Often portrayed as stern authoritatives while mothers are the nurturing opposites, father figures tend to lean towards a stereotypical image, especially in Southeast Asian countries.
Shifting the focus this time, these five advertorial picks are without a doubt one of our favourites – shot and produced right here in Malaysia (#teamboleh!), prepare yourself for some unexpected tearjerkers and sniffles.
1. “Sek Fan” – BERNAS
A common saying amongst Chinese families before digging into a meal, “sek fan” translates literally into “eat rice” as a gesture of respect and good manners towards the elders.
This commercial cleverly integrates part of BERNAS’s identity in the paddy and rice industry while tackling one of the universal themes of a family – generation gap. From a nonchalant son that lepak into the wee hours of the morning and the enraged father that’s constantly in an angry scowl, BERNAS subtly highlights the little differences that place a strain onto every parent-child relationship.
We highly recommend you watch this in its 3 minutes entirety – before you know it, you might just be quietly sobbing at the ending.
2. “Vroom Vroom” – Petronas
How can we possibly create an article on tearjerking advertisements without including a video or two (in this case, three) from Petronas? The godfather of sappy moments and heartfelt messages, we’ve all grown up watching these touching features and Vroom Vroom is no exception.
Created as the Raya commercial for 2016, the heartwarming tale of a father and son relationship along with an inspiring message in times of adversity will surely bring a smile to your face. From a troubled father consoling his crying son to a grown-up man pushing his ageing father in a wheelchair 29 years later – Petronas reminds us once again to cherish the joy in the little moments.
3. “One More Day” – Petronas
Once again shifting the focus on daily trivialities in a family, Petronas boldly threw the audience a question right at the start – what would you do if you were given another day with a loved one that’s no longer here?
This commercial plays on a major throwback moment, with a regretful son recounting his past days with his father. From how he had treated him in slight moments of impatience, how easily annoyed he got with the out-of-pitch karaoke singing to the way he ignored his father’s phone calls – Petronas cleverly forces the viewer to reflect upon themselves and reminds us there’s only so much time before our loved ones would soon leave this world.
4. “A Spicy Chinese New Year” – AIA Malaysia
Challenging the notions of a traditional Chinese New Year, AIA Malaysia strayed away from the norm by injecting a refreshing dose of humour into this 2017 commercial. This light-hearted piece features around a father, Uncle Siew and his decision to cook up a reunion dinner feast for his family, albeit a lack of cooking skills.
Watch till the very end for the heartwarming scene!
5. “Elephant Man” – Petronas
Capping off our Father’s Day feature with a CNY-special, Elephant Man makes for another one of Petronas’s moving commercials. This piece tells the story of a certain Wong Ah Fatt (nicknamed Elephant), an intimidating and burly man rightfully fitting the stereotype of being hot-tempered. However, the video subtly highlights a different side of him being around his daughter – often caring for her general wellbeing and doing whatever it takes to put a smile on her face.
Once again, the best bits lie at the very end so don’t say we didn’t warn about the impending waterworks!
