DiGi Telecommunications recently started a campaign to let customers know just how wide the coverage it provides. To make the campaign memorable, the company featured the Yellow Coverage Fellow (YCF) as mascot.

The YCF is dressed in a tight yellow suit, with many having a pronounced pot belly. They tend to race one another to become the one who will provide coverage each time a new customer activates his DiGi account.

A series of promotional activities was done with the YCF taking centrestage. Television viewers got to see YCFs travelling and shaking the hands of Foreign Coverage Fellows, braving attempts to provide coverage in caves and underwater, and going through military training to boost their capabilities; one fellow was even mistaken for an auspicious corner in the home by an enthusiastic feng shui master.

Off-screen, this writer once bumped into several YCFs roaming around the Bukit Bintang monorail station. They were not giving out leaflets or belting out promotional slogans at the top of their lungs – they did not have to, as the public already know “who” they are and what they represent: DiGi’s wide coverage.

Not too long ago, DiGi released a set of designer collectibles, levitating the YCF’s status from mascot to icon, one that many Malaysians recognise. Apart from YCF designer items such as T-shirts, mugs, phone charms and fridge magnets, DiGi had special limited-edition 10-inch YCF designer vinyl figures to commemorate the launch. Only 1,000 pieces of these figures were available, each with a certificate.

Before DiGi, another iconic figure which emerged from the technology industry is TM’s BlueHyppo. The walking, dark blue hippopotamus has been a familiar face at many roadshows, broadcast sponsorship events and similar treks. I have even met children who recognise BlueHyppo, but not Barbie.

To have icons emerge from technology companies just goes to show that Malaysia is a nation that has embraced the rapidly evolving technology. With the help of the friendly yellow guy and an ever-smiling hippo, we no longer need to worry about the complexities of technology. We can welcome it boldly.