How to Celebrate Lunar New Year Without Embarrassing Your Brand

Welcome back to The Friday Fortune! The red envelopes are out, the firecrackers are primed, and somewhere, a kitchen is working overtime to make sure everyone eats their weight in dumplings for a year of prosperity.

That’s right, Lunar New Year is here, and brands are jumping into the celebration headfirst. But while some will strike gold, others will...well, let’s just say, embarrass themselves into the Year of the Cringe.

Each week, we bring you sharp marketing insights from top strategists and bold brand leaders. This time, we’re diving into the high-risk, high-reward world of cultural event marketing.

Let’s get into it.

Lunar New Year isn’t just another excuse for brands to slap a dragon on something red and call it a day. It’s a massive, deeply meaningful celebration for millions of people. And if you’re a marketer, it’s one of the best opportunities of the year to create something that actually resonates.

But here’s the catch: you have to get it right.

We’ve all seen the brands that totally biff it—cringe-worthy campaigns that feel about as authentic as a Canal Street Rolex.

Cultural symbols slapped on without context. Holiday “celebrations” that are really just sales disguised as sentiment.

When that happens, people notice. And they don’t forget.

But when brands actually do their homework, the impact is huge.

The Ones Who Nailed It

Nike’s annual Lunar New Year sneaker releases are a masterclass in getting it right. The 2024 Year of the Dragon sneaker drop infused real storytelling into every design detail—right down to a Jumpman-branded red envelope tucked into the packaging. It wasn’t just a shoe; it was a thoughtful nod to tradition.

Burberry went next level, teaming up with Qian Lihua, one of the most influential bamboo-weaving artists in China,to create a beautiful collection including outerwear, a trench dress, and jersey separates. Of course they had, Chinese actor and Brand Ambassador Zhang Jingyi in the lookbook too.

Instead of just using cultural motifs, they worked with someone who actually lives and breathes the craft. The result? A collection inspired by the unbreakable ties of family, with nine handwoven sculptures displayed in flagship stores in China. That’s how you blend art, culture, and brand storytelling the right way.

And then there’s Jo Malone who took a different route, using short-form video on Chinese social platform Rednote to showcase its special-edition Lunar New Year scent packaging. Different brands, different strategies, same core lesson: know your audience, and show up where they are.

And a couple weeks ago, OpenFortune partnered with the Sacramento Kings and Red Hawk Casino for a Lunar New Year celebration of our own.

Only fitting for the kings of fortune cookies 😉.

All fans at the Kings vs Warriors game received fortune cookies with Kings-themed fortunes + a QR code pointing to an exclusive 'Scratch n Win' experience.

To say it was a hit was an understatement:

→ 4000 scans in 24 hours (~25% of the Golden 1 Center!)

→ Hundreds of thousands of social impressions

→ Countless smiles on fans' and players' faces

🥠 The Cookie Jar

Crack open a handful of the week’s best marketing links—because good fortune favors the curious.

• Consumer spend on generative AI apps hit nearly $1.1B in 2024. People are paying for AI and the numbers are wild.

• A powerful storytelling trick that every marketer should steal. One ad got 36 million views!

• The surprising power of a simple fortune. How one cookie sparked millions for Duolingo.

• The hottest new duo is Ellie the Elephant and Grimace. Move over, Taylor and Travis.

That’s a wrap for this week’s Friday fortune.

Loved this edition? Send it to a marketer who appreciates good branding (or just enjoys a well-placed fortune cookie pun).

Until next time, may your marketing be memorable and your cookies always be fortunate!

— The OpenFortune team