PARTY IN THE U.S.A

The recent release of Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Disney+ has sparked much fanfare, from watch parties in bars to fervent introspection from Gen Z and Millenial fans of the Disney Channel tween sitcom (2006-2011). The series follows a classic double-life: regular kid Miley Stewart is actually pop sensation Hannah Montana but still deals with school-time shenanigans. Child actress Miley Cyrus eventually became a bona fide pop star, and the anniversary special is part concert, part reminiscence of the series’ impact on pop culture and fandom.

OUR TAKE

Brands have tried to harness nostalgia in many ways. Past products are re-released constantly, with messaging invoking the good ol’ days. When done haphazardly, brands run the risk of being seen as only capable of rehashing previous greats, with no capacity for creativity and innovation. Every brand has some level of heritage and history, but how might one utilize the past without being burdened by it?

We believe the key is deep understanding of what makes the brand tick and smart story-telling. The Barbie movie surprised audiences with its combination of tongue-in-cheek humor and the modernisation of Barbie’s image to authentically reflect the multifaceted nature of womanhood. Easter egg moments were also fun nods to old fandoms, as viewers could point out their favorite discontinued toy character depicted on screen. We’ll be watching to see how the Masters of the Universe film and the hotly awaited Harry Potter HBO Max series will fair.

It’s important to use these throwback moments with thought to feel fresh. The CHANEL 25 Handbag Campaign is a short film-esque commercial directed by French filmmaker Michel Gondry, featuring actress Margot Robbie (again!) set to Kylie Minogue’s beloved track “Come Into My World” (also in time for the 25th anniversary of the song). The film follows Robbie’s character going through a day in her life, and doesn’t beat audiences over the head with the fact that it actually recreates the old music video – a true IYKYK moment.

The way your brand uses nostalgia is about how you speak to consumers. It’s a question of brand longevity and whether your story can be seen as evergreen — can you resonate with both existing and new fans?

For those of you born before 1997, ‘fax, no printer‘ is Gen Z speak for ‘undeniable facts I agree with’

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LILO, LEFT BEHIND

This week, Disney’s Lilo & Stitch live-action remake broke records with a $341 million global debut, making it the biggest Memorial Day weekend opening in US history. But alongside commercial success, it’s also sparked one of the biggest backlash cycles yet for a Disney remake.

Early criticism focused on casting, particularly of Nani (Sydney Agudong), who fans argued looked too white-passing to authentically portray a Native Hawaiian character. Others lamented the erasure of queer-coded Pleakley who was once considered a drag icon, now dressed in bland disguise.

But the tipping point came this week, as more viewers watched the film and discovered a major deviation from the original ending. In the 2002 animated classic, Nani fights tooth and nail to keep custody of her younger sister Lilo, embodying the film’s central message of ohana. In the remake, however, Nani ultimately agrees to give Lilo up to the state so she can pursue college in California – an ending framed as empowering, but widely seen as a betrayal of what made the original unforgettable.

OUR TAKE

When director Dean Fleischer Camp explained his vision, he said he wanted to “modernize” the idea of ohana – give it nuance and complexity. But in doing so, he stripped away the very thing that made the original so beloved.

The backlash is less about resisting change, rather it’s about how updating the plot inherently disrupts the emotional memory attached to the IP. Lilo & Stitch wasn’t just a story, it was an emotional landmark crafted in a specific cultural moment, with a specific audience in mind. It belonged to its time. And the power it held came from the emotional truths it represented. 

The phrase “Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten” was a generational catchphrase that quietly shaped how Millennials thought about belonging and gave kids (many of whom felt out of place, unsafe, or unaccepted in their own homes) the emotional permission to seek out love and safety outside of traditional family systems. Later, as this same generation embraced queer culture, non-traditional identities, and chosen families, that line became a kind of emotional shorthand.

The broader issue with today’s remake economy is that when studios revisit beloved IPs, they rewrite the emotional codes of familiar characters and shift foundational storylines – negating what made those stories matter in the first place. It’s like meeting an old friend, only to realize they’ve become an entirely different person. 

Revivals aren’t inherently bad. In fact, when done correctly, they have the power to bring forgotten stories to new generations, reframe old truths in contemporary language, and correct the blind spots of the past. But in 2025, revivals are a creative crutch. It’s a way to delay the risk of new ideas by constantly retouching old ones. 

Y2K isn’t back because people truly believe in the genius of low-rise jeans. It’s back because the familiar is always easier to circulate, easier to merchandise and easier to meme. Reboots offer that same safety net of guaranteed success. 

