Lawson Showcase in Malaysia @ Stage KL!

While some of you went to Thailand or closer to home – Genting, to celebrate the Songkran festival last weekend, Team Advertlets went to Stage KL to watch Lawson Live in KL! The show was emceed by our local emcees Jinnyboy and Haley. Lawson is famous for their singles “When She Was Mine”, “Taking Over Me”, and their most recent “Standing In The Dark” which was released on Oct 14 last year. Band members include Andy Brown (acoustic guitar and lead vocals), Ryan Fletcher (bass guitar and backing vocals), Joel Peat (lead guitar and backing vocals) and Adam Pitts (drums). Their debut album entitled Chapman Square, was released on Oct 22, last year and have reached number four in the independent music charts.

Lawson did play quite a range of songs that night! Besides their own songs, they also covered Maroon 5′s Moves Like Jagger, pasisionate rock version Sweedish House Mafia’s “Don’t You Worry Child”.

Some pictures of the event:

Josh Lim & Olivia Shyan

Adam Pitts on drums!

Ryan Fletcher on bass guitar

Here’s Joel Peat!

and lead singer Andy Brown!

Fans going wild at the top balcony!

Crowd going WILD, calling out for an encore, which they obliged to!

Thank you Universal Music Malaysia for bringing Lawson! We hope to see you soon (hopefully a full world tour)!

WeChat 2013 TVC Launch Party

It happened last Tuesday – WeChat’s Party 2013. It was THE PARTY to be because all important social media people and bloggers were there! Advertlets brought our team of bloggers and close friends to the event, sitting front row just beside the stage. Here’s what went down -

WeChat is officially launched, by debutting its first ever Bahasa Malaysia television commercial starring local celebrities and WeChat ambassadors Lisa Surihani and Shaheizy Sam! You could add them WeChat by scanning the QR codes above or entering their username. You could catch 3 versions of WeChat TVCs from April 2013 onwards over TV3, TV9, Astro Prima and Astro Ria.

As we enter Club Neverland, there was a huge photowall which allows guests to take photos as memorabilia of the event. There was also a purikura booth which had WeChat designs installed for decorations!

Advertlets bloggers & close friends

The purikura photobooth pics!

While waiting for the event to start, there were WeChat ambassadors walking around with QR codes to be scanned to join an exclusive LIVE EVENT GROUP CHAT!

The event kickstarted with Mr. Poshu Yeung, Vice President of Tencent International Business (WeChat), who gave a welcome speech. He said, “Our recent entry into Malaysia has also opened up fresh opportunities to work with several giants across various industries. One notable partnership is with Domino’s Pizza. At the end of the TVC, you can find a short promotional scene featuring our valued partner. WeChat users who follow Domino’s official account, will, upon redeeming a coupon code at Domino’s website and iPhone app (online) be entitled to purchase a second regular pizza for RM1 with the purchase of a regular pizza at standard price.”

The huge crowd at Club Neverland that night.

After the speech is over, WeChat entertained the crowd by inviting local artistes to perform on stage -

Vivian Chua, the first local artiste to perform on stage (can you believe she’s only 21 this year?!)

Next was Awi Rafael of BHUMIBAND fame! He recently released his brand new 2nd album, ‘Asalkan Aku OK’.

The suave Henley Hii, serenading us with his lovely vocals!

Some pictures of guests -

Jen Lyy, Grace Oon, Rosalyn Tan & Amanda Liu

Grace & Jaz Khai

Jonathan Yip & Vanessa Chan

Bryan Lim from bryanlyt.com and pretty female bloggers

Amanda Liu, Audrey Loke & partners.

Grace, Josh Lim, Olivia & Daniel W

Sam & Eric, the Chee brothers. Go see Chee TV!

Kee Hua Chee & Sam

Kelly Chin & Grace

There were mini games to keep the party interesting – the winner gets to walk away with an iPad Mini!

Spot any of your fave bloggers?

Wing Hiong Bak Kut Teh Food Review

Wing Hiong Bak Kut Teh is an authentic Klang Bak Kut Teh outlet that began (quite obviously!) in Klang and now has several branches spread across Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley. Just last week, Advertlets bloggers and team members were invited to the Jalan Yap Ah Shak branch (opposite Maison at Asian Heritage Row) to conduct a food review.

