MALAYSIA — Rey Tiempo, Brand Gamification Specialist and Chief Creative Officer of Minotaur, was among the select industry experts and thought leaders invited to share their expertise onstage at the recently concluded Kancils Festival, held in Malaysia. He was joined by Joey David-Tiempo, Founder and CEO of Octopus&Whale, who served as the Jury President for the first-ever Kancils Entertainment Category. Together, the duo proudly represented the Philippines in this premier gathering of Asia’s top creatives in the advertising industry.
At the conclusion of the event, Rey sat down with Emir Shafri, Chief Creative Officer of Publicis Groupe and Co-Chairperson Kancils Creative Council, for a casual yet insightful discussion on the festival’s legacy, its significance for the industry, and the organization’s vision for the future:
Rey:
Thank you once again, Emir for welcoming us into the Malaysian creative and marketing community! Congratulations, my good friend, on an awesome Kancils. Hats off to you and Adam (Adam Miranda, Co-chairperson of the Kancils Creative Council and Co-founder and Executive Creative Director of Fishermen Integrated) and your teams for such an achievement. How does it feel to get the program finally off the ground?
Emir:
“Wait… is it over, did we actually pull it off?” Honestly, it’s a mix of relief and pride. Relief that we managed to deliver the entire program for the creative community – minimal drama involved – despite the rollercoaster of chasing (and getting rejected by) speakers, international jurors, venues, promotion plans, and organizing every last details, even down to the wristband designs. But more than that, I’m incredibly proud of how the entire community came together – big network rivals, indie agencies, and experts across craft, tech, and entertainment – to make it happen. The cherry on top? This year’s festival turned out to be the most successful edition in terms of ticket sales and attendance since we evolved into a festival six years ago.
Rey:
Again, congratulations! But let’s take a step back – for those not as familiar, can you take us through a brief history of The Kancils?
Emir:
The Kancils is Malaysia’s premier creative award show, founded in the 70s by the Malaysian 4As. But in recent years, we decided it could be more than just a glitzy award show in a fancy ballroom where agency heads pat each other on the back for last year’s work. We wanted it to be an inclusive festival where anyone in the creative ecosystem – whether they’re seasoned pros or just starting out – can come together to celebrate creativity and get inspired for their next big thing.
As for why kancil (pronounced kahn-chill, not cancel): the kancil is the mousedeer, a beloved character in Malaysian folklore. It’s small but clever, always finding creative ways to outsmart bigger animals. It’s the perfect symbol for the way we, as creatives, hustle to help brands stand out in competitive markets.
Rey:
Now, that is awesome! How about the theme, “Making Things Happen”? What was the thinking that led to it?
Emir:
“Make It Happen” is a natural extension of last year’s Make It for Malaysia theme. As Malaysians, we often think the grass is greener elsewhere and believe that the only way to do great work is to leave the country. But the truth is, our creative community has a long history of punching above its weight. Still, talking about putting Malaysia’s creativity on the world stage isn’t enough. At some point, we must roll up our sleeves and make it happen. This year’s theme celebrates the extraordinary talents and ideas that don’t just dream of greatness but also take bold steps – big or small – to make those dreams a reality.
Rey:
It was actually quite an achievement, to gather together all the foreign jury and international speakers. Can you share the thought process that went into the selection?
Emir:
One of the challenges with local award shows is the potential for bias when local creative leads, who may have vested interests no matter how good their intentions, chair the categories. Consciously or not, this can influence how juries are picked and how work is judged.
That’s why we’ve continued a practice we started years ago: appointing jury chairs who are international heavyweights. These are people who’ve won Grands Prix, judged at all the major shows, and even chaired global awards like D&AD, Cannes Lions, LIA, and ADC. With no skin in the game, they’re impartial experts and facilitators. Plus, for many local jurors who may be judging for the first time, it’s an invaluable opportunity to learn from the best in the business.
As for the festival, we deliberately avoided turning it into a local ad industry echo chamber where only big Malaysian agency creative leads talk about their best work (because for that, we already have an award show). Instead, we curated a lineup of inspiring figures from diverse disciplines – both local and global – who embody the “Make It Happen” spirit. From international icons in music, gaming, and creative tech to award-winning marketers and Malaysia’s top content creators, the goal was to bring together a wide range of perspectives to inspire everyone, from seasoned pros to fresh creators.
Rey:
It was particularly thrilling to see the inaugural Entertainment category, and my passion of course, Gaming with it. What went into the decision to include this standalone category?
