I’m a Malaysian, Teh Tarik is MY National Drink Campaign

Lipton urges Malaysians to take pride in teh tarik, our national beverage

KUALA LUMPUR, August 30, 2012 – No true blue Malaysian needs an introduction to teh tarik. The ubiquitous national drink of Malaysia, teh tarik – rich with familiar and aromatic flavours – perfectly represents the diverse cultural mix of Malaysia. The perfect balance of tea and milk in a single cup and is a great source of national pride that brings Malaysians together.

In honour of Malaysia’s 55th birthday, Lipton, the world’s No. 1 tea brand is launching a nationwide celebration with the “I’m a Malaysian, Teh Tarik is MY National Drink” campaign. The campaign, which starts on 31 August, is a call-to-action to unite all proud Malaysians to cement teh tarik as Malaysia’s national beverage. Malaysians from all walks of life are invited to pledge their support for teh tarik via Lipton Facebook fan page. The campaign runs from 31 August to 16 September.

Lenny Chuah, Senior Brand Manager, Foods Retail and Beverages Category, Unilever (M) Holdings Sdn. Bhd. said, “As a tea brand that has been in Malaysia since early 1900s, Lipton is excited about this pledge of support for teh tarik. Our aim is to rally as many Malaysians as possible during this Merdeka period to declare teh tarik as the national drink of Malaysia and acknowledge it as the unsung hero for uniting Malaysians nationwide. We also hope to promote the spirit of unity and a strong sense of identity, in line with Lipton’s ‘drink positive’ values. With such an important national milestone upon us, we could not think of a better time than this to pay tribute to teh tarik!”

The “I’m a Malaysian, Teh Tarik is MY National Drink” campaign is a continuation of the brand’s campaign in March to showcase and amplify the unique Malaysian cultural heritage. The latter campaign, named “Proud to be Malaysian. Jom Teh Tariklah” garnered strong support from Malaysians. Echoing this success, Lipton launched the second campaign in conjunction with National Day and Malaysia Day.

The tea brand hopes to garner 55,000 pledges from Malaysians within the two weeks to reinforce teh tarik’s position as the beverage that Malaysians cherish.

Special Facebook Application Consolidates Pledges

The campaign utilises Lipton Facebook fan page to drive the nationwide pledge. The specially-commissioned Facebook application enables Malaysians from all over the world to state their support for teh tarik as an authentic Malaysian creation. At the same time, the interactive application encourages fans to vote for the “must-have” in their favourite cup of teh tarik. Each fan who has pledged for teh tarik is awarded an e-certificate in recognition of their support at the end of the campaign.

As part of its campaign, Lipton will distribute 200,000 sachets of the 3-in-1 Lipton Teh Tarik when they have secured 55,000 pledges from Malaysians nationwide. This gesture serves as a token of gratitude to their pledges. Key distribution points in 13 Malaysian states will be announced at the end of September.

“We want to reward fellow Malaysians with teh tarik, the nation’s proudest beverage. Giving away sachets of the 3-in-1 Lipton Teh Tarik is our way of saying a big, heartfelt ‘thank you’ to them!” Chuah added.

Lipton launched the 3-in-1 Lipton Teh Tarik variant on March 2012. The teh tarik variant is specifically formulated with twice the strength of tea, and Lipton’s signature aroma to suit local tastes.

Malaysians can pledge their support for the “I’m a Malaysian. Teh Tarik is MY National Drink” campaign at http://www.facebook.com/lipton.

About Lipton
Lipton is the world’s No. 1 Tea brand with a commanding presence in the global beverages market with tea-based drinks including leaf tea, infusions, ready-to-drink tea and other healthy based alternatives to soft drinks.

About the Lipton Institute of Tea
The Lipton Institute of Tea is part of Unilever’s R&D organisation, which also includes the Unilever Food and Health Research Institute. Their joint expertise and external collaborators make it possible to perform a wide range of clinical trails on the potential benefits of tea and tea-based beverages. The Lipton Institute of Tea’s mission is to promote awareness and understanding of tea, from bush to cup. Its research focuses on how tea is made, its properties and its health benefits. With headquarters in Sharnbrook, UK, the Institute consists of international scientific experts from research centres located in the major tea growing regions of India and Kenya, and key beverage markets like US, Japan and China.