Foreign brands are becoming savvier about marketing around Chinese festivals, particularly the culturally and commercially significant week-long lunar new year holiday. As the lunar new year festive period draws to a close, Qing Na from Dao Insights examines how Apple, McDonald’s and L’oréal created campaigns that won over chinese consumers.
Apple’s short film inspires young dream chasers in China
Apple took the CNY marketing battle to the next level this year. The US iPhone maker released a 23-minute short film entitled The Comeback, shot using its latest iPhone model (the 13), which had yet again sparked a buying frenzy in China upon its launch in September 2021. While the film and the huge amount of effort put into its production attracted widespread attention, what really wowed Chinese consumers was the story, which explored the conflict between progress and staying true to one’s routes.
The film tells the story of a son who failed to achieve his dream of being a film director in a big city and returned to his hometown. After overcoming the frustration of his failure, and with the support of his father and local villagers, the son finally produced his first film, which also turned the forgotten village into an Internet sensation.
The video resonated with Chinese viewers because of its portrayal of hyper-local issues such as urbanisation, which has been one of the biggest social trends in China in recent years. It also put the value of being together with family — one of the main parts of Lunar New Year celebrations — at the forefront. By creating marketing based around hope and chasing dreams, combined with those of familial bonding, Apple tapped into the desires of its largest consumer demographic and regained its position as the largest phone provider in China.
Read More at https://focus.cbbc.org/three-foreign-brands-that-nailed-their-lunar-new-year-campaigns-in-2022/