Get ready for a thrilling Lunar New Year as brands across East and Southeast Asia shine with digital marketing brilliance! This festive season, Tết Nguyên Đán or the Spring Festival, offers extraordinary opportunities for businesses to capture audiences through influencer marketing on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, emphasizing cultural sensitivity and storytelling over mere festive hues. Explore the vibrant Asia-Pacific market with insights from five standout campaigns, uncovering savvy social media strategies and collaborations with top marketing agencies to create unforgettable brand experiences.
Marketing During Lunar New Year: A Snapshot of Asia's Booming Market
Lunar New Year: A Time of Booming Consumer Spending
Lunar New Year remains a golden opportunity for brands across Asia to capture consumer attention, especially in countries like China and Vietnam. In January 2024, Vietnam’s Tết sales are expected to reach 524.1 billion VND ($21.5 billion), marking an 8.1% increase from last year. Similarly, China saw a 30% rise in tourism revenue during the 2023 Lunar New Year, totaling 375.8 billion yuan ($52.7 billion). These numbers highlight the enormous potential for brands to engage with consumers during this festive period.
A Shift in Strategy: Caution and Creativity in 2024
However, with the looming global recession in 2024, brands, particularly in Vietnam, are becoming more cautious with their investments. This shift has led to a noticeable cool-down in social media discussions, especially in E-commerce, E-wallets, Family Care, and Personal Care—which previously made up 50% of the conversation. Despite this, some sectors have seen an 80% growth in online engagement, reflecting a more strategic and targeted approach from brands aiming to stand out in a more discerning market. Companies like Apple and Burberry are leading the way by blending cultural sensitivity with innovative marketing tactics, proving that even in a cautious market, there’s still room for creative success.
Top 5 Successful Lunar New Year Campaigns in Asia
1. BMW CHINA 2024- "Project Jupiter"
Category: Beverage
Notable Activities:
14-minute mockumentary titled "Project Jupiter"
Collaboration with celebrities, influencers, and notable figures
Full campaign rollout across cinema, online TV, social media, and dealerships
Development of red-themed Lunar New Year decorations and merchandising packs
Embracing Tradition with ‘Project Jupiter’
BMW China’s “Project Jupiter” taps into the superstition of Ben Ming Nian, the zodiac year that recurs every 12 years and is believed to bring uncertainty. In 2024, the Chinese New Year campaign embraced the Year of the Dragon, leveraging BMW’s own "birth" in this zodiac year to create a culturally immersive and playful narrative. Instead of avoiding the superstition, BMW creatively wove it into a humorous, engaging campaign that resonated deeply with its audience, blending tradition and modern marketing in a memorable way.
The Red Luck Theory and Cultural Connection
At the heart of the campaign is the Red Luck Theory, rooted in the belief that wearing red brings good fortune. BMW took this tradition further by transforming its headquarters, production lines, and even employee attire into a sea of red, reinforcing the theme of luck and joy. Through red-themed decorations for dealerships and consumers, BMW blended cultural respect with modern marketing, showcasing how brands can effectively merge tradition with contemporary storytelling to resonate deeply with local audiences.
2. UNILEVER VIETNAM 2024 - "Lam Ban Gieo Hy Vong"
Category: FMCG
Notable Activities:
Tết music video "Mai! Má về" featuring renowned artists
Community program "Spring Bus – Hope 2024" bringing workers home for Tết
OMO's Lunar New Year Campaign: Spreading Hope with 'Getting Dirty'
For the Year of the Dragon, OMO continued its well-known "Ngại gì lấm bẩn" (Don't fear getting dirty) spirit with a heartfelt Tết music video titled "Mai! Má về". Featuring celebrated artists like People's Artist Bạch Tuyết, People's Artist Việt Anh, Hòa Minzy, and Hứa Kim Tuyền, the video embraces Southern Vietnamese culture with touching lyrics that reflect traditional values, spreading the message of perseverance and hope.
Detailed Analysis: From Music to Meaningful Community Action
OMO expanded their Lunar New Year marketing campaign with the community initiative "Spring Bus – Hope 2024", partnering with Thanh Niên Newspaper and the Youth Worker Support Center in Ho Chi Minh City. This program successfully brought 1,500 workers home to celebrate Tết across 14 provinces. The campaign also extended to TV programs like "Hope 2024" on VTV, which shared inspiring stories of overcoming adversity, alongside interactive activities like the "Hope with AI" contest and card games to engage the public in spreading positivity.
3. DBS SINGAPORE 2024 - "Huat is in the Air"
Category: Bank
Notable Activities:
Limited-edition Huat Eau De Parfum distribution (2,500 bottles).
Integration with DBS’s popular QR Ang Bao digital gifting feature.
Blending Tradition with a Fresh Scent of Prosperity
DBS Bank’s Huat Eau De Parfum campaign is a creative response to the evolving nature of Lunar New Year gifting in the digital age. Partnering with The Secret Little Agency (TSLA) and Oo La Lab, DBS launched a limited-edition perfume inspired by the crisp scent of freshly-minted banknotes and festive red packets. Designed to spread prosperity and "huat" (good fortune), the perfume adds a novel sensory layer to the bank’s already popular QR Ang Bao feature, where users can digitally send money in place of traditional red packets.
