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By Shawn Lim, Reporter, Asia Pacific

January 20, 2021 | 2 min read

You may not be anywhere near the office water cooler right now, but we still want to spotlight the most talked about creative from the brands that should be on your radar. Today, we look at Burberry’s latest ad ahead of Chinese New Year.

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‘.

She then embarks on a journey to seek new adventure, rediscover her purpose in life and embrace the unknown.

“Spring has always been about new beginnings. But CNY 2021 is like no other. Coming off an unprecedented year of upheaval and disruption, it is important for the brand to reflect and remind our audiences that new awakenings and discoveries can still be had, albeit from within,” said Kelly Pon, the chief creative officer at BBH China.

“As long as we embrace the spirit of exploration and adventure. And this is a message that only Burberry, a brand steeped in a history of designing and providing clothing for fearless explorers can tell.”

Burberry Chinese New Year Marketing

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