Results and Effectiveness

Within weeks of the campaign’s initial roll-out, thousands of little mouths were being fed. With a wide range of publicity surrounding every donation drop-off, the goodwill spread like wildfire. For the first time, a company once only seen as profit-making from the harvest and sale of rice, was now leading the most positive movement ever conceived in Malaysia. “Bernas has come out to connect more with society. The Bowls for Humanity campaign is something quite different indeed.” – Charles Raj, Editor of Malaysian Business.

Creative Execution

Bernas knew they needed more than a one-off massive relief effort. They imagined ordinary Malaysians coming together to help feed the children, one meal at a time. The campaign first appeared nationwide on TV, followed by traditional and online media. Once public dialogue had kicked off, Bowls for Humanity tied up with local restaurants, and allowed donations to be made on behalf of diners. Complete coverage of the campaign happened organically as mainstream media focused on what Bernas would do next. Bowls for Humanity aimed to reach every single Malaysian who ate rice – to contribute to the cause.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Every year hundreds of orphans in Malaysian suffered from malnutrition, yet no one seemed to care enough to solve the problem. Bernas believed that no child should ever go hungry, and was committed to providing a long-term solution. Bowls for Humanity was a pledge from Malaysia’s state granary Bernas, to turn every pack of rice it sold into a gift. For every 10 kilogram pack of rice purchased, 25 grams would be donated to orphanages across the country.