Maybank deploys flash mobs at various locations to promote badminton competition

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THE people in KL Sentral were in for a big surprise when a flash mob took place recently.

Hundreds of onlookers paused to witness the exhilarating performance by over 50 dancers.

The dancers seemingly appeared out of nowhere and performed a dance routine incorporating badminton-inspired actions.

It was eventually evident that this was part of a guerilla marketing campaign by Maybank for the upcoming Maybank Malaysia Open 2012, when the core group of dancers displayed a Maybank banner and proceeded to distribute flyers for the tournament after the show.

The flash mob entertaining the crowd at KL Central to promote the badminton event.

“I was walking through the station and suddenly found myself in the middle of a huge group of dancers. It was the first time I had seen a flash mob live and it was much more exciting up close and in person,” said Amalina Anuar, a student from Taylor’s University.

Maybank chief marketing officer Mohamed Adam Wee said: “With our campaign for the Maybank Malaysia Open, we wanted to do something different and bring the tournament right up to the attention of the public in new and exciting ways as possible.”

“As a result of our partnership with the Badminton Association of Malaysia, we want to signal our commitment to the sport and let people know about the world class international tournament that is happening early next year.”

“The idea of doing a flash mob to promote the Maybank Malaysia Open was intended to give a different approach to traditional marketing in the hopes that it would create more hype and excitement for the event,” he added.

The flash mobs are expected to take place throughout the Klang Valley at the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, The Curve, Sunway Pyramid and Sungei Wang Plaza.

The final flash mob performance will be held at the finals of the Maybank Malaysia Open on Jan 15, and the public are invited to join.

Maybank will be organising dance workshops at Stadium Putra for those who are interested to learn the moves to the dance routine, aptly named “Smashing Dance-minton” during the tournament from Jan 10-15.

“Participation from the public is definitely a first for the tournament and for Badminton Association Malaysia. We would like to rally as many Malaysians to come down to the finals and join in the celebration.

“Not only are we creating history together, but are also looking to project the unified support of all avid badminton fans and boost the spirits of our Malaysian players,” added Adam.