7 Creative Raya Ads Guaranteed to Make You Either Laugh or Cry

The holy month of Ramadhan seems to be flying by and Hari Raya Aidilfitri will soon be upon us.

As usual, many companies have come up with noteworthy ads to both entertain us and serve us reminders of lessons in life such as the importance of family, forgiveness, and acceptance.

We’ve rounded up seven heartwarming and hilarious ads we think you should watch:

1. Apple - Relax, it’s iPhone

Apple never misses with their ads, and it has recently launched a local version of ‘Relax, it’s iPhone’.

The short but relatable clip is meant to be a clever tongue-in-cheek way to raise awareness about privacy and emphasises how Face ID can potentially keep your messages safe from the prying eyes of nosy relatives.

2. Julies Biscuits - A Raya A.I.Dilfitri

Julies has outdone themselves with their ‘A Raya A.I.Dilfitri’ video. Yup, that’s right, the beloved biscuit brand actually used artificial intelligence (AI) to create this cool ad that raises questions about gender stereotypes.

It shows how a team enlisted AI to create a Raya film but ended up generating more than they bargained for. Spot the details put into the ad, such as the shades of the baju kurung, which are chosen to represent Julie’s signature brand colours!

3. MR. DIY - Sama-Sama Melangkah

This clip, which has already generated 5 million views at the time of writing, is a tear-jerker that features stellar acting from the cast. What happened between Rahmat and his mum? Are we so busy that we neglect our loved ones sometimes?

This reminds you to look after your parents because not everyone has theirs around anymore *sobs*.

4. Saji - Minyak Maaf

Although adverts on the importance of seeking forgiveness are often sad and mellow, Saji’s advert is more likely to bring a smile to your face instead of tears to your eyes.

Titled 'Minyak maaf', a play on the phrase mintak maaf (seek forgiveness), the seven-minute short film follows a villager named Abdul who loves to make fun of and anger his fellow residents.

5. RHB - Lembaran Baharu

RHB Bank’s Raya film, ‘Lembaran Baharu’ (forgiveness), has recently gone viral on social media and received massive praise from Malaysians.

The advert is a true story with a dramatic reenactment of the most unforgettable case of Malaysian lawyer Ahmad Zaharil Muhaiyar’s long and illustrious career. The tear-jerking video centres around the topic of forgiveness and sends a message for us to be more sympathetic and understanding of one another.

6. Watsons - Dimensi Raya Paling Unik

Much like the multiverse that exists in Marvel’s movies and TV shows, Watsons has its very own multiverse, as shown in its ‘Dimensi Raya Paling Unik’ advert released recently.

The creative short film features Ayda and her family as she travels with a cat named Unik across dimensions into different realities in search of the 'perfect family'.

7. CelcomDigi- Bukalah Hati series

For this year’s Raya advert, CelcomDigi has opted for three short adverts instead of one film as part of its ‘Bukalah Hati’ series. The short films aim to represent our multicultural society and explore the themes of sincerity, acceptance, and openness.

Have you watched any of these adverts before? How did it make you feel? Are there any other notable adverts that we missed?