When recycling becomes the main course rather than part of a broader creative ecosystem, we lose the potential to create future classics that could define our time instead of just reinterpreting someone else’s. And until we create new IPs that feel just as emotionally anchoring and culturally defining as what came before, we’ll keep rebooting the past because recycled stories cost less to market than new ideas. 

So to quote FKA Twigs: Where are all the thinkers?

For those of you born before 1997, ‘fax, no printer‘ is Gen Z speak for ‘undeniable facts I agree with’

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DRAMA IN SMALL DOSES

In the last issue of CultureWire, we explored how brands including Rare Beauty are shifting attention to Substack and longer-form engagement. This week, we’re tackling the opposite end of the content spectrum: micro dramas. These vertical soap operas are divided into 50-100 very short chapters (60-90 seconds each), with viewers able to watch some for free before unlocking more via ads or payment. The format is seeing huge growth – global revenue from micro drama apps surged 446%, from US$ 23M in January 2024 to over US $122M in January 2025. Platforms are seeing even more dramatic results, with Dramabox’s app store revenue skyrocketing from US$ 8M in 2023 to US$ 217M in 2024. ReelShort grew from $36M to $214M in the same period.

First emerging in China and gaining traction after pandemic lockdowns when commuting resumed, micro dramas are going global. While Japan, Korea, and Singapore represent promising markets, the fastest growth is happening in the US, Indonesia, Brazil, India and Mexico. What’s driving this explosion in bite-sized storytelling?

OUR TAKE

Beyond attention spans: Micro dramas are evidence of a fundamental shift in how audiences engage with content. However, simply dismissing the format as ‘TV for the TikTok’ generation misses the bigger picture. What we’re witnessing isn’t simply the collapse of attention spans but a redistribution. Viewers are making increasingly conscious choices about where to invest their time. Traditional formats can still be relevant — after all, critically-acclaimed slow-burns like Severance still command devoted followings — but there is a growing preference for content at opposite ends of the investment spectrum. Audience attention is becoming more intentional, demanding either substantial value or immediate gratification.

A quiet rebellion: Audiences burned by streaming platform’s notorious cancel-culture are protecting themselves from disappointment. Micro dramas offer resolution without abandonment; episodes may end on a cliffhanger, but the overall story reaches a conclusion (unlike KAOS, 1889…). Rather than asking viewers to commit first and reward them later (maybe), micro dramas deliver immediate emotional payoff while gradually building deeper investment.

Content & co-creation advantage: Yes, Once Upon a Divorce: The Double Life of Lady Diana, The Quarterback Next Door and Breaking the Ice are as cheesy as their titles suggest. But they tap into the same audience appetite driving BookTok, Wattpad fanfic and romantasy trends, and fill a gap left by mainstream streamers. This connection isn’t coincidental – the pipeline from fan-created fiction to mainstream adaptation (like Wattpad stories becoming Netflix films) has already proven the commercial potential of these narratives. Perhaps more significantly, micro dramas are revolutionizing the creator-audience relationship: ReelShort, for example, features an interactive drama section where storylines evolve based on viewer choices. This gives audiences both the content they crave and the power to shape it.

The opportunity: Brands are already exploring micro dramas’ reach and engagement. Telkomsel offers a special bundling package with FlexTV, while Lion Parcel produced a telenovela-style ‘COD Ongkir’ commercial using the format. In China, KFC created a series featuring an ancient empress time-traveling to discover their food. Skincare brand Kans integrated products throughout storylines, generating five billion views. Alipay Little Purse combined micro drama with gamified savings. Most of these brand integrations aren’t forcing traditional content into shorter timeframes. Instead they’re embracing the format’s storytelling style and community engagement aspects.

One last thing: From Substack to micro dramas, the content spectrum stretches toward opposite poles. For marketers, the sweet spot isn’t choosing sides — it’s recognizing that the middle ground of ‘just fine’ content is rapidly becoming the riskiest place to be. In a world where attention is currency, the brands that understand its changing distribution will be the ones that thrive.

For those of you born before 1997, ‘fax, no printer‘ is Gen Z speak for ‘undeniable facts I agree with’

How is McDonald’s Singapore celebrating an iconic local dish?

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BOUNCING INTO YOUR INBOX
At the start of April, Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty joined Substack, using the platform as a place to connect with fans. Promising a ‘a semi-authorized look behind the scenes at one of the world’s biggest beauty brands’, Rare Insider posts have covered everything from how a new blush was created to an interview with Rare’s Director of Global Artistry. 

