How to Lead the Horse Race in the CNY Ad-Blizzard

Every year, we eagerly anticipate the feast of Chinese New Year content. From heartfelt short films and laugh-out-loud comedy bits to vibrant music videos, these aren’t just festive mood-setters – they are a masterclass in how brands battle for a share of the spotlight during the season’s peak ‘ad-blizzard’.

In such a saturated landscape, simply “being present” isn’t enough. To lead the horse race and ensure your brand doesn’t get buried under the red and gold flurry, you need a strategy that marries cultural resonance with technical precision. Here is how your brand can break through the noise.

1. New Year, New Branding

Festive marketing often falls into the trap of clichés. To truly stand out, your brand identity must be robust enough to adapt to seasonal themes without losing its core essence. This starts with a foundation of strong branding in Singapore.

We believe that every festive touchpoint – from a physical red packet to a digital greeting – should be an extension of your brand’s DNA. If your current identity feels dated, a fresh logo design for the company can act as a catalyst, signalling a modern, forward-thinking approach that resonates with the digitally-native “Gen Z” and Millennial shoppers who now drive significant CNY spending.

For example, during one of Singtel’s CNY campaigns, they did a soft ‘rebrand’ of its digital presence. Their 2025 “Once Upon a CNY” campaign didn’t just add a red filter; they reimagined their brand through the lens of AI and innovation by integrating AI-generated aesthetics and futuristic “multiverse” themes into their traditional red-and-gold assets. This shift transformed their public perception from a “staid telco” into a “warm, tech-forward companion.” By pivoting their branding in Singapore specifically for the festive window, they achieved over 56 million views across their festive film library, proving that a seasonal rebrand can drive massive engagement.

2. Master the Art of the “Thumb-Stop”

In an ad-blizzard, attention is the rarest currency. This is where digital copywriting becomes your most potent weapon. It’s no longer just about wishing your customers “Gong Xi Fa Cai”; it’s about crafting a narrative that hooks them in the first three seconds.

Whether it’s a witty social media caption or a compelling headline for a display ad, our creative agency specialises in storytelling that balances tradition with modern flair. We move beyond generic greetings to create emotional “micro-moments” that turn a casual scroller into a loyal advocate.

Instead of starting with a generic “Happy New Year” greeting, Apple’s CNY ads always lead with a cinematic, high-stakes visual and a narrative hook – like a child dealing with a unique insecurity or a supernatural mystery. They capture the “rare currency” of attention by making the viewer feel like they are watching a blockbuster movie rather than a commercial.

3. Optimise the Path to Purchase

There is little point in winning the attention race if the finish line – your checkout page – is broken. As a holistic integrated creative agency, we bridge the gap between creative inspiration and commercial conversion.

With the surge in festive gifting, your ecommerce development must be flawless. A slow-loading site or a confusing navigation path is the quickest way to lose a customer to a competitor. We ensure your online storefront is not just visually festive, but high-performing, mobile-responsive, and ready to handle the holiday traffic spikes.

As a giant in branding in Singapore, FairPrice understands that CNY is a logistics and traffic marathon. In their recent 2025 campaigns, they didn’t just stop at TV ads; they used first-party data to ensure that high-intent shoppers were guided directly to the right products on their app and web store.

FairPrice integrated “Sponsored Product Ads” directly into their search results. If a user searched for “Abalone” after seeing a festive ad, the system ensured the checkout-ready product was the first thing they saw.

By ensuring their ecommerce development could handle high-velocity searches and provide a “one-click” path to the cart, they saw a 10.3 times return on their ad spend and a 3.72% click-through rate, proving that the “finish line” is only won when the search-to-cart journey is frictionless.

4. Levelling Up with Government Support

Scaling your creative ambitions doesn’t have to be a solo financial burden. Many Singapore-based SMEs are unaware that they can offset the costs of transformation through various grants.

• Enterprise Development Grant (EDG): If you are looking to undergo a deep brand transformation or strategic marketing overhaul, the Enterprise Development Grant can provide significant support for qualifying projects.
• Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG): For businesses looking to adopt pre-scoped digital solutions, the Productivity Solutions Grant is an excellent resource to kickstart your digital marketing or ecommerce journey with reduced overheads.

Most SMEs assume campaigns like this are out of reach—until they realise they can be grant-supported. As a seasoned partner, I Concept Singapore guides you through the integration of these resources, ensuring your CNY campaign is as cost-effective as it is creative.

We’re Huat You Need for Marketing Success

The journey to outpace the competition doesn’t have to be a solo sprint. Whether you are looking to leverage the PSG for agile digital marketing or a full-scale EDG project to revitalise your company’s image, I Concept Singapore is your dedicated partner at the starting gate.

We believe that true festive transformation happens when creative brilliance is underpinned by rigorous technical precision. By ensuring your logo design for the company, visual aesthetics, and brand identity authentically reflect your unique DNA, we help you transition from simply appearing as a market leader to truly operating as one. We don’t just chase fleeting seasonal trends; we architect identities designed to endure long after the last firework has faded.

Crafting Human-Centric Narratives

In an era saturated with AI-generated noise and generic festive templates, a genuine “human-to-human” connection has become a premium commodity. To lead the race, our expert writers craft narratives that empower your brand, weaving sophisticated digital copywriting that cuts through the static to connect with your audience’s hearts.

We prioritise authenticity over mere automation, creating brand stories that foster lasting trust in a world governed by algorithms.

Precision Performance

This storytelling is matched by our technical expertise. Our ecommerce development team treats your platform as a high-performance engine, transforming your website into a streamlined, lead-generating machine. We understand that a beautiful festive story is only effective if the platform supporting it is flawless.

Don’t Just Compete, Dominate the Season

The CNY ad-blizzard is relentless, but with the right partner, it is also a season of unparalleled opportunity. By focusing on authentic branding, sharp copy, and robust digital infrastructure, your brand won’t just survive the festive rush – it will lead it.

Ready to gallop ahead of the competition? Contact us to find out how our integrated solutions can transform your festive strategy.