The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2025
Nando's Malaysia re-sung a 90s karaoke anthem as a love song for PERi-PERi chicken
Chariot rewrote Malaysia's karaoke anthem Belaian Jiwa as a love ballad for PERi-PERi chicken, rekindling passion for the craft — and winning two Kancils.
Nando's Malaysia · Chariot Agency
The solution
Malaysia is a nation of foodies with one of the world's highest per-capita chicken consumption rates, yet Nando's fans were falling out of love with its chicken. The brand had never told them what makes PERi-PERi special: 24-hour marination, open-flame grilling and the people — Nandocas — who do it with care.
The standard fix would have been a craft story: a film showing the marinades, the flames and the process. Instead, Chariot Agency borrowed the most passionate expression Malaysians already share — the 90s karaoke love ballad 'Belaian Jiwa' by Innuendo, the unofficial anthem of love, soul and passion — and rewrote its lyrics as a love song for flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken.
In 'InnuNando's', a smooth-talking Nandoca croons about marinades and open flames inside a real outlet, blending nostalgia, drama and self-aware humour. Nando's also hid real and fake promo codes throughout the video: viewers redeem them on the Gold Standard Chicken website, where redemption attempts are tracked, turning the film into a data-driven engagement game, with in-store QR codes extending the play.
The bet was that Malaysians would sing along — and the juries agreed. At the Kancil Awards 2025 the campaign won Silver in Use of Licensed and Adapted Music and Bronze for Best Music Video, cementing 'InnuNando's' as the launch of Nando's Malaysia's 'That's a Nando's Thing' platform.
Why it worked
- Belaian Jiwa is practically a national anthem, so the parody carried instant recognition and emotion.
- The joke was on-brand: Nando's unapologetic tone made the over-the-top ballad feel genuine, not forced.
- Hidden real and fake codes gave viewers a reason to rewatch and hunt, with redemptions tracked as data.
- A Nandoca as the singer put the craft and the people, not a celebrity, at the centre of the love story.
What can be applied
Borrow the culture's own love language: parodying a beloved anthem transfers its emotion to the brand, while hidden redeemable codes turn attention into measurable engagement.
Aftermath
The video went live on Nando's Malaysia's social channels in May 2025 as the launch of the 'That's a Nando's Thing' brand platform, and fans hunted the hidden codes on the Gold Standard Chicken website for free meals while in-store diners scanned QR codes to rate their PERi-PERi chicken. At the Kancil Awards 2025 the campaign won Silver in Use of Licensed and Adapted Music and Bronze for Best Music Video, with production house Directors Think Tank named Production House of the Year at the same ceremony.
Sources
- InnuNando's — Silver, Use of Licensed and Adapted Music
- InnuNando's | Gold Standard Chicken — Bronze, Best Music Video
- Chariot Agency creates new Nando's Malaysia anthem with a little help from the 90s
- Nando's MY turns 'Belaian Jiwa' into spicy love song for chicken
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