The Middle Child

1. Film & Branded Content Kancils [1.2a Film (Online): Single]

Links:

Product/Service:

Food and Beverage

Client:

Gerbang Alaf Restaurants Sdn Bhd

Brief:

For nearly thirty years, Prosperity Burger has been a highly anticipated product by Malaysians of all races, with higher affinity for Chinese for signalling the arrival of Chinese New Year. However, the Brand suffered a significant downturn in October. Most of our core Muslim Malay audience joined the global boycott stemming from the Gaza conflict, dealing a tremendous blow to McDonald's Malaysia and causing a steep -41% dive in sales and an alarming 20% in Malay consumer presence. Fortunately, guest counts and footfall from the Chinese contributed between 4-5 million MYR in sales and helped drive visits. Thus, it was imperative for the brand to connect even more strongly with our Chinese customers. We needed to truly represent and make them feel seen and heard - by finding a consumer truth that tells their untold story.

Solution:

The Middle Child Syndrome is traditionally pervasive in Chinese families, where the eldest or youngest siblings are perceived to be favored. The feeling of 'being stuck in the middle' is frowned upon, but the yearning for recognition is real. 'The Middle Child' is a heartwarming two-part film that tells the story of Jade, a middle child yearning for validation among her traditional family. Despite feeling unseen and overshadowed, Jade perseveres to earn her mother's recognition and inherit the jade bracelet - a prized heirloom in Chinese culture. When an accident shatters Jade's resolve, her mother comforts her with the reassurance that she is seen, heard, and valued. 'The Middle Child' helped sales recover by 6% and helped foster strong recovery among Malays by garnering +1.7% product affinity & +2.4% brand preference. Among the Chinese, +1.7% TOM was cultivated and +4.4% on ad recall, moving the needle from 62% to 64% on 'Favourite QSR Brand.'

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