Netflix sold its film slate with a 'no Reza' joke and won Advertiser of the Year

Indonesian cinema had a running national joke: every local film seems to star Reza Rahadian, so much that 'Indonesian film' and 'Reza Rahadian' felt like the same thing. Netflix Indonesia decided the joke was the campaign, not the problem.

In May 2025 the platform promoted its upcoming local slate with a playlist named 'Gak ada Reza Rahadian-nya' — the one without Reza — and an ad in which Reza himself leaned into the joke, satirising the fact that Indonesian films always cast him. His willingness to mock himself surprised audiences used to celebrity defensiveness.

The joke did real product work: it named the films themselves — Sebelum 7 Hari, Pengantin Iblis, Perayaan Mati Rasa, Pulung Gantung and more — made the slate the punchline, and turned a perceived weakness into proof that the lineup was bigger than one actor.

The campaign went viral on social media, with netizens laughing, praising and lightly roasting it in equal measure. At Citra Pariwara 38 in December 2025, Netflix was named Advertiser of the Year for 'Reza-less', beating beauty brand Wardah on points, while the agency behind the viral spot, Good People Network, finished runner-up Creative Agency of the Year largely on that single piece of work.