KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- Companies pay upwards of RM 150,000 for a 1-minute commercial. This could cover creative costs that include – concept, script, team; production; talent; along with the costs of location and staging; editing; rendering; audio; narrator; equipment; and those are just some
of the basics before the cost for buying airtime.

So, can a quality video be produced on a budget of under RM 3,000?

A group of 10 students from Xiamen University Malaysia did just that with a 3-minute video called ‘Silent Love’ that tells the poignant story of how Asian parents often express love through actions and not words, while exploring our obsession with attaining new possessions. 

The project started out as a collaboration between CompAsia and Xiamen University’s advertising students to create a campaign that invites consumers to consider preloved devices over new ones. What resulted from the project is a visually spectacular and heartwarming film that entirely shifted CompAsia's marketing plans for the upcoming Chinese New Year. 

‘Silent Love’ tells the familiar tale of a typical teenager trying to fit in and is saving to buy a new mobile phone to replace her lagging device but does not want to trouble her father with such an expense. Her father, a single parent struggling to make ends meet, learns of this, and shows his love by buying her a phone she can be proud of. Because it is from a second-hand one from CompAsia, it is within his means. Conversation between father and daughter is minimal but their actions speak volumes about their love. The video ends with CompAsia’s 2023 Chinese New Year campaign line ‘The Best doesn’t have to be New!’, a
credo many of us forget in the pursuit of the latest and newest. 

Making her debut as the lead actress was 20-year-old See Zi Hui, who also worked on the storyboard with Anthony Low Chun Hong, while the video director, Lim Xin Di’s parent played the father. Other members of the team include videographer Low Kit Chung, while wardrobe, props and staging were managed by Wong Yi Hang. Other team members who starred and assisted in the production include: Sherlyn Koay Sze Yee, Janice Tan Zhen Ee, Lee Jia Lynn, Ng Ee Wen and Atalia Lim Xian Qian. 

“We drew inspiration from Korean and Thai ads that have strong emotional appeal and we wanted to apply a similar treatment to our video; we also wanted it to communicate a sense of familiarity where many Asian parents allow their actions to speak louder than words hence the title ‘Silent Love’”, team leader Xin Di explained. 

With scenes shot in an actual ‘kilang’ (factory) in Kepong, the group took five weeks to complete the video from building the storyline to post-production with voice over and colour editing. ‘Silent Love’ was produced using a number of second-hand devices from CompAsia and Adobe PR for editing. 

“We are completely blown away by the quality of the video and story telling value. The students proved what we keep telling people – you don’t need the latest gadgets or the most expensive ones to enjoy an amazing experience. This video also goes to show that second-hand devices with lower prices allow everyone access to the phone of their choice whether it is an iPhone or Samsung or any other brand,” said Julius Lim, CEO and Co-Founder of CompAsia. 

“We were initially going to run our own Chinese New Year greetings, but this video and the students deserve the exposure, so CompAsia will be sharing it on all our platforms. We also hope that this video will help people realise the value of preloved devices as a way of extending the lifespan of each item to save our planet from more e-waste,” Julius added. 
 

Check out the video CompAsia & Xiamen University CNY 2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOckab_6J3E Silent Love . 

About CompAsia
CompAsia is a leading recommerce and financing platform for technology devices with a strong presence in Southeast Asia. Through a holistic suite of device lifecycle solutions, the company aims to transform smart device ownership by maximising affordability and reliability, while minimising e-waste. 

Established in 2012, CompAsia currently operates in nine markets and collaborates with telcos, mobile operators, manufacturers, retailers, financial institutions, and insurance companies to offer consumers a single partner for all their mobile gadget needs. CompAsia offers four strategic solutions in its ecosystem: Buyback & Trade-in, Remarketing, ReNew+ and InstaCover.
 

Information about CompAsia can be found at www.compasia.com