OREANDA-NEWS. November 21, 2012. Over the years, PETRONAS’ TV commercials have arguably become one of the most anticipated elements of any festival celebration in multiethnic Malaysia. No matter what festival, the commercials have never failed to spark conversations. Some of them still hold a special place in the hearts of Malaysians, like ‘The Plastic Bowl’ (Hari Raya 2006), ‘Boyz in the Hood’ (Deepavali 2003) and many more, reported the press-centre of PETRONAS.
 
Themed “Be the Light – A Celebration of Culture and Tradition”, PETRONAS' 2012 Deepavali Campaign was conceptualised to reach out to a greater number of Malaysians from all walks of life, carrying the core messages of positive attributes and values associated with the spirit and celebration of Deepavali.

As in previous campaigns, our intention is to help inculcate and promote the common values, tradition and culture that we share in multiethnic Malaysia – via a multi-prong, multi-media approach in keeping with the current communication trend and digital landscape.

The entire “Be the Light” Campaign – which runs from 5-25 November -- comprises the following:

1. An exhibition in GALERI PETRONAS entitled “Be the Light – A Celebration of Culture and Tradition”, inspired by centuries-old Indian heritage and showcasing a snapshot of the culture and tradition observed as Deepavali is celebrated. This exhibition is the key driver in our Deepavali Campaign.

2. A series of television commercials/greetings featuring talents and personalities who have starred in our past festive ads to complement the exhibition.

3. A video clip “Do the Dappan”, embedded with positive messages, produced for broadcast on PETRONAS’ YouTube domain – to complement the exhibition on the World Wide Web.

4. A series of Deepavali greetings/print ads in local newspapers.

PETRONAS would like to thank various parties whom we worked with, particularly the Religious Division of Malaysia Hindu Sangam, whose advice and counsel were invaluable in ensuring that our exhibition and messages are consistent with and reflect the spirit of the festival.
           
The celebration of Deepavali, with its vibrant colours and exuberant atmosphere, always offers a message of hope – each new beginning is an opportunity for renewal and growth. The celebration of the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil is also about the positive energy inherent in all of us that could be tapped and spread for the good of society.

Our Campaign – which hopefully will be viewed in its entirety by the public – is inspired by and revolves around this positive energy, epitomised via the passion, drive and resolve of Malaysia’s Indian community which are indeed attributes that are universally relevant to all of us. These positive attributes are something that we should all promote, inculcate and emulate.

Nevertheless, after considering the feedback received from many viewers on the “Do the Dappan” video clip, produced as part of our “Be the Light” 2012 Deepavali campaign, PETRONAS has decided to discontinue the video from our official YouTube page.

Our Campaign’s key driver, which is the “Be the Light – A Celebration of Culture and Tradition” exhibition at GALERI PETRONAS, and the complementary series of TV and print greetings will however continue as originally planned.

In all of our festive campaigns, it has always been PETRONAS’ intention to help promote and inculcate common underlying values from diverse heritage, tradition and cultures that bring all Malaysians together in our multiethnic society.