Mother Shanghai has launched its first campaign for Beats by Dre, a campaign that combines modern and traditional culture to illustrate the versatility of Beats Flex to GenZers returning home for the New Year holidays, one of the most important moments in China’s commercial calendar. 

Lunar New Year is our planet’s biggest annual mass migration of people. Hundreds of millions of people return to celebrate the passing of time – and share wishes for good fortune. Chinese New Year is an intricate blend of traditional rituals and modern culture. For the Chinese, it is a time to show all that has been happening in the year, and a time when perceived status still matters. But when the year of the Rat (2020) turned into a year most would rather forget, the measurement of status shifted in many people’s eyes, especially those of GenZ. Mlother’s research showed that there is a rapidly growing undercurrent valuing experiences and stories collected as far more important than monetary worth.  

So Mother’s campaign combines the traditions and this insight to into an illustrative approach that tells positive stories of different kinds of riches. The campaign, which will run across a range of media up to New Year (February 12), takes inspiration from Nian Hua, a traditional form of Chinese illustration, one that has added significance at Lunar New Year, telling stories within images. Mother Shanghai worked with Seoul-based illustrator and animator, Inji Seo, to create its beautiful artwork. 

• Story 01: A pro gamer flexes his achievements in the gaming world. It might sound like a waste of time, but he’s turned gaming into a successful career.

• Story 02: Two love birds flex their affection for each other in a time when relationships and commitment are the biggest concern amongst traditional parents.

• Story 03: A girl flexes her muscles and confidence, proudly showing off her strength in a place where traditional beauty comes in a petite size 2.

• Story 04: A content creator flexes his ideas and influence. Instead of aiming for followers and profit, he’s merely sharing his original (and sometimes weird) thoughts with the world.

Kim Liu, creative at Mother, commented, “Working with Inji, we took inspiration from traditional Nian Hua, and updated with a modern twist to present a collection of art that has GenZ swag, attitude and surrealistic cultural elements through colour-saturated and contemporary-styled illustrations.”

Credits:

Agency: Mother Shanghai
Creative: Mother Shanghai
Strategy: Mother Shanghai

Typographer: HeFan
Illustrator: Inji Seo

Production Company: Hamlet China
Producer: Duffy Du
Executive Producer: Yimeng Zhang
Production Coordinator (Seoul): Simon Yi
Retoucher: Allen Chew