Burberry: No Sweetness Without Bitterness by BBH China

The arrival of spring every year signals that Chinese New Year is once again upon us, but with lockdowns across much fo the world, celebrations this year are likely to be muted. Fittingly, then, Burberry’s new ad for 2021 makes subtly nods at how much Covid-19 has changed the way people celebrate the most important occasion in the Chinese calendar.

Millions of people travel within China for New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, in February, but with China is currently battling its worst outbreak of Covid-19 since last summer (recording over 1,000 new cases so far this month) the country’s largest national holiday is under threat from Covid-19 for the second year running.

Officials have locked down four cities that house roughly 22 million people and carried out mass testing to keep the disease at bay, while local governments are urging residents to stay at home this year instead.

Created by BBH China and starring Burberry ambassadors, Zhou Dongyu and Song Weilong, the six-minute spot opens with a young girl wondering how spring looks like outside. As the young girl grows up and goes through life, she realises in ‘there is no sweetness without bitterness‘.