The country launched its first ever 'talking' newspaper with The News Strait Times and Friso, the client of Media agency Universal McCann.

Three days ago, NST readers in the Klang Valley were surprised when they opened their copies of the newspaper to discover an audio box featuring a cheerful banter of a mother and her child involved in a fun learning activity.

'Growing Up Together' (GUT), an event  by Friso taking place at various locations across the country was part of the message to encourage mothers to participate.

"Adding the rich dimension of sound to the static print medium is an innovation that opens up new possibilities for brands to make a distinctive difference," says Prashant Kumar, President,  Mediabrands Asia and CEO of Universal McCann and Initiative Malaysia.

"There is a certain uplifting joy in the fun playful banter of a child and her mother that we wanted to bring to mommies in Malaysia first thing in the morning. Adding voice as the third dimension to the newspaper brings surprise that breaks the media clutter and delight that cuts through the brand clutter," he added.

The campain by Friso's 'Growing Up Together' was designed in a way to support mothers seeking new interesting fun ways to speak with their children.

"Modern mothers are inspired by the joys of motherhood, and they enjoy playing an active part in their children's growing up process," says Rahul Colaco, Marketing Director, Dutch Lady Malaysia.

He adds "They want to indulge and grow with their kids in a holistic manner - physically, mentally, and emotionally."

A virtual world in an interactive tunnel (a giant iPad application) will be up at each Friso GUT event. Parents and their children can team up to play interactive games projected onto the walls and floor of the tunnel.

There will also be other activities which includes customising their own t-shirts, badges, hanging mobiles, and making their own toys at the craft stations.

"With such a cutting-edge technology-enabled platform, we also needed an equally innovative approach in striking an emotional chord with mothers. NST was a willing partner in creating the country's first 'talking' newspaper which created the desired buzz," explains Kumar.

The sound bytes are also run on the iPad with the online versions of NST, with three audio books that can be heard in the website, or opened by scanning a QR code in the print edition.

The campaign is also drawn-out to many key radio stations, Facebook, and various digital platforms.