Lazada rolls back prices to 1957 for Merdeka payday sale

This Merdeka season, Lazada Malaysia took shoppers on a nostalgic trip back to 1957 with its campaign, “Shop like it’s 1957,” which ran during its August Payday Sale.

Held from 24 to 27 August, the campaign rewound prices to the year of Malaysia’s independence, offering deals that started from as low as RM0.90 and RM0.99 across 23 brands. New flash deals dropped daily at midnight, evoking the excitement of a morning market run while blending it with the convenience of digital shopping.

The platform rolled out deep discounts on everything from tech gadgets to home appliances. Highlights included the Tineco iFloor Y2 Cordless Floor Washer (RM2,599 reduced to RM0.99), the Laifen SE 2 High-Speed Hair Dryer (RM999 reduced to RM0.99), and the Joyoung High-Speed Hot & Cold Blender (RM699 reduced to RM0.99), along with dozens of other essentials refreshed over the four-day sale.

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To bring the campaign visuals to life, Lazada collaborated with Malaysian visual artist The Good Boisss (Sai Keat), whose bold, street-inspired style reimagined the look and feel of vintage advertising for a modern audience.

“The Good Boisss is a street art brand born from a rebellious spirit and an unapologetic attitude,” said Sai Keat. “For this campaign, I was inspired by the warmth of the old kedai runcit (general store). The tin biscuit tins, the handwritten price tags, even the snacks hanging behind the counter. Then, I gave it a fresh, playful twist.”

Although the artwork was digitally created, the creative direction was grounded in traditional design principles. “I studied old newspaper product catalogues and drew from the style of Malaysia’s legendary comic artist, Lat,” he explained. “Even the textures and layouts were carefully considered to keep that nostalgic vibe while still feeling relevant today.”

For Sai Keat, one of the most exciting aspects of the project was seeing his art come to life on billboards and digital out-of-home screens across Klang Valley, Selangor, and Penang. “This was the first time my art was adapted to such a large canvas. It felt surreal to see retro-inspired designs lighting up the modern city skyline,” he added.

By combining nostalgic creative elements with bold promotions, Lazada’s “Shop like it’s 1957” campaign connected with Malaysians of all ages, offering a creative celebration of the nation’s journey while bringing back the thrill of discovering great bargains.

Earlier this August, Lazada Singapore served up a cheeky slice of nostalgia for SG60, blending creative storytelling with jaw-dropping flash deals that harken back to Singapore’s early days when kopi cost cents and hand-painted ads ruled the streets.

At the heart of its National Day campaign is a retro-inspired creative direction that pays tribute to vintage advertising, reimagined for the digital age. Spearheaded by local artist Tiffany Lovage, known for her heritage-style illustrations, the campaign visual mimics the warmth and whimsy of old-school poster art, complete with throwback typography, charming hand-drawn motifs, and a colour palette straight out of a 1960s kopi shop.

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