For the Chinese New Year, TikTok is not only offering heartfelt messages, but reminding its users of the importance of Chinese traditions.
The social platform collaborated with creative agency Fred & Farid Shanghai to create and launch its Chinese New Year campaign featuring Chinese star Andy Lau. The campaign, which references the traditional Hongbao custom of giving red envelopes filled with money as a gesture of good wishes, brings a unique approach to the tradition. Instead of focusing on the amount of money, the campaign aims to show how sincere messages can go a long way.
As part of the campaign, the brand and agency released a 2-minute spot that shows Lau writing the ups and downs of the past year. As he continues, he explains that TikTok has prepared red envelopes for everyone and although there are no fortunes, it still remains as a small gesture that brings new insight. The spot ends with Lau hoping the custom of the red envelope develops into better communication.
“This campaign reimagines the beloved Chinese tradition of giving out Hongbaos,” Feng Huang, CEO and executive creative director at Fred & Farid Shanghai, said in a statement. “With the saturation of Hongbaos being offered by various brands throughout the year, we saw an opportunity to bring back the true essence of this custom.”
New year, new meaningful message
For Fred & Farid Shanghai, the importance of bridging tradition and engagement with consumers is a vital way to connect with consumers. This approach has also been a notable movement for brands such as Nike and Apple as they continue to invest in Chinese New Year campaigns.
“In 2019, TikTok China introduced Hongbaos as a means of connecting with consumers and in 2023, they have allocated an unprecedented 2 billion RMB as rewards,” Huang said in a statement. “Our aim is to reinvigorate the social aspect of Hongbaos.”
You can view the spot on TikTok.