Just a word of knowledge for the uninformed – Bak Kut Teh is perhaps one of Malaysia’s most popular non-halal specialties and basically consists of pork ribs simmered in a complex blend of herbs and spices for hours. There are many variations of the dish – but many claim that the rights to the ‘original’ Malaysian version of Bak Kut Teh belong to Klang town. Frankly, we weren’t too concerned about where it comes from – all we needed to know was that it was lip-smacking, mouth-watering good Bak Kut Teh! Delicious thoughts had been filling our minds from the moment we knew we had been extended this invitation.  Okay, so back to the review – Wing Hiong does not just serve plain Bak Kut Teh but also a variety of other dishes, which pleasantly surprised us. These dishes seemed to compliment  the Bak Kut Teh very well in fact!

Delicious looking eh? As you can see, aside from the pot of Bak Kut Teh in the middle, there’s also a pot of ‘dry Bak Kut Teh’ – basically a variation of the usual soup-filled Bak Kut Teh. Other dishes include Wing Hiong’s signature steamed clams, oyster sauce tofu, braised chicken feet and a very delicious serving of sweet/sour/spicy steamed fish. The strong, herbal aroma of the Bak Kut Teh soup filled the atmosphere as the dish was brought out from the kitchen. It certainly tasted as good as it smelt – and we were digging into generous portions of pork and soup in no time! The soup was very well done and tasted every bit as good as traditional Bak Kut Teh should! The pork, meanwhile, was tender and tasty. It was simmered just about right so that it maintained its flavour and taste.

The dry Bak Kut Teh, on the other hand, was tasty as well but it was not as outstanding as it’s soupy variant.

But when we got to the fish -

WOW! The sauce sent a burst of flavours rushing through our taste buds – not only that, the fish tasted absolutely fresh! It was a unique blend of sweet, sour and spicy – definitely a must-try! As you can see, the fish was pretty much gone by the time I managed to get a good shot of it. All that’s left was the head – and even then, trust me – it was good!

Now let’s get to the clams (lala) – this is one of Wing Hiong’s signature dishes. These clams are larger than they look – They are approximately twice the size of a regular clam and the shell is thick and hard. Make no mistake – this is also one really delicious dish! There was a tinge of wine in the gravy and the clams itself were tender and juicy. Also another must-try.

Then of course there was the braised chicken feet, steamed lettuce and the oyster tofu which I didn’t manage to get a shot of – these three are simple, humble dishes but are a wonderful addition to the entire menu on display – the tofu, especially, was extremely tasty and was gobbled up within a matter of minutes! The chicken feet may not have been everyone’s cup of tea, but for me personally, it was delicious.

Lastly, here’s a group shot of the bloggers and team members who made it for the food review -

The overall verdict? Wing Hiong Bak Kut Teh definitely does not disappoint – the food is delicious and is backed up by a commitment to use only the freshest ingredients and the strictest methods of quality control. This is definitely something lacking in your regular roadside Bak Kut Teh joints. On the whole, it’s definitely worth driving down to your nearest Wing Hiong Bak Kut Teh outlet to give it a try. 4 out of 5 stars!

To spice things up even more, we’re glad to tell you that they’re running a mouth-watering promotion from now all the way til the 6th of November – so do hit this link and grab the deal!

http://www.myimart.com/deal/Bah-Kut-Teh-Set-Meal-For-2-MYCPN1842V

Happy Bak Kut Teh-ing!

Topman presents: SPECTOR Live in Malaysia

Not many Malaysians may have heard of UK band Spector, but those who managed to secure passes to this exclusive showcase were certainly in for a treat. Concert-goers (or should we say showcase-goers?) started gathering outside the Stage, Avenue K from as early as 7pm – waiting for the doors to open.

Local DJs Twilight Actiongirl kicked off the night spinning a full set.

As soon as they were done, the main act took the stage – Spector was quite a sight to behold. Comprising of vocalist Fred Macpherson, guitarists Christopher Burman and Jed Cullen, bassist Thomas Shickle and drummer Danny Blandy, each member of the band was immaculately and uniquely dressed – but they somehow managed to maintain a well-coordinated overall appearance. Perhaps the most ironic thing was that every single one of them are almost identically built – very lean, and very tall!

