MGTO’s official TikTok account debuts Indonesian and Thai mini drama series filmed in Macao. In a revolutionary style from traditional marketing, cultural tourism content is created in the form of mini drama series, tailor made as the first of its kind on TikTok. Consisting of 22 episodes in total, the two series have won over 180 million views in aggregate. Gaining wide popularity among audiences in Indonesia and Thailand, the series create trending topics about Macao and enrich the destination appeal and experience for overseas visitors, attracting young travelers in particular for a Macao vacation teeming with memorable moments for social media.
Filming in Macao highlights cultural tourism and community vibes
The innovative productions integrate drama narration and destination marketing, weaving the city’s landmarks, cultural characteristics and travel experiences together with the characters’ sentiments that unfold along the storyline. The creative blend of “mini drama series + destination branding” takes audiences to explore Macao immersively. A traveler’s dream is brewed in drama watching. The cityscape was filmed as the key backdrop of the stories spanning over ten iconic attractions including the Ruins of St. Paul’s, Travessa da Paixão, Macau Tower, Cotai and Taipa Village. Community gems and streets imbued with nostalgic aroma, such as Rua da Felicidade, Rua dos Ervanários and Hong Kung Temple, became the scenery of the stories as well. The drama series portray a panoramic picture of Macao’s cityscape, profound history and vibrant culture.
Keep going viral across Southeast Asia
The two mini series were released in Indonesia and Thailand in June and September successively, attracting over 180 million views of the 22 episodes. The highest single-episode view count neared 30 million. The dramas went viral and attracted many followers in both countries. Love between Time and Space, the Indonesian series released in June, has engaged over 100 million views and 1.40 million interactions so far, while the Thai series Switch Happen has garnered over 85 million views and nearly 500,000 interactions since its debut in September.
The mini drama series have continuously enchanted followers not just in Indonesia and Thailand but also from Malaysia and Myanmar among other Southeast Asia countries, radiating a pervasive impact across the regions and markets.
Popular drama series ignite travel interest and boost followers for MGTO
The duration of each episode is about 3 to 5 minutes. Capitalizing on the features of TikTok, the drama series create an immersive sentiment of drama watching on social media. Audiences can enjoy the dramas and diverse charm of Macao as they scroll through TikTok content. Since released until mid-November, the two series have enjoyed ongoing popularity with lots of followers who keep watching and interacting by comments. As a result, MGTO’s official account has gained a rising number of followers and overseas interactions. Some spectators commented that the series and stars kindled their interest in visiting Macao, while others expressed that Macao exudes a romantic aura beyond expectation. Their opinions indicate the dramas’ power in branding the destination appeal and energizing audiences’ intention to travel to Macao.
Localized productions for target markets
The two series are localized productions in Indonesian and Thai languages. The performance of local famous KOLs, scripts and lines, rhythm of emotions and cultural elements are tailor made to resonate with audiences in these target markets and raise the series’ popularity. Starring in the Indonesian series, Abi Albian and Aura Sekartika are famous Indonesian mini-drama KOLs followed by an aggregate of over 6.60 million fans on social media. On the other hand, ladyso.th, a renowned mini-drama influencer with over 5.70 million followers on TikTok, is a co-creator and star of the Thai series.
Explore the marketing potential of “mini drama series + travel experiences”
Since opening the official TikTok account in 2022, MGTO has released nearly 900 short videos in various languages, covering creative topics, introduction to iconic attractions, locals’ journey in Macao, community travel itineraries and tips, showcase of vibrant destination appeal and year-round calendar of events. There are over 3.10 million followers from Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and the Middle East. The total count of likes for the videos has exceeded 7.70 million.
MGTO will continue to foster creative productions on social media and expand the spectrum of languages and promotional angles. The Office will keep exploring the marketing potential of “mini drama series + travel experiences” in more overseas markets, engaging overseas audiences through content and style oriented towards the new generation. Innovative online content and cross-cultural narration will be harnessed to brand Macao as an ideal destination in international markets and boost visitor arrivals.
