TikTok Launches #ilovearts Campaign in Partnership with the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation and the National Craft Institute

      

In-app campaign launches in conjunction with National Craft Day 2019.

Kuala Lumpur, 6 March 2019: TikTok, the world's leading destination for short-form videos, has partnered with the Malaysian Handicraft Development Corporation (Kraftangan Malaysia) and the National Craft Institute (NCI) to launch its #ilovearts campaign, in conjunction with National Craft Day 2019.

This inaugural campaign compliments the 17^th annual National Craft Day event organized by Kraftangan Malaysia, under the purview of Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC). With the theme 'Culturising Craft in Lifestyle', this year’s event seeks to encourage the usage of local craft products in today's lifestyle by showcasing the best craftwork and craftsmanship from all over Malaysia. The #ilovearts campaign echoes MOTAC’s sentiment and invites crafters to share their artistic talent and best craftwork on TikTok, in an effort to further promote Malaysia’s unique craftsmanship to a wider, global audience online. 

Speaking on the partnership, NCI Senior Director Zainal Abidin Bin Che Pa said that the industry recognizes the role of technology in its effort to promote Malaysian’s unique craftsmanship globally. “We see arts and crafts as an important economic enabler that highlights our unique cultural identity as Malaysians. It is therefore important to drive interest for it, not just within the Malaysian context, but also a wider global one. By partnering with a digital platform like TikTok, our crafters are able to share their expertise and talent with others from all over the world. We are hopeful that partnerships like this would open new opportunities for our crafters to go beyond our shores and obtain international exposure, resulting in a greater appreciation for Malaysian arts.”

The partnership saw TikTok recently holding a workshop at the NCI on leveraging its platform for its students to amplify its talent. The workshop focused on short video-creations and encouraged digital adoption to amplify Malaysian arts. As a result, there was an encouraging response from its students who have already used TikTok to showcase their unique artwork. Using the #ilovearts and #institutkrafnegara hashtags, some of the artwork featured includes:

• http://vt.tiktok.com/J8AY4S/ (ceramic)

• http://vt.tiktok.com/J8rvgA/ (batik)

• http://vt.tiktok.com/J85uBd/ (rattan)

• http://vt.tiktok.com/J8TSNn/ (wood)

• http://vt.tiktok.com/JLFStV  (weaving)

• http://vt.tiktok.com/JLYvN6/ (metal)

As a company that celebrates passion and creative expression through its short-video platform, the #ilovearts initiative resonates with TikTok’s mission of capturing and presenting the world's creativity, knowledge, and moments that matter by enabling everyone to be a creator, “said Donny Eryastha, Head of Public Policy, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, TikTok. “We are honoured to be collaborating with NCI and Kraftangan Malaysia through this initiative that aims to bring Malaysian art, heritage and tradition to the rest of the world.”

Malaysians from all over the country will also be able to take part in this campaign, which runs until 11^th March 2019. Participants stand a chance to win prizes worth RM6,500, including smartphones, exclusive craft items and 1-day interactive course at the National Craft Institute. For more information on the #ilovearts campaign, visit https://www.tiktok.com/share/challenge/20010370. 

With a global community across 150 countries and covering 75 languages, TikTok is used by millions of users daily to express themselves through singing, dancing, art, and more. In addition to hundreds of millions of user-generated videos, the platform has attracted major artists, launched social media influencers, and featured original content from some of the largest entertainment companies.