Why Petronas's marketing leads Malaysia's fuel market

In response, Shell launched its boldest value proposition yet in 2023—the New and Improved Shell FuelSave 95, offering up to 15km more per tank. While it regained some customers, the impact fell short.

Adding to its challenges, Shell faced boycott sentiment from the Israel-Gaza conflict, shrinking marketing budgets, and store closures. By Q1 2024, its brand share hit a long-time low.

The Core Challenge: Win Hearts, Not Just Wallets

Petronas excelled in emotional connection, while Shell struggled beyond functional benefits. Despite FuelSave 95’s performance and investments in Shell Café and Select, its offerings felt disjointed. To compete, Shell needed a seamless, emotionally engaging brand platform to regain market share.

Business & Brand Objectives

• Regain Market Share: After two years of decline, Shell aimed to:
• Reverse market share losses and achieve growth.
• Increase market share in 2024.
• Strengthen Brand Preference & Quality Perception: Despite its fuel efficiency claim, Shell lacked emotional connection. The campaign sought to:
• Boost Brand Share Preference (BSP).
• Improve perception of Shell as a "high-quality fuel".

These ambitious objectives made success far from guaranteed, especially since 86% of consumers claim they fuel exclusively with a particular brand.

To better understand consumer sentiment and behavior in the fuels category, Shell conducted focus groups across Malaysia. Key insights revealed:

• Shell was seen as a high-quality but traditional brand, lacking emotional engagement.
• Fuel choices were often inherited from parents and communities, with 64% choosing stations near home.
• A scene of adventure was linked to jobs, errands, and family responsibilities.
• While most dismissed fuel ads, many subtly believed Shell provided a smoother drive.

This helped us zoom into a core audience.

The Core Audience: Malaysian Families on the Move

• Aged 25-45, primarily working professionals and parents.
• Concerned with fuel efficiency but driven by emotional connections when choosing brands.
• Highly engaged with digital entertainment, spending more time on platforms that blend storytelling with commerce.

Shell aimed to connect with high-commuting working families—not just as a fuel provider, but as a brand that powers life’s daily journeys.

From Rational to Relatable: The Power of Emotional Storytelling

A System1 study found that uninspiring ads require up to $109 billion more in media spend than emotionally engaging campaigns. For Shell to stand out, it needed to:

• Avoid the “cost of dull” by sparking emotions—happiness, adventure, excitement.
• Build an enduring engagement platform, not just a short-term promotion.
• Use high-impact storytelling media like TV, Cinema, and DOOH for stronger emotional branding.

Building a Brand Hero: The Role of Relatable Endorsement

Malaysians have an innate love for cinema and storytelling, making cinematic advertising a powerful way to forge deep connections. 94.7% of Malaysians stream TV content online, with an average of 1 hour 22 minutes of daily viewing.

Further, survey data showed that 34% of Malaysians consider celebrity endorsement a strong purchase driver, but focus groups emphasized that regionality, relatability, and an "everyman" persona mattered most.

Our Driving Insight

For our audience, adventure isn’t about faraway places—it’s in the daily grind, hard work, and progress. As one participant said:

"For us, everyone who works is an adventurer."

By linking “doing more” to effort and achievement, Shell could position itself as the fuel powering Malaysians’ everyday journeys.

OUR BIG IDEA: A QUEST FOR MORE

Execution:

A working father’s reflection—“every day can be an adventure”—revealed a cultural truth: Malaysian working families see themselves as modern explorers. From daily commutes to family trips, every journey is an adventure.

This inspired “Kembara Lebih Jauh” (A Quest for More)—a cinematic, multi-quarter brand platform that turned fueling up into a meaningful, emotional experience.

Phase 1: Introducing Roger Hensem – The Everyday Adventurer

Shell launched “A Quest for More”, starring Malaysian film icon Remy Ishak as Roger Hensem—an everyday family man who turns even the most ordinary drives into epic journeys.

Set to a thrilling, Indiana Jones-inspired score, fused with Shell’s signature sonic branding, Roger’s boundless enthusiasm made every trip feel like a grand expedition.

Execution:

• 50-second cinematic film launched across YouTube, OTT, and social media, establishing an emotional connection.
• Cutdowns for digital & social platforms fueled engagement.
• Strong character-driven product storytelling in Shell’s stores made Roger Hensem instantly recognizable and loved by Malaysians.

Phase 2: Expanding the Adventure

Malaysians couldn’t get enough of Roger. The journey didn’t stop at digital—we scaled the campaign nationwide in Q3 2024, ensuring maximum reach and immersion.

• Expanded across ATL channels—TV, Cinema, OOH and DOOH reinforced brand presence.
• Integrated Shell Café & Shell Select into the storyline, positioning fuel stops as part of the adventure, not just a transaction.
• Optimized content for specific audiences such as targeted ads tailored for motorists, motorcyclists, and safety-conscious drivers.
• Shell’s Service Champions, dressed as Roger Hensem, engaged customers at fuel stations, making every stop feel like part of the journey.

Phase 3: Turning Every Fuel Up into a Reward

Then in Q4 2024, the journey continued with a sequel campaign focused on Shell’s loyalty program, where Roger helped introduce customers to a world of multiplying rewards in the Shell App (and loyalty partner Bonuslink).

• Encouraged repeat purchases and app engagement through digital CRM, radio, and social extensions.
• Strengthened customer loyalty by making every drive—and every reward—part of the adventure.

Shell created a movement, transforming fuel stops into unforgettable journeys. Kembara Lebih Jauh proved that when every trip feels like an adventure, Malaysians stay for the ride.

Results:

Shell didn’t just regain market share—it became a symbol of adventure for Malaysian families.

The lead campaign captivated audiences, with over 20 million views, 2 million engagements, and industry-leading view-through rates.

Massive Brand Preference Growth

• Shell led the category in Brand Share Preference (BSP) growth, rising 4X the category average and 3X Petronas' growth. Perception of Shell as a “high-quality fuel” increased, while the category declined overall.
• Compared to Petronas, Shell’s brand quality perception surged by 6.5X. Turning Brand Growth Into Market Share Gains
• Quarterly market share growth turned positive in 2024—5X the category average.

Business Impact at the Pump & Beyond

• 100,000 new Shell App users—4X the monthly average pre-campaign.
• Millions of liters of