Tan Hong Ming's love

Check out this youtube video, really worth watching. It's simple but strong in bringing forward a message...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8cGKY9U46Q

Newspaper resource:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/6/nation/21159830&sec=nation

The TV commercial entitled Tan Hong Ming, conceptualised and directed by renowned Malaysian advertising creative director and filmmaker Yasmin Ahmad, has won three awards (two gold and one bronze) at the 2008 International ANDY awards in New York.

The commercial is a cute little vignette about a little Chinese boy, Hong Ming, who has a crush on his Malay schoolmate, Umi Qazrina.

Yasmin recalled that the commercial was not at all difficult to shoot. “A month before the shoot, we contacted the schools in the Klang Valley to set aside students aged between seven to nine whose best friends are from another ethnic group. Out of 46 students, eight stood out – Hong Ming was one of them.”

She had a 15-minute reel of Hong Ming telling her of his crush on his best friend, Umi, which was filmed at Hong Ming’s school in Taman Tun Dr Ismail.
“It was edited down to a 90-second commercial, and is available for viewing at Yasmin’s blog yasminthestoryteller.blogspot.com

“People see advertisements as a nuisance, but with Petronas’ Merdeka ads they have become something to look forward to,” she said.

Yasmin admitted that this particular ad has cut through all kinds of barriers, because the two are so real.

“I had lunch with Hong Ming recently and he said his schoolmates still tease him about the ad.”
And yes, Hong Ming and Umi are still best friends.

Still, the kids know it better ... no boundaries between human relationships. Note that genuine expression on the little boy's face ... priceless... =)