Let's watch this year's Hari Raya and Ramadan videos

From Ad Nut to you, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Now, let's grab a barrel of mixed nuts (or your snack of choice) and kick back to see some of this year's best brand-created videos (and a few poor ones) to mark the Hari Raya celebrations and the Ramadan season itself.

'Konvoi Epik Fantastik'
Tenaga Nasional Berhad
Reprise Digital Malaysia
The power utility takes us on a fun daylong mission to visit all the relatives—even those who aren't really sure who you are. (Click "CC" for English subtitles.) 

Bakal Mertuaku Gengster (Future Gangster In-law)
Touch’n’Go
Before we get into some heavier material (below), enjoy this film from an electronic payment provider, in which the situational comedy rests on one character's ignorance of the convenient functions the brand's product provides.

'Rendang SoRaya'
Petronas
IPG Mediabrands, Reservoir Production
OK, here comes a tearjerker. You'll probably figure out why it's so important for this young woman to cook rendang perfectly before the big reveal, but it's a moving story nonetheless.

'Raya Kuasa 7'
Astro
Naga DDB Tribal
Seven family members vie to outdo each other. Do they end up as one big happy family at the end? Do you really need to ask? The campaign includes a contest, use of the characters by Astro's advertising partners such as AirAsia, and supposedly a telemovie set to air during the season. (Sorry, no subtitles available for this one.)

'Tumpang'
Plus Highways
The "One's a..." formula is a storytelling/filmmaking cliché because it works, especially for road movies. In this case, one's a grumpy, grizzled truck driver and the other's a young student. Do they get on each other's nerves? Obviously. Does someone learn something important? Of course. But as with the Petronas video above, knowing the formula doesn't make it less effective. (Click "CC" for subtitles.)

'Agam Isteri Beraya'
Jakel Textile
For a textile retailer, a holiday where bright, new clothes are part of the tradition is a perfect fit. The company has a bit of fun here exploring shopping frenzy and family financial tensions. Ad Nut's not a big fan of the gender-role tropes, but the meta-joke at the end is a welcome alternative to a too-sappy ending.  

'Breaking Barriers'
RHB
FCB Kuala Lumpur
Ad Nut wrote about this earnest and heartwarming story a few days ago. See: RHB offers up a simple story about a heroic teacher

'Ada Hati, Raya Menjadi-Jadi'
Watsons
Naga DDB Tribal
Pop singer Ayda Jebat stars in a going-home tale that sets up an interesting tension between the celebrity's internal image of her glamourous journey versus the reality she's actually experiencing. But the work doesn't really do much with that premise in the end, and Ad Nut found the entire thing very annoying. And Ad Nut hasn't even mentioned the song.

'My Ibu, My Hero'
McDonald's
DDB Singapore
As poor as the Watsons ad above is, it's still light years better than this ludicrous spot from McDonald's. See: 'Thank mum for years of Ramadan feasts with...a couple boxes of McDonald's?'

'Apakah pilihan kamu benar tahun ini?'
P&G
Grey Group Indonesia
See: 'P&G marks Ramadan with call for mother-daughter peace' (Sorry, no subtitles available.)

'Seribu Erti Kesyukuran'
CIMB
Ogilvy
See 'In CIMB film for Aidilfitri, forgiveness is not just for kids'

'Brothers'
BMW
Serviceplan
The best work Ad Nut has seen through the Ramadan season comes from the Middle East. See: 'Try not to cry watching this Ramadan-themed BMW ad'