The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2025
Ayam Brand's can-beat anthem flipped every canned-food ad cliché
A 130-year-old canned fish brand stopped being remembered and started being wanted by making its brand anthem's beats from actual Ayam Brand cans.
Ayam Brand
The solution
Ayam Brand had sat on Malaysian shelves for over 130 years; everyone knew it, but being remembered isn't being desired, and the predictable, safe canned-food category gave Gen Z no reason to choose it.
Naga DDB's 'Makan Lain Macam' anthem flipped every cliché — no kitchens, no can openings, no chairs, just joyful chaos — with a beat made from Ayam Brand cans, blended 3D and AI worlds, and comedian Luqman Podolski fronting it. A limited promotion gave a free 155g can of fried chilli mackerel with every two 425g cans of sardines or mackerel.
The campaign won a Gold Kancil for Brand Integration into Music Content — one of only five Golds at the 2025 awards — and Naga DDB Tribal was named Agency of the Year on the strength of the work.
Why it worked
- Breaking every category rule at once made the brand the boldest thing in a category where safety was the norm.
- Making the music from the cans themselves tied the product physically into the entertainment.
- Pairing the anthem with an easy trial offer turned attention into pantry action.
What can be applied
A heritage brand in a high-parity category doesn't need a bigger claim — it needs to reject every category convention at once, and make the product itself part of the fun.
Aftermath
The Gold Kancil — one of only five across the entire 2025 show — and Naga DDB Tribal's Agency of the Year capped the campaign; Ayam Brand repositioned itself as a canvas for creativity and expression for Gen Z rather than a nostalgic shelf staple.
Sources
- Makan Lain Macam — Gold, Brand Integration into Music Content
- Naga DDB Tribal named Agency of the Year at the 2025 Kancil Awards
- Makan lain macam: Ayam Brand reinvents the sardine story for a new generation
- Naga DDB Tribal Takes Out Agency Of The Year And Directors Think Tank Named Production House Of The Year At Kancil Awards 2025
spotted an error? The archive wants to know.