Fishermen Integrated and Directors Think Tank create 30th anniversary campaign for IKEA Malaysia celebrating the homes it helped shape

Three decades is a long time to fit into a single film, especially when the goal is not just to celebrate a brand, but to portray the role it has quietly played in Malaysian homes along the way.

For IKEA Malaysia’s 30th anniversary campaign, Fishermen Integrated Malaysia partnered with Directors Think Tank, bringing together directors Aiman Aliff and Ausz Din to create a piece that moves through different eras and milestones, reflecting changing times while keeping the furniture at the centre of the story.

For Aiman, the collaboration with Ausz offered an opportunity to approach the project from a different perspective.

“Co-directing forces you to question your own instincts a little more,” he shares. “There were moments where one of us would push for something while the other would challenge it. In the end, it wasn’t really about whose idea it was. It was about what worked best for the film.”

Rather than treating IKEA products as background elements, the directors built the visual language of the film around them. The furniture became a constant through changing decades, family dynamics and lifestyles, helping to anchor the story as time moved forward.

“My favourite part was figuring out how the furniture could become the hero,” added Aiman. “Not in an obvious way, but by designing everything around it. The environment, styling, blocking, performances and camera all had to work together so the products naturally felt important within the scene. I also really enjoyed finding the small nuances that define each era.”

That attention to detail extended beyond the furniture itself. One of the film’s biggest creative challenges was making the passage of time feel clear without becoming overly obvious.

Sometimes, it’s the smallest detail that does the heavy lifting.

The result is a film that reflects not only IKEA’s 30 years in Malaysia, but also the everyday moments that have unfolded around its furniture throughout that time. A gentle reminder that while homes may change, some pieces remain part of the story.

Credits
Client: IKEA Malaysia
Country Marketing Manager & PR: Amanda Low
Media Content Specialist: Doris Chin
Agency: Fishermen Integrated Malaysia
Executive Creative Director: Andrew Tan
Creative Director: Andrew Pererra
Senior Art Director: Abel Chai
Junior Art Director: William
Copywriter: Sophie Tan
BM Copywriter: Asyraf Arshad
Group Brand Director: Joyce Gan
Account Director: Dylan Cheong
Account Manager: Sandy Ong
Senior Account Executive: Emily Hiong
Production House: Directors Think Tank
Director: Aiman Alif
Executive Producer: Pete Singh
Producer: Yoga
DOP: Oscar TOng
ART Director: Shunie Loo
Equipment Support: Tankquip
Editor: Pan
Post House: Tank 3 Asia
Audio House: Pitch Audio