With Raya closing in tomorrow and the days of fasting are winding down, it’s just about time that the tear-jerking Raya ads are out, most borne out of sadness, some borne out of laughter. Of course, there has never been any itemised stats of any kind when it comes to Raya videos, but we think the unofficial reign of TNB’s ad domination may have come to a close as the mantle changes hands to someone else. Who? we’ll let you decide after the whole lot of videos down below. 2019 presents a mixed bag of many, from the typical range of funny and sad, but now includes the downright weird. Have a look below and see what tickles your fancy.
Petronas
A perennial favourite amongst the ads, Petronas presents something a little more smaller scale an intimate this time round, focusing on the legacy of the family recipe, bringing back smells and taste only brought back by the hands of the next generation. An honest reminder that the peg stops with you to carry on any familial legacies, be it with food or anything else.
PLUS
A semi-humourous tale of a young man who seeks help from a truck driver as he misses his bus looking for the truck driver’s phone. As the young man rummages around the cab exploring and trying to kill his boredom, he comes across several memorabilia of the truck driver’s family, piquing his curiosity as to whether the truck driver has a family or not. Initially hostile, the truck driver is reminded of family once he drops his passenger off at an orphanage, only realising that the young man returns to his home, while he has been on the road, avoiding grieving pains at his own. The truck driver then calls his daughter, and asks whether can they prepare for sahur together. A real tear-jerker, and a reminder to be grateful for what you have now.
Watsons
Watsons is putting its crosshairs direct to the Gen Ys and Zs who have supposedly lost the magic of Raya, when in reality, it is up to the person to make the Raya spirit into what is has always been. The video follows a woman on her way back to the kampung, and her subsequent journey seen through the bright glasses of optimism. Wholesome, and fun throughout.
Tenaga Nasional Berhad
After much success last year with beautiful cinematography, plot, and acting, TNB seeks to repeat the magic it had, but this time focusing towards the art of convoying with your relatives. Follow along the journey of Nabila and her family as they attempt to beraya at 10 different houses in one day, encountering various different challenges that make for a light-hearted, joyous raya.
Kuih Bangkit
Possibly the darkest Raya ad we’ve ever had, full stop. The video begins with one reluctant son not wanting to return home to Kampung up until the night that his mother passed away. He and his siblings are reunited, but the sheer guilt for waiting till its too late caused him to try to take his own life, and adds on with other horrors from there on out. We won’t spoil it too much, but it’s definitely a looker, and a unique one at that.
Jinnyboy
Jinnyboy’s effort may just take top honours for tugging the most heartstrings this Raya, following the story of one we have at least encountered once in our life, getting a Raya packet with only 1 Ringgit inside. The protagonist recalls his time when his grandfather also used to give only a ringgit, but that gesture far extends beyond monetary value and transcends into a bond that no amount of money cannot buy. A symbolic gesture, that it is often the small things that matter the most.
Astro
Admittedly, your family members won’t be anything like what you will see in this ad, but for sheer comedic flair that brings together differences over at one table, Astro has got it pretty nailed down.
Grab
One of the more unorthodox entries, Grab revisits past raya ads from the yesteryears and puts its own twist on solving the problems faced in said ads, which is including all of Grab’s services into each one to hasten the process of something or help make life easier. May be a bit confusing at first, but it all makes sense once it comes together at the end.
Malaysia Airlines
One of the earlier contenders, and one that gets its theme, message, and delivery spot on. MAS puts the viewers into the perspective of a stewardess, of whom has witnessed multiple journeys, and reunions over the course of her travels. Though things change with each of the passengers, from hair colour, to bringing a new partner, or simply returning home after being gone for so long, family still remains family, and they get treated all the same, with plenty of love and care, and she’s happy to assist them on their return home to Malaysia.
Maxis
Get ready the tissue papers, as Maxis is coming in with a different take to a typical ad. The story follows along with what the audience would think is just a disobedient son, who does as he pleases and follows his own head, when it is later revealed that all of those reactions are because of his hearing disability, and through Maxis’s initiative to assist the deaf in hearing, has transcribed the Hari Raya khutbah into vibrations so the son can follow and speak as it goes along. All the more touching, and allowing us to remember to be grateful for the gifts bestowed upon us.
