[Watch] Throwback Deepavali OG Ad: When PETRONAS Made Hip-Hop History

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Twenty-two years ago, national oil company PETRONAS produced a humorous Deepavali TVC that went on to become one of its most memorable commercials—”Boyz In Da Hood” didn’t just sell fuel, it captured something true about growing up caught between cultures.

The storyline featured two hip-hop Indian boys strutting around in baggy clothes trying to look cool like MTV stars, until an elderly relative steps in to deflate their pretensions with quiet wisdom.

One character’s decision to shorten his name from Muthusamy Karrupiah to just “Sam” showed how some people try to hide their cultural background when they want to fit in or appear more modern and successful.

What made this OG Deepavali ad work was the recognition factor—anyone who’s ever felt torn between honouring tradition and embracing what’s new saw themselves in those boys.

The commercial was the brainchild of director Yasmin Ahmad, who understood that the best way to talk about cultural identity was through laughter rather than lectures.

This throwback ad struck such a chord that it’s still being shared on social media today, remaining the OG standard for what a Deepavali advertisement can be when it dares to be both entertaining and meaningful.

PETRONAS has built a reputation for thoughtful festive ads, but “Boyz In Da Hood” stands out as something special—it was both uniquely Malaysian and universally relatable, respectful of tradition yet genuinely funny about teenage awkwardness.

The commercial’s lasting popularity shows what audiences really want from advertising: they don’t just want to be sold to, they want to be understood and maybe even gently teased about their own contradictions.

As we celebrate this year’s Deepavali, advertisers continue trying to create meaningful festival content, but few have captured the perfect balance between humour and heart like those two boys who thought they were too cool for their culture.

The ad taught them (and us) that the coolest thing might just be knowing where you come from.

In a world where viral content burns bright and fades fast, this throwback proves that the best stories make us laugh at ourselves and keep us coming back for more, even decades later.

It remains the gold standard for what a Deepavali advertisement can achieve when it dares to be both entertaining and meaningful.

Some years back, the boys even reunited, proving just how iconic this ad had become in Malaysian culture.

READ MORE: [Watch] Malaysian YouTuber’s Record-Breaking Deepavali Project Gets Trashed By Kid In Two Seconds

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