Malaysia – The celebration of Chinese New Year has not been the same for everyone since the pandemic hit in 2020. Seeing that most of us have been unable to ring in the new year as we once did for the past two years, many are now eager to kick off 2022 with the best possible Chinese New Year festivities.
With this in mind, marketing communications agency Naga DDB Tribal and Watsons Malaysia have collaborated to release a festive piece based on the common sentiment of wanting to amplify the celebration this year — by welcoming the new year with a sense of revitalized hope and energy, making it “a grand and epic celebration.”
Titled ‘大阵仗过靓年’, which translates to ‘Celebrate The Grandest #HappyBeautifulYear’, the short film is inspired by the Mandarin word, ‘功夫’ (gong fu), which could either mean ‘Kung fu’ or ‘effort’. Naga DDB Tribal said this gave the team the freedom and idea to play with the word’s double meaning, which also became the premise for the film’s main message to Malaysians – keeping them entertained and engaged in a martial arts comedy that communicates the messaging — a wonderful #HappyBeautifulYear awaits as long as we put in the effort.
Caryn Loh, MD of Watsons Malaysia, explained, “After almost two years of battling the pandemic, Watsons, as the No.1 health and beauty retailer in the country, returns with the grandest celebration for Chinese New Year. Through this, we hope to inspire everyone that the grandest celebration comes from our hearts, and it’s with whom we celebrate that makes the celebration grandest. Together, we can embrace each other’s strengths and overcome any challenges to make this year’s celebration a grand one.”
Watsons Malaysia’s CNY campaign is further amped up with special appearances from an all-star cast which includes Han Xiiao Aii, Phei Yong, Amber Chia, Jinnyboy, Julie, Meeki, Mei Fen, Smashpop, and Wilbur.
Raphael Ang, head of Chinese copy of Naga DDB Tribal, said, “The star-studded cast, Watsons’ signature CNY melody, high production value, and the entertaining plot have made Watsons Malaysia’s CNY film the most anticipated CNY content over the years. For many viewers, content from Watsons during CNY is synonymous with the arrival of Chinese New Year and as such, we are mindful that our CNY film has a social duty in spreading good values and positive messages among Malaysians.”
The agency’s COO Clarence Koh also commented, “We believe that driving real-world business results requires us to create experiences that resonate with the audience through the conversion funnel. The film is a good starting point to generate interest and buzz for the brand but it’s not the only thing that mattered to us.”
Aside from the main film, Watsons Malaysia also produced a series of short video assets for the various digital platforms to highlight the wonderful deals that are available in-store and online. Watsons members stand a chance to win prizes worth over RM2.8 million when they purchase any Watsons products during the promotional period. Terms and conditions apply.
Watsons’ Grandest Celebration #HappyBeautifulYear, ‘大阵仗过靓年’, has accumulated over 6 million views on both Watsons’ YouTube and Facebook platforms at the time of writing.