There’s a strong emphasis on community and (perhaps in an effort to skirt the platform’s emphasis on high quality editorial content) content that’s uplifting and a value-add. With Substack reaching 5 M paid subscriptions in March 2025 and Google searches for ‘Substack’ outnumbering those for ‘newsletter’, it’s a good time to unpack the role of slow(er) media in a fast-scrolling world. 

OUR TAKE

In a content ecosystem dominated by speed, noise, and saturation, the most radical thing a brand can do might be… slow down. Brands are evolving from advertisers to publishers, creating content that prioritizes relationship over conversion. The informal, experimental quality of Rare Insider makes interactions feel more human and less corporate, perhaps taking cues from other fashion and lifestyle brands (The RealReal, Tory Burch, M.M.LaFleur and Saie) that have all launched Substacks functioning more like editorial publications than marketing materials. Early movers could have an advantage: in an attention economy already stretched thin, how many brand newsletters will consumers actually have time to read?

The shift toward slower content extends beyond newsletters: 68% of marketers increased long-form content production in 2024, with 70% planning to invest even more this year. Concepts are getting more creative. E.l.f. Beauty released a 15-minute true-crime mockumentary that played in theaters before Mean Girls. Patagonia’s 25-minute documentary Last Observers has 1.6 M views. Platforms known for brevity are adapting—TikTok and Instagram have both extended video length limits, while YouTube reports 1 B monthly viewers of podcast content. It’s not about creating more content, but more meaningful content that earns attention.

For brands seeking respite from algorithm whiplash, community over conversion makes sense. Rare Beauty has a long-standing commitment to community that traces back to Covid-era Rare Chats (hosted on Zoom, of course) to IRL mental health summits (#4 took place yesterday). Not only does this lend authenticity to this endeavor, it gives plenty of editorial inspiration.

Marketing in 2025 isn’t just thinking about where you show up. It’s about changing what you are saying. Less promotion, more perspective. Less selling, more storytelling. Substack might not be the right platform for your brand. But the mindset shift—from interrupting customers to inviting them in—definitely is.

For those of you born before 1997, ‘fax, no printer‘ is Gen Z speak for ‘undeniable facts I agree with’

Which surprising collectible is gaining traction in Singapore?

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Despite lukewarm trailers, widespread online ridicule, and an IP that doesn’t follow a traditional storyline, A Minecraft Movie has just pulled off the biggest box office debut of 2025 — raking in over $160M in the US and Canada alone. Forecasts initially pegged it at a modest $65M, later revised to $85M as buzz picked up. But nothing came close to the reality.

The hype didn’t stop at the cinema. Minecraft daily active players jumped 35% over two weekends, thanks in part to in-game events and the kind of fandom momentum money can’t buy. Online, the movie sparked viral chaos with the rise of the “chicken jockey” moment, where teens reenacted a rare in-game occurrence (baby zombie riding a chicken) by hoisting friends onto shoulders and launching popcorn mid-screening. At the same time, Minecraft: Volume Alpha — the game’s original lo-fi soundtrack — was quietly added to the Library of Congress for its cultural, aesthetic, and emotional significance.

So this week, we’re unpacking how a film that was widely dismissed online ended up outperforming every industry prediction — and what it reveals about how younger audiences are reshaping cultural consumption, participation, and power.

OUR TAKE

The unprecedented success of A Minecraft Movie wasn’t just a box office anomaly, it marked a cultural shift that’s been a long time coming. Gen Alpha, long mythologized in trend reports and think pieces but dismissed due to their lack of spending power, is finally stepping into the spotlight. And they’re not writing haikus about intergenerational trauma like Millennials, or posting shaky-camera TikToks with half-baked think pieces like Gen Z.

Unlike previous generations, Gen Alpha has been immersed in digital environments from birth, with games like Minecraft and Roblox serving as foundational platforms for creativity, social interaction, and self-expression. The screen was never just entertainment — it was where their identities were formed.

Their engagement with media is not passive; it’s participatory, blurring the lines between virtual and real-world experiences. The “chicken jockey” trend exemplifies this shift. What might seem like chaotic theater behavior is, for Gen Alpha, a natural extension of their digital lives into physical spaces. Why wouldn’t you recreate a moment from your favorite world with your real-life crew? For Gen Alpha, content is something you inhabit, not just consume.

