Chinese New Year 2021, the Year of the Ox, will fall on February 12th this year. For Chinese people, it is a golden time for retail. One month leading up to Chinese New Year, many Chinese people shop for new clothes, food and gifts for families and friends.
Some brands customize their product packaging to appeal to Chinese customers.
Credit: Purdys.com
Besides putting an ox on your products, how can you attract audiences in this shopping season? Here are five examples of Chinese New Year marketing selected by our team.
Burberry: Big budget? Make a movie!
Burberry released a short film entitled, “A New Awakening” starring local influencers Zhou Dongyu and Song Weilong to celebrate the coming of Spring — and to feature their exclusive capsule collection for the Year of the Ox.
The film was initially screened in five cities, with tickets available only through the brand’s WeChat Mini-program. The full movie became available online after the screening. This approach successfully combines online and offline events, building stronger relationships with the target audiences.
Gucci: The young and connected
The Chinese New Year special edition of Gucci features Doraemon, a famous Japanese anime character. Created in 1960, this cat-like robot satisfies all your desires, and it has huge influence on Chinese youth. Users on Weibo – the Chinese equivalent of Twitter and a popular platform for entertaining content – can get an icon of Doraemon after their names by adding the hashtag #Doraemen x Gucci# to their post. Promoted by influencers (KOLs), this tag received 230 million page views in less than two days!
In an effort to boost its presence in the digital world, Gucci also joined Alibaba’s Tmall ahead of Chinese New Year.
Pepsi: Cheering up delivery workers
Pepsi has been running its annual Chinese New Year campaign, “Bring Happiness Home” for 10 years. This year, the popular brand is collaborating with Ele.me, one of the largest delivery platforms in China, to express appreciation for delivery workers.
Pepsi released a mini movie featuring a delivery person who works for Ele.me, acted by Chinese actor Pan Yueming. Ele.me also hosts an interactive H5 game where users can earn drinks for delivery workers. During the pandemic when delivery service has never been so important, Pepsi’s campaign has reflected its commitment to social responsibility and received tons of positive comments.
Orion: A snack with a hidden surprise
The chocolate cookie brand Orion provides Chinese New Year wishes with their mystery boxes (盲盒), one of the latest trends in China. Each special-edition cookie comes with a Chinese character printed on it: “wish”, “good”, “dream”, “can” or “realize”. The packaging carries 12 different questions, such as “Will I meet my true love in 2021?”. Open the bag and consumers will find the answer on the cookie!
This campaign is positive and engaging, making it the ideal choice for Chinese New Year parties. Interesting combinations of questions and answers go viral on social media.
Baicaowei: Nostalgic memories
Chinese snack firm Baicaowei collaborated with People’s Daily and National Treasure, a popular CCTV show introducing the stories behind antiques from major museums, to create Chinese New Year gift boxes. To promote the gift boxes, the brand set up an exhibition for Chinese New Year in Hangzhou. It brought back a newsstand and popcorn machines popular in the 1980s. Passersby could get free samples wrapped in newspapers, make popcorn themselves, or be photographed in vintage newspapers.
By connecting itself with symbols of Chinese history, Baicaowei aligns with the renewed and rising passion for traditional culture among Chinese people.
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