Carlsberg hands the mic to East Malaysia in Harvest Festival film trilogy

Rather than opening with a familiar festive montage, Carlsberg’s latest Gawai and Kaamatan campaign begins with something more reflective: three films that ask audiences to listen, feel and recognise East Malaysia through its own voices.

Built as an extension of last year’s “Rhythm of Harvest” music video, the new trilogy, “This is who we are”, “The sounds of our land”, and “The dances of our land”, moves the narrative away from traditional festive symbolism and towards lived identity, cultural expression and contemporary storytelling.

Developed with Havas Malaysia and available for viewing on Carlsberg Malaysia's Instagram page, the films continue Carlsberg’s evolving Harvest Festival platform, but with a sharper intent to move beyond surface-level representation.

According to Donevan Chew, chief creative officer at Havas Malaysia, the starting point was a tension uncovered through research: while East Malaysians take deep pride in their heritage, many feel external portrayals often reduce them to stereotypes.

That insight shaped a guiding principle for the campaign, “By locals, for locals”, shifting storytelling authority directly to East Malaysian creatives.

“We started by identifying a key tension from the research,” Chew told A+M. “East Malaysians are deeply proud of their heritage, but often feel that external portrayals reduce them to stereotypes or traditional imagery.”

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From that came a storytelling approach where culture is not presented as performance, but as something lived daily and evolving through music, dance and creative practice.

“This is who we are”, the opening film, leans into this idea most directly. A voiceover reflects on how homeland and identity remain with people even when they leave, framing culture not as something visited during festivals, but something carried within everyday life.

The second film, “The sounds of our land”, features songwriter and musician Melina William, who previously contributed to “Rhythm of Harvest”. Her perspective explores how sound, especially traditional Bornean musical elements, can instantly transport people back to home.

The final film, “The dances of our land”, follows choreographer Arthur Darren as he reflects on blending traditional movement with contemporary expression, highlighting how cultural preservation is often shaped through adaptation rather than preservation alone.

Telling what packaging alone cannot

For Carlsberg, this shift towards film was a natural extension of its Harvest Festival platform, which has traditionally included special-edition cans, collaborations and on-ground celebrations. However, as a Carlsberg spokesperson noted, packaging alone was no longer enough to reflect how audiences engage with culture today.

“The film series allows us to do what packaging alone cannot,” the spokesperson said, in conversation with A+M. “It gives local voices a platform to share their perspectives, creative journeys and personal connections to culture in a more authentic and emotional way.”

That intent is also echoed in the work of director Sarah Lois Dorai, who brought a deeply personal lens to the films as an indigenous Sarawakian herself.

“I’ve always wanted indigenous peoples of Borneo to feel genuinely seen, celebrated and understood,” she told A+M exclusively. “And for those from outside our communities, to hear it from us directly.”

Sarah Lois' approach deliberately challenges simplified portrayals of East Malaysian identity. Instead, the films are layered with symbolic detail and what she describes as “easter eggs” that encourage viewers to look closer.

In “This is who we are”, for example, a woman wears a replica of the Kenyah-Badeng sunhat, a design once looted and later returned by the Pitt Rivers Museum in the UK. Its inclusion references ongoing cultural restoration efforts, including a Badeng weaving competition inspired by the hat.

Elsewhere, a scene featuring a man flanked by two women reflects Dusun Liwan traditional dress, subtly nodding to the importance of women’s leadership across Kadazan, Dusun, Murut and Rungus communities.

A rooster carried in another sequence references the Iban tradition of marking the start of Gawai Dayak, where a community leader walks through a longhouse to announce the beginning of celebrations.

Even casting choices carry meaning, including Sabahan youth appearing in contemporary clothing to reflect a generation reconnecting with heritage outside traditional settings, and a cameo by Kuching-based Dayak artist Timothy James, also known as T.Bagak, one of the creatives featured on special edition Carlsberg cans.

Sarah Lois said these layers were intentional, designed to extend the life of the films beyond a single viewing. “We wanted to send audiences on a heritage trail,” she explained. “To create curiosity, and encourage people to look deeper into the stories behind what they are seeing.”

Building a cultural ecosystem

That philosophy aligns with how Carlsberg and Havas approached the campaign structurally. Rather than treating it as a standalone festive activation, it was developed as a continuation of “Rhythm of Harvest”, building on earlier collaborations with local creatives.

“The films represent the next chapter of Carlsberg’s East Malaysia journey,” Chew said. “Moving from celebrating culture visually to helping local communities tell their own stories.”

Behind the production, Project Room played a key role in ensuring those stories remained rooted in lived experience. Executive producer Fabian Joseph described the process as one built on collaboration and representation.

“Rather than documenting from the outside, we wanted to create stories for East Malaysians, by East Malaysians,” he said. Around 80 percent of the crew were from Sabah and Sarawak, reinforcing the campaign’s commitment to both on-screen and behind-the-scenes authenticity.

For Carlsberg, this approach also reflects a broader shift in how it engages with East Malaysia. “Carlsberg is evolving its role from participant to platform,” a spokesperson shared. “Not just showing up during festive seasons, but enabling local voices to be seen, heard and celebrated more widely.”

As Gawai and Kaamatan continue to evolve alongside younger generations, the campaign positions itself less as a celebration of tradition and more as a reflection of its ongoing transformation, where heritage is not preserved in isolation but actively reinterpreted through sound, movement, and storytelling.

The campaign is also anchored by the CarlsCrib Harvest Pesta 2026 at Farley Kuching, featuring three days of music, culture, and celebration from 22 to 24 May. The brand has also unveiled a limited-edition backpack featuring traditional Bornean patterns on its iconic emerald green.

Carlsberg is further leaning into the social space this Harvest Festival, bringing in dancer Jesper (@jesperevns.esb) for a choreography-led video inspired by traditional movement, designed to be simple enough for members of the public to follow along.

When asked why the brand chose to take a cultural storytelling route in a category where traditional advertising is limited in Malaysia, Carlsberg shared that it saw an opportunity to redefine how it connects with people. “Rather than focusing on product-led visibility, Carlsberg chose to engage through culture, creating stories that feel real, human, and rooted in the communities we are part of,” said a spokesperson.

According to Carlsberg, Gawai and Kaamatan are deeply rooted in heritage, storytelling, music, dance, and community spirit. Instead of interrupting these moments, the brand chose to contribute meaningfully by creating a platform for East Malaysian voices.

“Ultimately, this approach allows Carlsberg to remain relevant not by what we say as a brand, but through the stories we help bring forward and the communities we enable to express themselves,” they added.

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