Qeelin’s Chinese New Year campaign explores folk culture, earns praise

What happened On January 12, luxury jewelry brand Qeelin unveiled its Chinese New Year short film shot against the scenic backdrop of the Yu Long River in Yangshuo, Guangxi Province. Brand global ambassador, Chinese actress Liu Shishi dressed in elegant traditional attire, dons Qeelin's distinctive Wulu series jewelry and gracefully navigates the river, holding a lantern-shaped gourd symbolizing peace and prosperity. The Yu Long River stands as the longest tributary of the Li River within Guangxi's Yangshuo region. Qeelin draws creative inspiration from the local villagers who, during significant festivals, organize the "Thousand-Meter Golden Dragon Parade" along the river. Bamboo rafts link forming a nearly kilometer-long "golden dragon" that carries the wishes of the people of Yangshuo for favorable weather, national prosperity, and individual well-being. The Jing Take When advertising creativity centered around the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Dragon stands out as one of the most challenging symbols to capture. The difficulty lies not only in the absence of a standardized answer to this theme, with many subjective interpretations, but also in distilling the commonalities between the mythical totem of the dragon and brand image. In Qeelin's short film, a jewelry brand deeply rooted in Eastern culture has presented a response that combines new year cultural appeal with innovation. The dragon is a symbol of auspiciousness in Chinese culture, representing harmony, prosperity, and other positive connotations. Worldwide, the Chinese community celebrates various traditional festivals and occasions through established customs like dragon and lion dances, dragon boat races, and lantern festivals. However, Qeelin chose not to tread the familiar path. Instead, they took a different approach, exploring the local traditional folklore of the "Golden Dragon Parade" in the Yulong River - a distinctive regional tradition relatively unknown to the public. Even for Chinese audiences, Qeelin's interpretation is refreshingly novel. Several users on Xiaohongshu remarked that "the scene is incredibly beautiful and awe-inspiring," with some expressing a desire to visit Guilin, captivated by the short film. Blending ancient charm with modern interest, ties well with Qeelin's consistent brand tone, reflecting continuity. Over the past few years, the brand has reinforced its exploration of Eastern culture through various initiatives such as appointing local musician Lay Zhang as its brand global ambassador on Qeelin's twentieth anniversary. Through the "Golden Dragon Parade '' short film, Qeelin captures the intersection of historical roots and future prospects, local culture, and universal values, underpinning a lunar Dragon Year marketing campaign it also showcases Yangshuo and the preservation of traditional folklore and local community. The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.

Qeelin’s Chinese New Year campaign explores folk culture, earns praise

On this page

Published January 16, 2024

Sectors

Insights

Company

Qeelin’s Chinese New Year campaign explores folk culture, earns praise