The crowd reception was never going to be as insane as a Justin Bieber concert; but the band did receive a respectable applause from the audience in attendance, nevertheless. However, as soon as the guitars started blaring and the beats started kicking in, there was no stopping everyone from getting on their feet – and as Spector played their first song, it became obvious that this band was actually good. REALLY, REALLY good!

The band exuberated pure energy from the stage, and somehow managed to work the crowd up into a frenzy by the time they were playing their second and third songs. Fred was a charismatic and energetic frontman, and did a spectacular job of interacting with the audience and really getting them going. Not to mention he has a pretty sick set of pipes, too!

Although indie rock is not exactly everybody’s cup of tea, it was clear that almost everyone in attendance was having a whale of a time – and soon enough the showcase turned into a massive sing-along; especially when the band started belting out their most well-known songs ‘Celestine’, ‘Never Fade Away’ and ‘Chevy Thunder’.

However, a showcase will be a showcase – Spector played their last song after just being on stage for under an hour. As the band walked off the stage, the crowd chanted for an encore, but unfortunately they were not going to get one. They were, however, treated to a meet and greet/autograph session immediately after the showcase; and the band members gathered in front of the stage to sign CD’s and to meet their fans.

Overall, it was quite a night. Despite the fact that many people started the night not knowing who Spector was, they certainly left with the band’s extremely catchy tunes ringing in their heads. We hope to hear more of Spector soon – because honestly, we want to!

Advertlets bloggers at the showcase

PETRONAS Fluid Art Movement

The awesome PETRONAS Fluid Art Movement is the world’s first online digital fluid art gallery. On 29th September 2012, PETRONAS Lubricants International (PLI) Sdn Bhd introduced its inception to Malaysians by organizing a 3-day celebration at Sunway Pyramid.

The stage at Sunway Pyramid

What is a fluid art movement, one may ask. It is the innovation of art work, inspired by fluids and created by state-of-the-art technology. The well-received campaign which was launched in Milan before by Amir Hamzah Azizan, PLI’s Chief Executive Officer, had the support of luminous F1 drivers, Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg. They were the first individuals to create their works of art in the digital fluid art gallery.

Inspired to leave your artistic mark too? Now netizens have the opportunity to showcase their talents, simply by logging onto www.fluidartmovement.com. Using a variety of tools and colours available onsite, contestants can create their individual works of art, and thereafter their creation will be merged with others in the online art gallery. By sharing one’s work with family and friends, via the various social media channels of Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Google+ and more, garner as many votes as possible.

Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg from the Mercedes AMG Petronas racing team showing their fluid artworks

Check out a video of the event here:

Countries involved in this campaign include Italy, Spain, Belgium, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, Turkey, Portugal, Denmark, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, China, India, South Africa, Sudan, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Columbia. The beauty of being involved in a global movement of such, allows one to showcase unique talent to an international reach of voters and at the same time, being able to vote for one’s favourite pieces.

A big crowd was gathered, although it was a Saturday morning!

Also, the fruit of your labour might just reap you some very sweet returns! The art work with the highest numbers of votes will win an all-expense paid trip for two to the F1 Grand Prix in New Jersey along with a holiday package to New York, United States of America for 7 days/6 nights. On top of that, the winners will get to meet the Mercedes AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team drivers. 20 contestants from all over the world stand a chance to win this grand prize. For the rest, other exciting prizes include an iPad, Samsung Galaxy S3, Canon DSLR EOS 1100D Kit, Sony LED TV 40”, Panasonic LCD TV 32”, or PETRONAS products. There are even weekly prizes to be won including a Toshiba 24” LCD TV.

For more details, please visit www.fluidartmovement.com or www.pli-petronas.com

Advertlets Bloggers & friends with Encik Amir Hamzah Azizan, CEO of Petronas Lubricants International

MALAYSIA’S TOP BEAUTIES REVEALED

The call has been answered. After the Miss Universe Malaysia Organization (MUMO) announced in June that it was taking applications for the latest installment of The Next Miss Universe Malaysia pageant, hundreds of young women from all over the country sent in their applications – all with hopes of taking up the crown currently adorned by reigning Miss Universe Malaysia, Kimberley Leggett.