Notably, this moment is being driven by young boys — a group rarely spotlighted in today’s fandom economy. While girls have long been the intended audience of pop marketing, Gen Alpha boys are showing up with full meme energy, reminding us that fandom isn’t gendered — it’s generational.

Sure, older Gen Z and Millennials were also at the theater, chasing one last dopamine hit from their pixelated childhoods. But while those generations built culture by remixing the past, Gen Alpha is building it in real time. Their instinct for collective chaos, their comfort in blurring boundaries, and their refusal to separate online from offline points to a future that’s less curated and more communal.
The success of A Minecraft Movie is just the beginning.​ Gen Alpha doesn’t need permission, this world has always been theirs. And now, they’re taking up space. Online, offline, and everywhere in between.

For those of you born before 1997, ‘fax, no printer‘ is Gen Z speak for ‘undeniable facts I agree with’

Which idol launched a sanitary pad brand in China?

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ALL THE FEELS 

Earlier this week, Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2 became the first movie to hit US$1B at the global box office, making it the year’s highest-grossing film to date. It hit that target in less than three weeks of release. This is particularly notable because a) it’s animated, and is one of only 11 animated titles to surpass this box office total, and b) it’s a sequel, which seems to be on the wane amongst younger viewers. So, just why is this movie doing so well? 

OUR TAKE

It’s #relatable
Inside Out 2, released almost 10 years after the original film, picks up with Riley – now a teenager – as she discovers some new but universally relatable emotions: anxiety, envy, embarrassment, and ennui. Anxiety in particular is often mentioned alongside Gen Z, with young people across the globe worrying about the climate, AI, inflation, and more. According to one report over half (56%) of Singaporeans aged 21 to 34 experience anxiety during in-person interactions, compared to 32% of those aged 50 to 64. 

Just like its predecessor, Inside Out 2 brings abstract emotions to life in a tangible way. Not only could this help viewers feel less isolated, it could kickstart difficult conversations between kids and parents or Gen Z friends. Can you create campaigns that do something similar? 

The nostalgia factor 

This is a family-friendly film but it’s not just for kids and parents. Per one report, the top age demographic for Inside Out 2‘s opening weekend was the under 12s (23%). But 19% of the audience was aged 25 to 34, and 18% of the audience was aged 18 to 24. And as The Wrap observed, the large gap between sequels means that some viewers who saw the first film are now returning with more purchasing power. Some might even be bringing their own kids. This is a film that’s grown up with its audience, but is still bringing new fans on board.  Note that this is a formula that seems to work for Pixar: there was a 14-year (!) hiatus between The Incredibles (2004) and Incredibles 2 (2018). 

How might you build campaigns that have a similarly broad demographic appeal? Heritage brands can mine past campaigns for links to the present; newer brands might not be thinking about 10-year release cycles but should be prioritizing ongoing storytelling, rapport building and cultivating nostalgia. 

Success with strategy, not hype 

Ahead of the film’s launch Pixar’s creative head, Pete Docter, admitted to TIME that, if the movie didn’t do well, they would need to ‘think even more radically about how we run our business’. The studio laid out the path to success with brand partnerships, teaser trailers (157M views in the first 24 hours across various social media platforms), and viral filters, including one that assigns users a character from the film. Wisely there weren’t attempts to manufacture the buzz seen around Gentle Minions, Barbie, and Anyone But You. 

Over the past couple of years, movie-going (not movie-watching) has become the event. But that doesn’t mean that every film should try to tap into that behavior. Knowing when to stay in your lane also has benefits! Are you smart enough to spot the difference?

For those of you born before 1997, ‘fax, no printer‘ is Gen Z speak for ‘undeniable facts I agree with’

THE APPEAL OF THE OCCULT

Exhuma or 파묘 (pa-myo, which means ‘to dig up a grave’) is the new Korean horror film that’s breaking records in Southeast Asia. Written and directed by Jang Jae-hyun, it recently overtook Parasite to become the highest-grossing Korean movie in Indonesia, selling 1.8M tickets in 20 days. It’s proving popular in Vietnam, too: the film raked in US$660K on its opening day in the country—that’s the biggest opening for a Korean film in Vietnam. Let’s dig into the story behind the numbers… 

OUR TAKE

First, a quick (spoiler-free!) primer on the plot: Exhuma follows two shamans, a feng shui master, and a mortician as they work to lift a generational curse impacting an uber-wealthy family. The exhumation of an ancestor unravels something greater, and the group must face the consequences. Buzz around the film has been building since it premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in February. 

