At the Watsons Wonderland launch at TAR UMT. Seen here are Prof Dato’ Indera Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei (second row fourth from left) President of TAR UMT, Ms Sandy Ngiam (second row third from left), Head of Growth Marketing at Watsons Malaysia, Mr Wymen Chew (second row second from left), Watsons Brand & Exclusive Marketing Manager, Eva Er (first row second from left), Shu Key (first row leftmost) and the other team of TARCians and staff of Watsons Malaysia.

It was a campus takeover like no other when 79 Diploma in Advertising students from TAR UMT brought the Watsons brand to life in style. The last week of April saw TAR UMT’s Kuala Lumpur Campus transformed into a buzzing “Watsons Wonderland”, a fun, feel-good campaign spotlighting Watsons’ House Brand skincare, healthcare, and personal care products.

The campaign which took place over three days turned heads and captured hearts with an exciting line-up of activities for the campus community, such as fun game booths, free skin health screenings, a snap-worthy photography contest featuring giant Watsons Gift Box structures, live student performances, and a special meet-and-greet with popular influencer, Jestinna Kuan.

In the days leading up to the three-day campaign, the group of TARCians took to social media to produce engaging content, in addition to organising fun promotional activities on campus to engage the campus community. From roving performances and interactive exhibits to cheerful promo teams accompanied by Watsons’ ever-adorable mascot, Unik the Cat, the campaign brought colour and connection to campus life.

Unik the Cat, promoting the Watsons Wonderland campaign to TARCians on campus.

Adding a creative twist to the campaign, the students launched the ‘What If’ Poster and Product Design Competition, inviting fellow TARCians to dream up fresh poster visuals and product packaging ideas for the Watsons brand. “It also served as a platform to showcase how they view the brand and what it could become. The competition was a hit among students, and we gathered a wealth of creative promotional materials which will be shared with the team from Watsons,” shared Ms Josephine Ng Pei Yin, Programme Leader for Advertising and the group’s advisor.

She continued, “This collaboration is a win-win partnership for both organisations, where Watsons is aiming to enhance its house brand presence with product quality & value among the younger generation, and TAR UMT students are gaining valuable experience in managing an actual advertising and promotion campaign. The group of TARCians worked closely with the Watsons’ team in the planning of the campaign, ensuring the objectives were met and aligned with Watsons’ goals and values.”  

One of the Watsons Wonderland Gift Box structures on campus.

Eva Er Zhi Ying and Kwong Shu Key, who are the main coordinators for the group of students, emphasised, “Managing and coordinating several teams for such a large-scale event was challenging, but the experience has helped us to sharpen important skills such as communication and problem-solving. Moreover, working with the team from Watsons was very helpful and educational as they journeyed with us throughout the whole campaign, providing good guidance and input. This, in a way, helped strengthen our self-confidence too, as we were able to work with industry professionals, resulting in a successful advertising campaign. Lastly, we are happy for this valuable experience as it will enhance our portfolios as diploma students, for having organised an advertising campaign for Watsons,” Eva Er concluded. 

              Some of the interactive booths during the three-day Watsons Wonderland event.