RHB is challenging festive clichés in a new spot that spotlights the ways women help others reclaim their independence.
Conceptualised by The Shout Group, the short film follows a young woman running a sewing shop as she and her team rush to complete a Chinese New Year order. The work trades symbols of abundance for a slower meditation on craft and camraderie.
A pivotal scene shows her three female staff gifting her a handmade cheongsam, with a letter thanking her for teaching them to speak up for themselves. The women reveal they created a lotus-inspired design as a tribute to her kindness. In the film, the lotus recurs as a symbol of resilience, blooming in difficult waters yet remaining untouched by what tries to drag it down.
"On a deeper level, it’s essentially a human story that is relevant to anyone and everyone. It’s about how our dignity is something no circumstance can ever change and how sometimes, all it needs is the right opportunity to bloom into something greater," said Wang le Tjer, executive creative director, The Shout Group.
The film is based on the true-to-life story of Yap Sue Yii, co-founder and CEO of the Malaysian social enterprise Komuniti Tukang Jahit.
These women shown in the film belong to B40 households in Malaysia, which refer to the bottom 40% income bracket (under 5,249 ringgit or US$1,320). They often grapple with rising living expenses, economic pressure, and mounting mental health concerns. The social enterprise enterprise, which began as a modest tailoring initiative, has grown into a movement that has empowered more than 800 women across the country with skills training and fair income opportunities.
"Through honest work and compassion, they are empowering B40 women to reclaim their independence, restore their confidence and build better futures for themselves and their families. Their story reminds us that real progress happens when we uplift others, not by changing who they are, but by helping them rise with dignity," said Abdul Sani, group chief marketing officer of RHB.
Campaign’s take: The strength of ‘Dignity’ lies in its intimate narrative. Instead of choreographed prosperity or transactional storytelling, the film leans into emotional resonance with the everyday Malaysian. RHB has long created CNY films that sidestep tropes and instead root its messaging in real social initiatives. No exaggerated reunion melodrama, no money-shot cheques. Instead, the film builds a single, coherent metaphor and a grounded narrative that resists being just another tearjerker.
CREDITS
RHB Bank
Group Chief Marketing Officer: Abdul Sani Abdul Murad
Head, Group Brand Comms: Tunku Hazli Tunku Tolha
Manager, Group Brand Comms: Anwar Amin
The Shout Group
Co-owners: Shaun Tay & Ong Shi Ping
Managing Director: Syahriza Badron
Executive Creative Director: Wang Ie Tjer
Creative Director: James Voon
Senior Brand Director: Timothy Teh
Copywriters: Katrina Azman, Felice Puah & Zaffirah Zakuan
Senior Producer: Yap Wai Leng
Production House: D Moving Pictures
Director: Dick Chua
Producer: Jocny Lai
Director Of Photography: Jordan Chiam
Music, Sound Design & Composer: GT Records
Executive Producer: Ram Nabil Chia
Sound Engineers: Shaktyvel Neelamekan
Post House: Film Troop Post
Producer: Kai Sheng
Offline Editor: GK Koon
Online Artist: Kar Yaen, Ler Lian Jing, Tan Shu Qing , Low Yu Qin
Colorist: Kah Sheng
