Article by ICG member Felicia Schwartz, China Insight.
Usually the Oscar nominations and Chinese New Year campaigns fall around the same time of the year, giving rise to similar discussions in marketing and other circles as to “who did best?“
The answer lies not just in creativity, but as usual, in resonating with culture.
Symbols and meaning; for starters, the Chinese New Year is a moment laden with symbolism, a sphere in which Chinese culture seems to excel. For starters, Chinese characters are a vast code set, conveying meaning rather than phonetics as in Western languages. China’s millennia-old culture also produced complex symbol frameworks like the yin and yang, the 5 elements and the 12 animal-based zodiac system amongst others. Brands who explore the deeper meaning of these symbols not only gain credibility but can stay away from cliché and sameness. As such, Prada’s depiction of a snake via a queue-up of celebrities seemed awkward, whilst Loewe’s shone with its focus on the deeper meaning of “renewal”, using dance to portray the seasonal journey of the snake, as did GANNI, whose collaboration with artist Manshen Lo features contemporary illustrations inspired by dreams and transformation symbolizing hope for the new year.
Beliefs and Mysticism; Beyond referencing symbols in a nod to Chinese culture, brands will do well to understand that purchase motivations are often linked to “Yu yi”, a search for auspiciousness. Media platform Jing highlights the reconnection of young Chinese with beliefs and superstition in an era of uncertainty. More profoundly, Chinese culture draws on different traditions of thought than the West does, where beliefs and mysticism sit more equally alongside science and “modernity”. Neo-taoism, divination methods like the Yi-Jing (I-Ching) and energy practices e.g. Feng shui are trending topics on social media, whilst beliefs around colours and numbers are ubiquitous in daily life. Referencing an ancient Chinese saying about auspicious energy (紫气东来), Valentino’s version of Lunar New Year luxury focuses on wild purple, under the tagline, “Purple beginnings, red strings of fortune.” Other brands just “luck out”: Van Cleef & Arpels’ iconic Alhambra series has become hugely popular due to the association of its colored stones with the Five Element, and Bulgari, renowned for its iconic snake motif, is naturally riding high on its “Serpenti Infinito” immersive art exhibition in Shanghai at the dawn of the snake year.
Emotional content; “Yue Ji” denotes a new consumption trend amongst young Chinese consumers who place greater emphasis on emotional (and mental) balance value, thus spending on their interests rather than on material pursuits. Brands like Lululemon well-capture the emotional essence of Spring in a sensorial brand film depicting mental renewal, and the hope that real and metaphorical Spring brings, balancing out internal struggles. Arc’teryx meanwhile focused on the snake’s traits of wisdom, creativity and boldness in its calligraphy inspired design by @rostarrstudios and film featuring ice climber Zhou Peng and Emei martial arts inheritor Ling Yun. It connects with Gen’Z and appeals to their sense of adventure and discovery by featuring / educating about niche outdoor pursuits. Meanwhile luxury brand Miumiu hinges its 2025 CNY campaign on highly localized, quirky “encounters” from a vinyl listening party in Shanghai to a flower boat voyage in Guangzhou to popups with ice-skate bikes at Beijing’s Shichahai ice rink, responding to young consumers appetite for surprise and close-up brand experiences.
So to go back to the initial question, is there is a recipe to a successful CNY campaign? If so, it probably hinges on any brand connecting its DNA in a meaningful and creative way to CNY’s symbols and more crucially to the context of cultural mindset and meaning.