Brands are Going Wild on Threads & People are Loving It

If you’ve opened Threads lately, you’ve probably noticed something strange (and in some weird way, oddly comforting). 

Brands are no longer “Dear valued customers”-ing us. They’re joking. They’re replying nonsense. They’re even arguing with each other, for… fun? 

And somehow, it works. 

So, here’s a welcome to an era where Malaysian brands have stopped sounding like corporate entities and started behaving like that one friend who’s so chronically online. 

When Brands Ditched the Script

For years, brand social media followed a familiar formula. 
Polite, polished, safe, and… slightly soulless.

Then Threads arrived. And instead of pushing promotions, brands hopped on the bandwagon of posting raw thoughts and random observations that feel like they belong in a group chat. Not so much a marketing deck.

This shift has turned brands from distant advertisers into community members. Audiences are responding instantly with likes and replies, and reposts are flooding feeds because, for once, the "corporate voice" sounds human.

Slang, Sarcasm, and a Little Bit of Chaos

What makes Malaysian brand Threads so addictive is the hyper-localised humour injected into every post. It’s "Malaysia-coded" marketing that uses:

• Colloquial terms and short forms like “fr”, “lah”, “weh”, “kan”
• Cultural references that need no explanations
• Nonsensical replies that just somehow makes sense 
• Casual roasts (not mean, just cheeky)

ZUS Coffee has mastered this by committing to a persona who isn't afraid to flirt with the nation.

Perhaps there’s a new strategy unlocked here: 

Brands aren’t just writing copy to sell; they are using language, written to belong.

Threads Isn’t a Billboard, It’s a Conversation

Unlike Instagram or Facebook, Threads doesn’t reward overly produced content. 
Real-time, back-and-forth banter is what’s getting the eyeballs.

Like this interaction between Watsons and Setel.

It’s this kind of real-time, cross-brand interaction that turns a corporate account into a community asset.

They reply to customers. They reply to other brands. They reply to randoms who didn’t even tag them. And in doing so, they’ve turned their profiles into living, breathing comment sections rather than the usual snoozefests static pages are known to be.

Like this 😭 Watsons had me CRACKING 😭😭😭

This might remind some of when Western brands roasted each other on Twitter (X), but the Malaysian version is "less savage, more sembang". It’s less about a clapback and more about those "eh, same lah" moments.

It's giving raw and right-from-the-gallery.

Malaysia, truly Asia type struggle.

Whether it’s AEON Retail sharing random amusing musings or RTM asking everyone’s dreaded “what’s for lunch?”, the humour isn’t about winning the internet — it’s more about fitting into it.

The Algorithm Loves Local Energy

Now, there’s a strategic reason for the madness. Because Threads’ recommendation engine prioritises discovery and meaningful interactions over follower count.

So when brands sound Malaysian, talk Malaysian, and joke Malaysian, they’re not just being entertaining; they’re being discoverable. 

And the hyperlocal algorithm recognises that relevance, so relatability becomes reach and conversation becomes visibility. 

In short — being "real" is now a performance metric.

No Hard Sell, Still High Impact

The most successful brands on Threads aren't "hard-selling". They stay in the "subtle sell" zone, focusing on brand love and recall.

Threads isn’t where people buy; it’s where they decide they like you. 

And in a market where consumers are increasingly cynical about ads, being "liked" is a powerful competitive advantage.

So… Should Every Brand Jump In? 

Not blindly. This approach works when: 

• Your brand knows & understands its audience
• Your tone feel natural, not forced (avoid "try-hard" energy)
• You’re okay with being imperfect

At DOX, we see Threads as proof that brand voice matters more than ever. 

The winners aren’t the loudest; they’re the ones hitting closest to home. Because in a world where everyone is shouting to sell, the brands we remember are the ones that sound like they belong in the room.