Petronas CNY 2011 Ad - Let us not forget to spend time with our loved ones

The Chinese New Year of the Rabbit has dawned upon us for six days already. Many of the people I know, Chinese and all other races, would have enjoyed the festive camaraderie that usually comes with the holidays with their family and friends. We often get caught up with our own plans and agendas that we tend to overlook the importance of spending time with our loved ones, especially our parents.

As usual, Petronas the national oil and gas company of Malaysia has commissioned Leo Burnett Malaysia, an advertising agency to come up with a memorable festive advertisement for this Chinese New Year. Although, the ultimate creative force of Leo Burnett is no longer around, i.e. the late Yasmin Ahmad, however, the creative team there has outdone themselves by creating an advertisement to remind many of us that we should not forget to spend time with our loved ones, especially our aging parents.

I have always like festive advertisements done by Leo Bunett for Petronas. That was how I got to know the late Yasmin Ahmad and her works. Truthfully, I have not seen any of Yasmin Ahmad's movies but I'm absolutely smitten by the advertisements she and her creative team at Leo Burnett have created for Petronas over the years. That is why I often look forward to the major festivals we observe here - Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Deepavali and Christmas, also Malaysia's Independence Day, although the latter is not a major festival.

This year was no different for me looking forward to the Petronas festive advertisements although Yasmin Ahmad is no longer around. I guess her legacy still lived on as her husband; Abdullah Tan Yew Leong is also attached to Leo Burnett. I'm sure he is working very hard to keep Yasmin's creative legacy alive there as well as in the hearts of many of us ordinary Malaysians, regardless of the fact if we personally knew the late Yasmin Ahmad.

I think Yasmin Ahmad would have been very proud of this noble effort of imparting the message of unity and harmony to Malaysians through festive advertisements like how Petronas has commissioned Leo Burnett to do every year. And I really salute Yasmin Ahmad to be the true Malaysian she had always been.