27 Feb FOCUS DOUYIN : The Latest & buzz-worthy CNY Campaigns

Chinese New Year represents a perfect opportunity to engage with consumers in China and deepen emotional and cultural connections. Douyin, as one of the leading domestic social media platforms with more than 766M MAU (Nov 2024), emerged as the main battleground for brands to compete for visibility.

TCP identified two standout campaign themes on Douyin during this festive season: the subtility of Chinese humor-driven content and the celebration of traditional Chinese culture.

1. FUN AND ‘ABSTRACT’ CONTENT IS ALWAYS WELCOMED ON DOUYIN

The humorous tone perfectly captures Douyin’s essence as a platform that delivers deep entertainment value.

• Yi Li 伊利:  creates amusement with Mini Drama*

@Yi Li, one of the top Chinese dairy brands, leveraged comedic storytelling through branded mini drama* ‘The Legendary Nine (九粒传奇)’. The brand collaborated with the popular comedian @Jin Jing, aka Jin Nine (金九粒). Her subtle interpretation of Chinese humor, integrating cultural & societal elements and combined with the woven storyline, captivated the audience. The video series has reached 4M likes and 40K shares.

*Mini drama is a lively, fast-paced series or standalone stories, which has gained huge popularity in China in recent years.

• Rio Drinks (锐澳): Found The Perfect Tipsy Match

@Rio is a Chinese alcoholic beverage brand known for its ready-to-drink cocktails. Through a short video on Douyin, it partnered with actress @Yan Ni, known as the “Queen of Tipsy Charm,” to amplify a carefree spirit and a relaxed, uninhibited attitude. In the video, Yan makes funny but adorable mistakes at the workplace and created the buzz on Douyin with 10K likes and 51K shares.

“It doesn’t even feel like she’s acting! Which genius came up with this idea (of collaboration)?” – Douyin user

2. CELEBRATING THE INTANGIBLE CULTURE

 Young Chinese are showing an unexpected interest in traditional handicrafts and folk culture. According to Douyin 2025 Spring Festival Consumption Report, the intangible culture related transactions saw a 139% YoY increase, with a 122% YoY growth in the number of consumers during CNY holiday.

• Lego: When Modern DIY Meets Traditional Crafts

The Danish toy brand @Lego also participated in celebrating Chinese heritage. It partnered with 3 intangible culture KOLs to introduce traditional Chinese handcrafts including woodblock painting (木版年画), cloisonné enamel (掐丝珐琅), and dough figurines (面塑) with Lego creative products. It reached 57K likes and 2K shares in total, underscoring deeper cultural connections by blending heritage with creativity.

• Loewe: Smoothly Narrates the Craftsmanship

Instead of using traditional CNY symbols like red color and the Chinese Zodiac, @Loewe developed a series of artistic short films posted on Douyin, showcasing various Chinese cultural heritages. It collaborated with @Zhang Xiaodong, a master kite-maker from Weifang, to create handmade kites shaped like snakes, it also incorporated the art of Chinese shadow puppetry (皮影戏), with artist @Shen Xintong and teamed up with renowned Chinese artisan @Xiong Songtao to unveil high-end jewelry and Nest bags crafted using the traditional cloisonné enamel technique (景泰蓝). Loewe’s different approach was highly praised on Douyin, where the campaign received widespread appreciation.

@ Zhang Xiaodong                          @Shen Xintong                             @Xiong Songtao

TAKE-AWAY:

Building on the successful strategies outlined, staying ahead of emerging trends and deepening our understanding of Chinese cultural heritage and specificities are key to truly connecting with local consumers. Equally important is adapting to the unique dynamics and language of each social media platform to maximize impact and engagement.

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