KUALA LUMPUR: Safi and Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS) are challenging stereotypes and championing female empowerment in its latest campaign.
The 'Sembur (spray), Play, Slay!' campaign, anchored around the release of the Safi Shayla Parfum Mist Rambut (perfumed hair mist), was launched with a celebration of hijabi gamers through a TV commercial, in-store Point of Sales Material and social media postings – with a message to amplify empowerment, inclusivity, and superior product demonstration.
Hijabi gamers were invited to the first ever hijabi-only PUBG Mobile championship tournament in Malaysia, which provided a stage for them to rise up and showcase their potential in the esports community.
MBCS associate creative director Lyndy Tan said, "The world of esports has always been dominated by males, while female gamers were regarded as casual gamers. Yet, over the last few years with the increase of professional female gamers, we've observed a rising number of hijabi gamers challenging their male counterparts in fast-paced and intense esport titles.
"Safi Shayla, the hijab haircare expert has always been seen as a game-changer, a trailblazing beauty brand that believes in empowering hijabis from active sports to esports.
"We saw this as an opportunity to make some noise and break down the barriers to show hijabi gamers who want to run the esports world with passion, confidence and style."
The all-female 'SAFI x PUBG Mobile Kejuaraan Wanita' was held on Jan 6 and 7, with five hijabi teams battling for a grand prize of RM10,000 and an opportunity to be Safi Shayla's Ambassadors in future campaigns.
While the hijabi gamers honed their skills for hours, the Safi Shayla Parfum Mist Rambut kept their hair fresh with 72 hours long lasting fragrance and Pro Vitamin B5 Vitamin Essence for hair nourishment, designed to keep sweaty scalps free from musty smells.
The Parfum Mist may also be sprayed onto the hijab to keep it fresh in between long gaming sessions.
Wipro Unza SAFI brand & insights specialist Kazlina Mohd Kassim said, "Safi Shayla has always been committed to empowering women at every stage of their life, and this campaign marks a significant stride in our journey to promote inclusivity and representation in the beauty and esports realm.
"Training to play competitively requires discipline and long hours, and culturally, women are sometimes dissuaded from foraying into more 'male dominated' sports or activities.
"At Safi, we believe that women should be empowered to reach for their dreams, and we're here to help women feel confident and comfortable in all their endeavours."
Future plans are in place to encourage more hijabi gamers to play competitively, including training workshops with professional gamers, and plans to support hijabi gamer teams to compete on the global stage.