Bride from the Past

Agency

NAGA DDB SDN BHD

Client

Astro Malaysia

Product/Service

Astro Originals

Brief

With global content dominating screens, young Chinese audiences were ghosting local productions. So to launch Bride from the Past - an Astro Original series about a ghost bride’s restless spirit - we needed a way to reconnect with them in a way that was both culturally relevant and unmissable.

Solution

We turned cultural fears into cultural fuel by bringing Bride from the Past’s ghost bride to life, launching the show right in the middle of Hungry Ghost Month, when audiences were most sensitive to the supernatural.

We let the ghost bride roam Malaysia’s busiest hotspots, from Bukit Bintang to Pasar Seni and the Kajang MRT line, just as the gates of hell were said to open. Posters styled as traditional Chinese talismans deepened the illusion, while a real Taoist priest blessed them for added authenticity.

The haunting went viral on Xiaohongshu, sparking nationwide buzz and making Bride from the Past Astro’s No.1 Chinese campaign of 2025 with 2.1M reach on social media, exceeding expected audience ratings by 41.7%.

Credit

CREATIVE AGENCY: NAGA DDB
Chief Creative Officer: Alvin Teoh
Senior Creative Director: Loo Swee Mei
Head of Copy (Chinese Division): Raphael Ang
Senior Chinese Copywriter: Yvonne Tan
Copywriter: Christian Kitt Mun, Anis Suraya
Senior Art Director: You Chen Kiat
Art Director: Lee Guat Leng, Daniel Yassin
Project Manager: Lilian Lee
Producer: Joella Choong, Anand Vengdesh
Editor: Iskandar Tajuden
Associate Strategic Director: Kelvin Lye Kong Kin
Strategic Analysts: Daniel Lim Han Jie
Business Unit Head: Gavin Teoh
Senior Brand Manager: Tyler Chin Wei Sheng
Brand Executive: Liew Bak Fai

EVENT ORGANISER: ARTCAGE RENT SDN BHD
Event Director: Kino T
Event Specialist: Jason Lee

MEDIA: MINDSHARE
Senior Business Director: Wong SookFun
Business Director: Ang Ching Wen

CLIENT: ASTRO MALAYSIA
Head of Group Marketing, Astro: Benjamin Woo
Head of Marketing (PAY TV & NJOI, Chinese Content), Astro: Vinz Low
AVP, Product Marketing and GTM, Astro: Teo Yi Ling
Product Marketing Associate, Astro: Lai Jia Cheng
Associate, Content & Product Marketing (Chinese Content) • PAY TV & NJOI: Gan Jia Poh
AVP, Content - Creation & Curation • Content-Chinese Production Unit: Lim Tze Tiong (Jimmy)