AIA Malaysia celebrates 70 years of history entirely on an escalator in a video by Leo Burnett

If you’re an insurance company, what would you do for your 70th anniversary?

Well, if you’re AIA Malaysia, you would commemorate it in a manner that’s as distinctive as your history.

The insurance institution teamed up with Leo Burnett KL to produce a 70th anniversary video that celebrates the company’s past while looking excitedly to the future. That might seem pretty standard for a corporate history video – until you learn that it takes place entirely on an escalator.

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“One of AIA Malaysia’s many milestones is the fact that its 1965 headquarters housed one of the first escalators in Malaysia,” noted Iska Hashim, Group Creative Director of Leo Burnett. “So, when the team learned that fact, inspiration struck.”

Copywriter Pia Dhaliwal and art director Lee Shyyi found the escalator fact a perfect encapsulation of AIA Malaysia’s image. “AIA’s message is all about looking ahead, innovating, bringing Malaysians to the next level,” explains Dhaliwal. “We thought it was a visual that could form a really solid basis for a film.”

What resulted was a corporate video unlike any other, gamely brought to life by director Laura Low and her team at Restless Productions. While clearly depicting the broad themes and big picture of AIA Malaysia, Low’s detailed touch can be seen in the multitude of props and other unexpected elements in the film: from a cat to a cardboard car to a cool marching band.

“The film might be about our history, but thanks to Laura and the Leo Burnett team, it narrates our legacy in a fresh and exhilarating way,” observes Eric Chang, Chief Marketing Officer of AIA Malaysia. “As a company, we recognise the importance of balance. We may have been around for 70 years, but we’re going to be around for a lot more. And we’re always going to be focused on helping Malaysians live healthier, longer and better lives.”

Credits –

Audio: Sonicsoul Productions