Emir:
Full credit goes to our jury co-chairs, Woei Hern Chan (Head of Creative, VaynerMedia APAC) and Graham Drew (CCO, Grey Malaysia & Singapore), for introducing Entertainment as a standalone category. In a world where people turn to platforms to be entertained – not advertised to – it made perfect sense. Even here in Malaysia, where music, content, and gaming are massive and brands are collaborating with creators from these spaces, the best creativity is about becoming part of culture and entertainment, not interrupting it.
Graham and Woei Hern’s idea to spotlight not only the best work in entertainment but also the creators behind it (even if they aren’t from conventional ad agencies) was an absolute no-brainer.
Rey:
I have always been a big fan of Malaysian creative leaders and how they have become such inspiring mentors as they get elevated to the most prestigious regional and global creative leaders. What are your thoughts on this?
Emir:
Malaysians have been proudly flying our flag overseas, not just in creative roles but also across the board, like Annie Boo, Head of Lego Agency APAC, and Eugene Lee, International CMO (IDL) of McDonald’s. Coming from a melting pot of cultures and an industry that’s always punched above its weight (much like the Philippines) definitely helps shape people who can adapt, thrive, and lead on a global stage.
Some might see this as brain drain – a sign that you can’t go far if you stay in Malaysia. But for me, it’s proof that our industry has the right ingredients to produce world-class talent and ideas. After all, these individuals honed their skills right here before taking on the world. Hopefully, their success inspires the next generation to turn the local lemons we have into global creative lemonade.
Rey:
Emir my friend, we’ve crossed paths so many times at regional and global venues, but I am so happy to finally catch up with you here, in your homeland. How do you think your international industry presence has helped our own local creative communities?
Emir:
After working together across different networks and now this, I think it’s a sign that our union was meant to be!
Jokes aside, ADFEST and LIA have been key to my creative journey. As a junior who went to business school, ADFEST was my advertising school, where I saw jurors evaluate work and speakers craft ideas up close. LIA, on the other hand, was my creative MBA: attending their Creative LIAisons programme in Las Vegas gave my career the kind of boost that’s hard to match. I’ll forever be grateful to both festivals, which is why I’d never hesitate to help out as part of their working committees whenever I can.
A lot of what we’ve built at the Kancil Awards and Creative Festival comes from lessons we learned at these festivals: in a way, we’re paying forward the lessons we were privileged to learn at these festivals to the local creative community. In fact, many of our international speakers and jurors have been part of those events too. To top it off, both ADFEST and LIA actively support our young creatives through programs like the Young Kancils competition, giving winners valuable mentorship opportunities at the ADFEST Young Lotus and LIA’s Creative LIAisons.
Rey:
Were there any personal goals you felt you’ve accomplished with this year’s Kancils?
Emir:
I’ve been involved with the Kancils for seven years: starting as a council member in 2017, then deputy jury chair in 2018, jury chair from 2019–2022, and overall creative council co-chair with Adam Miranda since last year. At the beginning, I often questioned my sanity. Every decision – even inviting more diversity into jury rooms, involving more indie agencies or encouraging craft experts to judge craft categories – seemed to upset some people. But I was lucky to work with a creative council comprising talented, like-minded people, all driven by the goal of leaving a legacy that’s more than just their trophy cabinets.
This year, more than anything, we hoped to pull off a drama-free Kancils that’s collaborative and inclusive. Seeing the community come together – from seasoned creative leads to fresh talents, marketers to content creators – was truly rewarding. Whether they were on the organizing committee, as jurors, as winners or just there to be inspired, the vibe was electric. The real highlight? Watching everyone celebrating the winners, big or small, even from rival agencies. Witnessing this genuine camaraderie made all the late nights these past seven years totally worth it.
Rey:
Thanks so much again, Emir and congratulations to you and your teams! Time to finally catch up on sleep! One last serious question: what do you think the Kancils stands for, in the current industry creative landscape?
Emir:
The Kancils has certainly evolved over the years. In the past, it faced its share of controversy: jury and winner announcements sometimes sparked outrage, leading some agencies to boycott the show, and allegations of plagiarism in winning work even resulted in its cancellation eight years ago.
Over the past seven years, we’ve worked hard to redefine what the Kancils stands for. It’s no longer just about trophies; it’s about creating an inclusive community where everyone walks away with something valuable, whether they win or not. More than that, it’s a platform that unites rather than divides, where creative leaders set aside agency rivalries to work together to reshape the industry. That’s the future I hope we continue to build: a space where creativity thrives and everyone has a chance to shine, no matter where they come from.
