoying their daily coffee, can get a glimpse of what lies ahead for the characters,” he said.
On its potential, Hendra said the positive response to the micro-content has encouraged his team to take the local animation into the Southeast Asian market by the middle of next year.
In conjunction with the National Month campaign, Luckin Coffee has also introduced a seasonal menu inspired by local flavours, such as its Gula Melaka Series, alongside limited-edition merchandise from its collaboration with the animation series, including plushie tote bags, umbrellas and stickers. – BERNAMA