In Indonesia, Exhuma still has a way to go to beat the success of KKN di Desa Penari, a local horror film about six students who enter a sealed-off portion of a village (9.23M admissions in 2022) but it’s proof that demand for horror stories rooted in local culture and tradition hasn’t gone away. While Exhuma is set (mostly) in Korea, the themes—ancestors, local folklore, and the supernatural—appeal to local audiences. After all, the very best horror movies almost always offer commentary on contemporary social issues. 

Let’s not forget that viewers in Southeast Asia love a fright-fest—back in 2022, Netflix reported that horror content was on the rise in the region, growing by 20% of viewing hours in Asia-Pacific. During the same period viewing hours of horror content in SEA increased by over 40%. The blend of horror and the occult, combined is clearly still a winning formula for this market, and it’s resulting in creative storytelling that has real audience appeal. 

But this newsletter isn’t just here to persuade you to watch Exhuma this weekend (although you might want to). Horror might not seem like the most obvious foundation for brand storytelling. But these stories are incredibly popular with audiences and finding creative ways to play in this space could help you stand out. It’s also worth considering the overarching theme here too, namely the fusion of cultural components and the mix of now and then that could fuel your next cultural narrative. 

For those of you born before 1997, ‘fax, no printer‘ is Gen Z speak for ‘undeniable facts I agree with’

23 YEARS LATER

Indonesia just saw its biggest box office opening in 2023… not with a Marvel movie, but with local title Petualangan Sherina 2 (‘Sherina’s Adventure 2’), which garnered 1.5M viewers as of this Monday. The movie is a sequel to Petualangan Sherina (Sherina’s Adventure), an Indonesian classic film from 2000. It features the same cast and characters, picks up their story in adulthood, and highlights consistent themes of friendship, bravery, and fighting for one’s values.

Our take

The success of this movie is attributable, in a large part, to the cultural equity of its predecessor. When Petualangan Sherina first came out in 2000, it was considered a breakthrough after ‘a barren decade’ for the local film industry. The film was also celebrated for showcasing the beauty of local landmarks and landscapes, while its original soundtrack was hailed as one of the first to introduce high quality music made for Indonesian children. And while it was a kids’ movie, the story and messaging managed to achieve cross-generational appeal.

Southeast Asian consumers have a lot of local pride, but historically they have not found much within media and popular culture that have done justice to represent, elevate and celebrate the region. So when a story like Petualangan Sherina addresses this unmet desire, consumers shower it with love and support. Brands would do well to collaborate with these celebrated local IPs and partner with local talents to enable more of them to emerge.

Fast forward 23 years to today, Petualangan Sherina 2 builds on the first movie’s achievements, while riding on another emerging theme: the power of nostalgia. We have extensively discussed consumers’ affinity for simpler times and the rise of kidult consumers and the ‘joyconomy’. Petualangan Sherina 2 allows consumers to relive the joys of childhood, and for some, introduce the same experience to their children now. Bonus points for also introducing an environmental message relevant to the current generation.

All in all, the success of Petualangan Sherina 2 highlights some of our favorite themes – championing local stories, delving into nostalgia, highlighting progressive messages. Which one can your brand harness for your next big opportunity?

For those of you born before 1997, ‘fax, no printer‘ is Gen Z speak for ‘undeniable facts I agree with’

Living in Barbie’s world

The wait is almost over! Greta Gerwig’s Barbie drops later this month and the marketing team have been putting in some serious work, securing partnerships and licensing deals with more than 100 brands including skate brand Impala, ALDO, NYX Cosmetics, Xbox, Airbnb…and Progressive home insurance. More than 8M people have toured the Barbie Dreamhouse thanks to Architectural Digest. Closer to home, we’ve spotted a Typo x Barbie collaboration (yes, you really do need a Barbie milk carton) and an exclusive Krispy Kreme partnership in the Philippines. But why is life in plastic so fantastic? 

Our take

Even before these brand partnerships were revealed, it was clear the Barbie team were going all in on marketing. Remember the viral memeable posters? Fans loved that they could insert themselves into the Barbie world in a playful and personal way. But not everything has been stage-managed. When fans realized that Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s starkly opposite Oppenheimer would be released on the same day, the Barbenheimer mash-up movement sprung up. This newsletter has previously discussed how organic, fan-led movements can generate buzz – this is another reminder of that. 