Adding a Sensory Experience to Digital Gifting
DBS's campaign successfully connects tradition with modern digital convenience by addressing one of the concerns of digital gifting: the absence of physical sensations. The Huat Eau De Parfum, with its notes of aldehydes, ink, and musk, mirrors the scent of fresh money and red packets, bridging this gap. Customers can add a spritz of this fragrance to their QR Ang Bao, elevating the digital gifting experience while maintaining cultural relevance. The scent, available through pop-up events and ATMs, further strengthens DBS's position in blending tradition with innovative banking solutions, offering customers an exciting and nostalgic way to celebrate Lunar New Year.
4. FENDI x Pokémon CHINA 2024
Category: Luxury Fashion
Notable Activities:
Collaboration with Fragment and Pokémon franchise.
Launch of products featuring Pokémon dragon-like creatures.
Integration of virtual and physical assets in Pokémon Go.
Fendi’s 2024 Chinese New Year Campaign: A Playful Fusion of Nostalgia and Modernity
Fendi embraced East Asia’s "meng (萌)" culture, which celebrates cuteness, with a modern twist on traditional dragon imagery. The campaign aimed at connecting with Gen-Z consumers by incorporating animated, game-inspired dragon-like creatures. Fendi kicked off its Lunar New Year marketing on social media platforms as early as mid-December, bringing a fresh and playful approach to the festivities.
A Blend of Cuteness, Collaboration, and Influencer Marketing
In 2024, Fendi creatively fused playful design with luxury by collaborating with Fragment, founded by Hiroshi Fujiwara, and the iconic Pokémon franchise. The collection featured beloved Pokémon characters—Dragonite, Dragonair, and Dratini—on Fendi’s signature handbags, T-shirts, and plush toys. This collaboration tapped into the Anime, Comics, and Games (ACG) market, resonating with China’s Gen-Z by blending nostalgia with modern gaming culture.
To amplify the campaign, Fendi leveraged influencer marketing by involving newly appointed #FendiAmbassador Song Yuqi and Luo Yizhou, who visited the #FendiFRGMTPokemon pop-up store in Chengdu, Taikoo Li. Their presence helped drive social media buzz, boosting engagement with younger audiences. The campaign also incorporated Pokémon Go digital assets, seamlessly merging virtual and physical experiences. With over 140 million reads on the hashtag #FendiFRGMTPokemon by January 2024, the campaign successfully captured the attention of young consumers, combining influencer marketing, cultural nostalgia, and luxury fashion.
5. TIGER MALAYSIA 2022 - "It's the year of the Tiger - Make it yours"
Category: Automotive
Notable Activities:
3D Tiger display on LED screens at Pavilion Mall, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
Collaboration with global ambassador Son Heung-min
Launch of NFT collection and AR experiences
Localized events and installations across multiple countries
Global Brand Ambassador: Son Heung-min’s Role in Tiger Beer’s Campaign
At the start of 2022, Tiger Beer announced Son Heung-min as its Global Brand Ambassador. As Asia’s new football hero, Son represents young people who dare to dream big, take risks, and never give up. His partnership with Tiger Beer inspires individuals to overcome their fears and unleash the "inner tiger" within them, encouraging them to pursue their ambitions in the Year of the Tiger.
Localizing Malaysia’s Culture and Community Engagement
Tiger Beer localized its Lunar New Year ads by incorporating Malaysian culture through activities like the 3D tiger display in Kuala Lumpur, live music, and interactive games such as "Swipe & Win" and "Find the Tiger." The campaign also used augmented reality (AR) to let visitors engage with a virtual tiger and send personalized New Year greetings.
To further appeal locally, Tiger Beer collaborated with Malaysian artists for "Roar Together" art installations across eight locations, featuring Malayan Tiger sculptures to raise awareness about wildlife conservation. Additionally, they launched an NFT collection in partnership with Pestle & Mortar Clothing, with 30% of the proceeds supporting local street artists and musicians.
This campaign successfully blended digital innovation with cultural relevance, highlighting community engagement and conservation efforts. Tiger Beer’s Lunar New Year ads celebrated the Year of the Tiger while strengthening its connection to Malaysian culture and audiences.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Lunar New Year marketing offers a huge opportunity for global brands to captivate Asian audiences with creativity and cultural nuance. By skillfully merging traditional elements with modern trends like gaming, nostalgia, and influencer collaborations, brands such as Fendi and Tiger Beer have successfully engaged with younger, affluent consumers. These campaigns go beyond mere celebration, establishing deeper cultural connections and showcasing the vast growth potential that awaits in the Asian market during this festive season.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Lunar New Year marketing?
Lunar New Year marketing involves promotional strategies brands use to engage consumers during this major shopping and cultural event in Asia, blending traditional elements with modern trends to connect with local audiences.