Through a rigorous audition process, and grueling hours of filtering through applicants by the judges, the hundreds of hopeful applicants sent in have been narrowed down to the final 17, who will vie for the title of The Next Miss Universe Malaysia and the coveted crown.

“The application response for this latest installment of the pageant was very overwhelming and better than expected. Although the pageant is still in its early stages, these 17 finalists have already come a long way to emerge top amongst all the applications sent in. It is very exciting to be working with these ladies, and we are confident that they will make for a thrilling pageant,” said Andrea Fonseka, National Director of MUMO.

The finalists are:-

• Angely Yew (25)
• Carey Ng (23)
• Karissa Simon (23)
• Marissa Paramaraj (22)
• Naomi Chandrasegar (24)
• Natalia Ng Mei Mei (24)
• Samantha James (18)
• Sarah Schipper (25)
• Shareeta Selvaraj (22)
• Symren Kaur (20)
• Chammaine Tan (20)
• Kelsey Rabindran (23)
• Leanndrea Paramaraj (21)
• May Salitah Naru Kiob (24)
• Trisha Tuck (20)
• Rice Hing Zhiyu (21)
• Jassinta Mirasol (25).

One of these finalists will take home the crown of Miss Universe Malaysia 2013. Besides winning the eligibility to vie for the Miss Universe title, the winner of the Miss Universe Malaysia title will also receive a monthly salary from the Miss Universe Malaysia Organization, and more than RM200,000 in prizes.

She will join the ranks of past title holders including Nadine Anne Thomas, Deborah Henry, Andrea Fonseka and reigning queen Kimberley Leggett, who have all gone on to great heights in their respective careers since winning the pageant.

The top four finalists will each receive a full scholarship from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology to pursue any course of their choosing while the remaining finalists will receive a 50% scholarship from the university.

“The Miss Universe Malaysia pageant is not only the most prestigious beauty pageant here, but unlike other pageants, where people only recognize the pageant winner, all the finalists of the Miss Universe Malaysia pageant in the past have become household names,” added Fonseka.

She explained that this is in part due to what the pageant stands for, which is to enable young women like these, to realize their dreams and to become role models to others with the message that success, in whatever we choose to do, is attainable. She also stressed that candidates need not win the pageant to achieve their dreams.

“These girls have already come a long way to make this thus far in the pageant, and are on their way to doing great things. I am proud that last year’s finalists are all doing well for themselves. Second runner-up Boon Lu Xanne is now a motivational speaker, third runner-up Juanita Ramayah is now a radio DJ for a major radio station while another finalist Suchitra Kumar even had a stint on TV as a veejay. To put it simply, being in the pageant has been life-changing for these girls,” she commented.

The pageant in Malaysia, part of the greater international Miss Universe franchise, owned by real-estate moghul Donald Trump, will take on a similar reality TV series format as last year, but with some exciting twists. The series, titled The Next Miss Universe Malaysia, will see the finalists living together in a “BeautyCamp”, a beautiful bungalow in Bandar Setia Alam, official venue sponsor for the pageant. The series will be aired over six episodes on 8TV later this year. This will culminate in a grand finale, which is expected to take place in December at the S P Setia Convention Centre.

Speaking on S P Setia’s involvement with the pageant, Mr. Tan Hon Lim, Divisional General Manager of Bandar Setia Alam Sdn. Bhd. said, “S P Setia is proud to be part of this event which will be held in our new Setia City Convention Centre in Setia Alam. It is a befitting event to mark the opening of the convention centre and an honour for our flagship township to welcome the beautiful ladies of this year’s Miss Universe Malaysia pageant.”

More information, log on to Miss Universe Malaysia 2013.

Miss Universe Malaysia 2013 Finalists Revealed!

The Miss Universe Malaysia 2013 finalists have been revealed, and here is their first video interview! Advertlets is the official social media partner of Miss Universe Malaysia 2013!

More at http://fb.com/advertlets