But that doesn’t fully explain the Barbie mania. Yes, the movie’s 1950s and 60s-inspired style – equal parts kitsch and nostalgic – appeals to Kidults everywhere. The hyper saturated hot pink palette is the ultimate mood booster, and Barbiecore has invaded wardrobes and interiors: Pinterest saw a 1,135% increase in searches for ‘Barbie aesthetic bedroom’ from May 2022 to May 2023. Fans can live in Barbie’s world with branded merch, but the aesthetic is also open to interpretation. In short, there’s something for everyone. 

That choose-your-own-experience mentality is crucial to the movie’s marketing success. There are now many versions of Barbie – in the US, the doll is available in 35 skin tones and nine body types – and there are many versions of Barbie fans. Mattel has so many collaborations but somehow they don’t feel random because fans can engage with the ones that appeal directly to them. So if you’re looking to run campaigns around Barbie or any well-known IP, consider how you’ll take the franchise to fans and allow them to buy into it on their own terms. Beyond showing you understand them, you will appeal to a wider fan base and extend your reach to a broad consumer base. 

We don’t yet know if the pre-release hype around Barbie will drive box office sales (although it’s looking promising) but Mattel are all in on IP-based movies: 13 more films have been publicly announced and 45 are in development. In the coming years, world-building franchises will continue to grow and so will the opportunities to help consumers of all ages step into make-believe. 

For those of you born before 1997, ‘fax, no printer‘ is Gen Z speak for ‘undeniable facts I agree with’

A PSA before we jump in – we have written a longer newsletter than usual this week, as we hope to do the main topic justice. There is so much to unpack and takeaway, and we know it will be worth your extra five minutes!

Let’s get straight to it.

In this week’s edition:

• Innovation of the Week: Michelle Yeoh boleh!
• Fax, No Printer: How many gamers are there in Southeast Asia?
• Regional Round-up: BLACKPINK are breaking records, snacks are going retro, and skincare’s getting a Gen Z makeover…

You’d have to be living in a parallel universe to be unaware: earlier this week, Michelle Yeoh made history, becoming the first Southeast Asian performer to win the best actress Oscar for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once (EEAAO). The film won seven Oscars in total, including one for Ke Huy Quan, the first Vietnam-born actor to take home a gong. And while it was very much Yeoh’s night, her win resonated with many. As the actress observed: ‘for all the little boys and girls who look like me… this is a beacon of hope and possibility’.

Our take

There’s so much to unpack when it comes to Yeoh’s win, including the lack of representation in Hollywood, self-identification and yes, ageism. We want to explore what it means within the context of pop culture.

For too long, local SEA markets haven’t been able to support homegrown talent. A lack of government investment in culture across the region made it hard for local studios – and by extension local content – to flourish. Michelle Yeoh moved from Malaysia to Hong Kong – where she enjoyed considerable success in the kung fu sub-genre – before going to the US. It’s a similar story for Ronny Chieng and James Wan. So while Malaysia is rightly proud of Yeoh, many netizens were quick to point out that it couldn’t really ‘claim’ the win (and no, there wasn’t a public holiday).

But something is happening. Southeast Asians just keep popping up in pop culture. NewJeans’ Hanni hails from Vietnam. All the members of the new K-pop band HORI7ON come from the Philippines. And who remembers Jakarta and revered Indonesian actress Christine Hakim’s appearance in episode two of The Last of Us? As home-grown talent (and backdrops) enjoy global exposure and success, it will drive greater visibility for the region. It’s a virtuous cycle!

If we were being cynical, we might say this has something to do with appealing to SEA’s youthful population whose purchasing power will drive economic growth across Asia over the next few years. And yes, diversity in media is important for Gen Z. But one thing to remember – this group will not accept token representation. Michelle Yeoh’s win is historic, but what truly resonated was her portrayal of an authentic and complex diaspora character (breaking the age-old Asian character stereotypes!), plus all the genuinely-Gen Z elements in EEAAO – think the emotional depth, Kishōtenketsu parallels and anime inspiration, not to mention that Ratatouille reference.

One actionable takeaway to bring this back to Southeast Asia. To meet expectations around diversity and relevance, and gain wallet share, brands need to partner with homegrown talent and amplify local stories today. We’re not suggesting you make another EEAAO. But how about telling unique, culturally nuanced stories that truly resonate with young people? This could allow you to craft narratives that appeal beyond the region, too!

For those of you born before 1997, ‘fax, no printer‘ is Gen Z speak for ‘undeniable facts I agree with’