MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Year of the Metal Rat is upon us, and brands are restless as ever to capture the essence of the occasion as everyone rings in the Lunar New Year. From the hundreds that released, these ten have definitely caught our hearts as they put their creative heads forward. Check out our list of our favorite CNY-themed ads for the year:
Apple – Daughter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvtwWhKdxhM&t=301s
Apple’s long-format Chinese New Year advert was directed by Theodore Melfi, while the photography was directed by Lawrence Sher. The ad tells the story of a single mom who drives around a cab together with her daughter, while the perspective was taken almost from inside a taxi every time.
Day to day, she gets asked what kind of mother she is for bringing around her daughter in a taxi. Her history unfolds as the film goes on—showing her own complicated relationship with her mother. Having ran away from home, there is no one else to take care of her daughter.
On New Year’s eve, she takes one last passenger and chances upon a woman who goes around on that night, every year, looking for her daughter to give her dumplings. The driver steps out of the car and joins her daughter and mother in the backseat.
The entire film was shot with iPhone 11 Pro.
Nike – Red Envelope
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPN2mQEsnd8
The Nike Chinese New Year ad shows a funny relationship between a girl and her aunt. Every year, the niece would refuse to accept her red envelope from her aunt who will not take no for an answer. A pair of Nike’s upped the game one year, when she can finally sprint into escaping her aunt.
The entire chase is like a game of cat and mouse, with the two insisting that the other is more polite. That, set to the background music of Nancy Sinatra’s Perhaps, sets Nike’s 2020 mindset: Hold Nothing Back this Lunar New Year.
TNB – #RealityNotVirtual
This advert hits right on the funny bone. From the looks of it, you’d think that this is one for a new smart phone or a new VR technology. Extremely quirky, this ad is set in an office where Bryan receives a VR headset from his mother when he said he could not come home for the New Year.
Through the VR headset, his family brings to him traditions: reunion, delicacies, red envelopes, dragon dance, and fireworks. Everything feels realistic for Bryan because all the while, he has been making a ruckus in the office. His boss allows him to go home and be with his family because celebrations are best experienced in real life.
AirAsia – The Boy and The Lion
From the perspective of a kid, nothing is too sophisticated. On a first-time visit to China, Joshua narrates his adventure and his search for Mr. Lion. He looks for him in the clouds as he looks by the window seat of his plane, in his grandma’s house, and even in his own shadow.
Joshua’s point of view touches on traditional Chinese elements of a new year’s celebration. He eventually gives up on his search for Mr. Lion until he hears a faint drumbeat from their backyard one night. Joshua’s long wait is over because Mr. Lion turns out to be the lion in the traditional dance to celebrate the coming year.
MCI – Birthmark
Talk about sacrifice. Birthmark has a powerful messaging that comes in the tale of a father and son. A young boy lives his life matching everything with his father: haircut, costumes, and down to a blotch of black birthmark etched on his face. The young boy soon grows up to be a man and realizes his physical difference among men of his age. He curses his face for being like his father’s. The movie then rewinds into the time of the son’s birth and shows his father’s ultimate sacrifice: to get a facial tattoo identical to his son’s unsightly birthmark.
Airbnb – Fú
This heartwarming animation tells the story of a little girl who posts the Fu banner upright. Her father corrects it by flipping it upside down, and their little interaction is captured by the mom with a camera.
It becomes a lighthearted tradition over the years until the girl had to move out and work in the city.
One time, her dad receives a call informing him that she cannot go home. This is where Airbnb enters the scene as instead of asking the girl to come home, her parents come to her and books a place to stay in through the app. Just like old times, they spent the new year having dinner, watching fireworks, and flipping the Fu banner upside down. The reunion she’s been looking forward to happened at an Airbnb.
Singtel – His Grandfather’s Road
Singtel’s ad is a refreshing one in terms of story line, elements, and characters. Two families go into a stand-off (or a car-off) when they block each other’s way. Deciding to out-wait the other family, they all take out their phones to entertain themselves—playing mobile games, watching Korean drama, and eventually ordering food through Singtel. The friction between the two families gets more rough as one of the delivery guys arrive early.
The two moms step out and diffuses the tension by announcing the engagement of their favorite Korean celebrities. They also recognize each other as distant relatives and have decided to share the delivery food into a hearty lunch.
Petronas – Bao Bei
What would happen if your wardrobe can talk? This ad by Petronas answers just that.
The clothes come to life and every piece of clothing has a story to tell. They are cut into tiny hexagons and pieced together by Ah Ma. As the pieces come, they share the story of the family member who has worn them through first dates, graduations, and even every night to sleep.
The Ah Ma ceremoniously presents to her family a beautiful quilt blanket made from the entire family’s clothes; each one recognizes their shirts and all gather around the new wearer of their pieces, a baby being welcomed into the family.
Oreo – When Everything is Red
Chinese New Year is auspicious when it comes to the color red and Oreo’s Chinese New Year makes good use of this. The prospect is simple: a kid who wants to eat a plate of Oreos in front of him but cant have one until everything is red.
He practices his martial arts moves and quietly whispers into the objects to turn red including the pineapple lantern, a red vase, and his mom’s dress. When he decided that he was ready, he closes his eyes in front of the Oreos and his mom swaps the plate for a plate of red velvet Oreos. Now hee can finally enjoy his favorite Oreos in a new flavor.
License to Adult
We all have that one relative we want to avoid during reunions – that uncle or aunty who is loud and proud about their past achievements when they were your age. Eatspring Investments’ Chinese New Year ad opens with this character who overwhelms his nephew at the doorstep. He boasts of how he used to have many girlfriends and already had a house and car when he was his nephew’s age.
The awkward nephew politely takes everything in until he was thrown this question, “When will you become an adult?” He shows to his proud uncle his investments at Eatspring Investments. This sends his uncle into speechless disbelief, and immediately earns his respect.
Honorable mention: Petronas’ 2008 CNY Ad: Nobody’s Child
Family is perhaps the most abused trope in advertising. It has had countless depictions (including those in this list) but Petronas’ 2008 advert by Leo Burnett Kuala Lumpur proves to be a powerful reminder of its importance.
This ad is not like any other; it opens in a school setting where we see Tan Tiam Hock in a classroom.They are tasked to draw a family reunion but he seems to be having a hard time following the teacher’s instructions and just gives her a toothy smile. After class, Tiam Hock says goodbye to his classmates and after everyone leaves, that when his smile smears into a frown. A woman comes to fetch him and he cries, they walk to their home which is revealed to be an orphanage.
Written by Ken Wong Woon Kian, the ad endures to this day because of its pull on the heartstrings and the strong signal it sends to cherish the family, no matter how flawed each member is.
Gong Xi Fa Cai, from all of us at adobo magazine!
