Petronas - Rubber Boy / Chinese new year (2016) 4:45 (Malaysia)

Grab a kleenex, it's time for a Chinese New Year ad, which much like Christmas ads in the UK can get pretty emotional. This ad tells the story of Ah Hock and his mother, who works on a rubber plantation to support the family. Riding to school on an old motorcycle, Ah Hock sees a girl in a car and turns his head. Ah Hock is upset that he's poor, and he gets into fights at school, then blames his mother for it. She asks him to come work with him the next day and he does so. The day toiling away at the rubber plantation changes everything, Ah Hock now understands, and appreciates his mother’s sacrifice and resilience. There's a nice touch in the callback to the young girl at the start, she's riding a car with her parents arguing in front of her. Ah Hock looks to his mother, and now knows his blessings were right there all along.

Petronas (Oil & Gas)
ad agency: Leo Burnett