Maxis’ first 8D audio Raya commercial made me cry a little

You can make fun of me, but I choked up listening to this new Raya commercial produced by Maxis. But not only is this commercial a heartstring tugger, it’s also Maxis’ first 8D audio film.

The commercial starts with the voice of a little boy, who Maxis calls Haziq. In the first five seconds, Haziq asks you not to skip through the ad, which means you’re likely to experience this while you’re watching YouTube videos as well. He’ll also be the narrator throughout your experience.

The ad, like all 8D audio content, is best listened with headphones. 8D audio is an ASMR-like feature creating a binaural recording. It places sounds in space relative to a human’s head (rather than normal stereo recordings, which can only direct sound to the left and right speaker channels). It results to the feeling of being in another place using only headphones.

After the five-second mark, you’ll be able to hear ‘life-like’ sounds of Hari Raya. This includes the pleasant chit-chattering of a group of people visiting your house, chopping and frying, and even a woman on your right saying how nice your ‘baju’ is.

“When it comes to Raya celebrations, everyone has a different take on what makes the occasion perfect. For some, it could be visiting open houses and sampling the scrumptious ‘kuih-muih’, or having brand new matching sets of ‘Baju Raya’ with the family. While others may picture the perfect Raya as being able to ‘balik kampung’ and connect with loved ones far and wide, celebrating under one roof,” wrote Maxis in their press statement.

While we would be missing this exact ‘suasana’ for this ‘Hari Raya’ because of the current COVID-19 pandemic, listening to the ad brought back memories of past years’ celebrations with family for me. However, like Haziq said in the commercial, new events happen every year but Aidilfitri will always bring joy when we’re surrounded by people we love. You can figure out the best way for you to keep connected with your family during Raya here.

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