McDonald’s Malaysia CNY Brand Film - The Wish
10. Craft Kancils [10.1a Film Direction: Single]
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Links:
Product/Service:
F&B
Client:
Gerbang Alaf Restaurants Sdn. Bhd
Brief:
To many Chinese Malaysians, the return of the Prosperity Burger marks reunion, laughter, and heartfelt wishes. But for a group known as “bananas” — Chinese New Year brings quiet anxiety.
The 祝福 (wishing) tradition, once a sincere exchange between generations, now feels like a test for those who can’t speak the language. For them, wishing well became performative, not personal.
We saw an opportunity to remind Malaysians that the most beautiful wishes aren’t the most fluent — they’re the ones spoken from the heart.
Solution:
Through The Wish, we crafted a film that celebrated genuine sincere wishes. Told through Jane, a “banana” granddaughter struggling to express her New Year’s wish, the story used humour, honesty, and emotional truth to connect across generations.
Every line was intentionally written in the mixed, awkward rhythm of real Malaysian “banana” speech — blending English and Mandarin, slipping between sincerity and self-consciousness. We highlighted linguistic blunders like “青葱美丽” (spring onions are pretty) and “苍翼百岁” (may the flies live long) to show that even broken wishes can hold whole hearts.
In doing so, we reframed a cultural insecurity into something proudly Malaysian — a love letter to imperfect language and the families who understand it anyway.
