Nike delights with a new Wieden + Kennedy Shanghai spot celebrating the Chinese New Year tradition of gifting red envelopes filled with money.
The ad was debuted on Facebook by Shanghai-based John Che Lin, Nike’s senior director brand communications, who wrote, “Proud to launch the first ever Nike CNY spot. Proud of the team behind it. Happy Chinese New Year one and all, regardless of where you’re from.”
In the visual, an aunt attempts to give a money-filled, lucky red envelope (hóngbāo in Chinese) to her niece, who goes to hilarious lengths to politely resist as instructed by her mother. By the end of the video, the shoe is literally on the other foot. Shot in China, the main characters speak to each other in Chinese, though the video includes English subtitles.
Traditionally, hóngbāo is given to children by married adults who are earning money and the video implies the aunt’s single status is why the girl has been instructed to push back on the gift.
The video also references virtual hóngbāo, a practice started in 2014 by WeChat that is now widely popular.
Check out the spot below.
