‘520’ = ‘I LOVE YOU’

The numeric pronunciation of '520' in Mandarin Chinese sounds like 'I Love You', and that is how the localized version of Valentine's Day in China was born. 

For this year's 520 celebrations, as the economy is re-opening in China with eCommerce leading the way, brands are using storytelling and new trending content formats to connect with consumers on Douyin, WeChat and Weibo.

CASE 1
DOUYIN SHORT FILM
MASTER KANG'S JASMINE TEA

Douyin has quickly risen as a powerful social media platform. The platform is the original TikTok, and in fact, both are owned by ByteDance. With short-form videos and live streams, Douyin is THE platform for fashion, beauty, and consumer goods influencers to collaborate with brands.

Recently, the trend has been for brands to create short films on Douyin, using a storytelling format to promote new products, and Master Kang's Jasmine Tea released this 520 video featuring male celebrity Li Xian. 

The short film, of course, depicts a love story ending with the girlfriend taking a sip of the new floral flavored tea the boyfriend created, which was inspired by their relationship.

The brand released a short 30-second teaser clip for the short film, and users can click on the 'link card' on the bottom left to view the full video on Douyin, which is close to 5 minutes long.

CASE 2
OLAY Short Film
'Who Will Love You Forever?'

520 has transformed from a day just for couples to a day where all love is celebrated, translating into gifts for anyone you love in your life. 

OLAY celebrates enduring friendships this year on May 20th, sharing a short film with hashtag "Bestie 202005201314" (the numbers '1314' mean 'now and forever' in Chinese). 3 pairs of childhood friends are shown supporting each other through thick and thin. Whether it's saving their wedding bouquet for their bestie, celebrating a big work win, or missing the concert of a lifetime to be with your bestie, this short film shows us why friendships are worth celebrating.

CASE 3
WeChat Photo Contest
"Her Way" by Lincoln

Why this campaign is interesting:

1. Lincoln traditional has been a more masculine brand, so it's interesting to have a campaign branded entirely for the female audience.

2. They are using a WeChat Mini Program to encourage user-generated content.

The steps to enter are quite simple, but what caught our eye is that once you tap into the mini program, there are videos showcasing road-side assistance and remote booking/service via an in-app chat. Both videos feature a female driver / car owner. 

CASE 4
Estée Lauder's Weibo Video
"Confess Your Love for Yourself"

520, the 20th of May, is known as the day where you confess your love. While tradition was for couples to confess their love for each other, the celebrations have expanded to encompass our love for our friends (like in the Olay campaign) and ourselves!

Estée Lauder's 520 campaign encourages women to love themselves. Until recent years, it was the norm for Chinese women to marry in their early 20s, and brands are now celebrating self-love and the concept of how one does not have to be in a relationship to be happy. 

There are always different pockets of consumer behaviour that diverge from the current perceived worldwide trend, which at the moment, would be short videos on TikTok and live streaming everywhere (given the state of covid).

In China, online short films like the ones featured in this post show China consumers now want more storytelling behind the brands they consume. They have become more discerning in evaluating the brands they consume, and therefore align their personal brands with.

What will you do with this cultural insight? We recommend you consider different content formats for each region your brand is in, and take a closer look at what works for each audience. Challenge your team to adopt and try new creating new types of content, so you are ready when the time comes.