As 2020 begins, the Chinese are counting down to the Chinese year of the Rat (鼠-Shu). It is a good time for brands to build an emotional connection with Chinese consumers by launching seasonal products or special editions. Therefore, a host of brands have taken action, especially cosmetics brands. Let’s take a look at some of the more interesting new-year marketing campaigns.
Rat
Many brands are using rats or mice in their advertising or package design. Some brands directly cooperate with famous brands and IP like Disney’s Mickey Mouse.
SK-II
Facial treatment essence, a star product from SK-II, aka “fairy water” for Chinese consumers, launched its joint packaging using Mickey Mouse IP. Consumers can currently purchase this big red bottle printed with Mickey's head in mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and some other Asia-pacific areas.
Innisfree
Innisfree, is also cooperating with Disney and are using a range of Disney IPs, including Mickey Mouse, on a variety of daily and makeup products. Products are printed with a range of Disney IP including Mickey, Donald Duck, Goofy, and other cartoon images. Basic products include care sets, skincare sets, hand cream, nail polish, and moisturizing spray while makeup products include a six-color blush plate, lip glaze, colored lip balm, and loose powder.
Maybelline
Maybelline is also cooperating with Disney to use the Mickey Mouse IP. Instead of using the Mickey Mouse image, Maybelline uses just the outline of Mickey's head's on their products, as shown below.
Etude House
Etude House chooses to cooperate with Tom and Jerry. A series of products have changed their packages.
Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein launched a special version of its perfume. The small red bottle is printed with a small stick figure of a mouse head. Its slogan is “鼠(rat)你当红," meaning "You are popular."
Clinique
Clinique redesigned its popular "cheek pop highlighter," changing the package design from a daisy flower to a cute mouse.
Other traditional Chinese symbols
Fenty Beauty
To celebrate the Chinese New Year, Fenty Beauty has launched a gift box with the Chinese character “福", meaning blessing. The black brush lettering is printed on the red and gold packaging.
Make Up For Ever
Traditional Chinese handicraft lanterns have been added to the packaging of Make Up For Ever's New Year collection. Lanterns are a symbol of reunion and a means of creating a festive atmosphere. The products in this collection are powder, makeup brushes, and makeup plates. This brand even made its makeup brushes red.
Estee Lauder
Estee Lauder's unique series of products for New Year 2020 include lipsticks and Advance Night Repair, aka little brown bottle for Chinese fans. They are packaged with red as the background and embellished with auspicious "golden clouds."
Perfect Diary
The domestic makeup brand, Perfect Diary, is using fireworks as their main design theme for their New Year Limitation Gift Box. From ancient times to the present, fireworks symbolize liveliness and joy, representing countless people's good wishes for the New Year.
Red and Gold
Also, some brands aren’t using any new- year symbols and have instead changed their products’ package to red and gold, which are two representative colors of Chinese New Year.
Elizabeth Arden
Elizabeth Arden launched a Spring Festival Limited product this year for the first time, its “red jacket” gold capsule essence.
NARS
NARS has been a regular player in Chinese new year’s marketing campaigns. This year, it launched a series of products with red and gold colors.
Bobbi Brown
Bobbi Brown launched two kinds of New Year 2020 Collection. One of them is designed by Dan Funderburgh, a Brooklyn-based illustrator, artist, and wallpaper designer with the theme of flowers. The other is with the theme of Chinese knots.
Chanel
Chanel also launched its special version product for Chinese New Year. Compared with other brands, the design is much simpler.
For Chinese consumers, the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) is no doubt, the most important festival. Localizing products based on traditional Chinese festival culture is a perfect marketing strategy to appeal to consumers. The spring festival is no doubt a good time for global brands to do marketing campaigns, which can help them leave a good impression on Chinese consumers at the beginning of a year. To do this, brands must have a good understanding of Chinese culture and figure out what kinds of design Chinese consumers really enjoy.
Reference:
All brands’ SNS, RED, Taobao.com
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