Nike’s Lunar New Year ad is more than just capturing a cultural moment.
In celebration of the 2020 Lunar New Year; marking the Year of the Rat. Nike launched a 90-second ad along with their Lunar New Year campaign. Nike’s Lunar New Year ad captures the cultural moment; the exchanging of red envelops ‘hong bao’. More importantly it sheds light into the growing responsibility corporations have in diversity and inclusion.
The ad portrays the humorous exchange between an aunt and her niece. After the child politely declines the gift. The exchange escalates into an extreme game of cat and mice.
You have to applaud Nike for the exceptional job they’ve done here. They’ve seamlessly weaved their brand into the narrative without feeling like they are shoving their products down your throat.
They’ve done so through the injection of humor, storytelling to the action-packed cinematography.
Nike’s Lunar New Year ad is an example for all.
It’s a great example of how to respectfully tap into a cultural insight as a corporation. Some may question their intent and argue that their sole purpose is to monetize on the occasion. Rather it couldn’t be further from the truth in the way they approached and executed the ad.
The devil is in the detail.
It’s evident in the amount of detail. From the styling of set to the iconic Asian bob haircut (we’ve all had one, myself including). They have even thought through the use of red. If you weren’t aware, Red is symbolic for good luck and to ward off evil spirits.
Localization = relevance.
Nike’s focus on localizing their experience is how they achieve success in staying relevant to an ever-diverse audience.
Whether the original intent was for the Chinese audience. It should be noted that such message sends ripples through Nike’s global network. Highlighting the importance of celebrating race and culture.
To kids who sees this, they see part of their own reflection staring back at them.
If you haven’t seen the ad, watch it here.
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