Chinese New Year 2025: The Year of the Snake and Its Impact on Marketing
The Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is one of the most significant events of the year in China and across Asia.
In 2025, we will enter the Year of the Snake, a powerful symbol of wisdom, intuition, and transformation.
For brands operating in China, this occasion is a golden opportunity to create engagement, enhance their storytelling, and tailor their communication strategies to a Chinese audience that is particularly receptive to cultural traditions.
The Year of the Snake: A Symbol of Luxury and Mystery
In Chinese astrology, the Snake is often associated with intelligence, strategy, and an air of mysterious elegance. Unlike the sometimes negative perception of snakes in Western cultures, in China, they are seen as noble and powerful creatures, often linked to success and adaptability.
The Snake also symbolizes refinement and charisma, making it a perfect emblem for luxury brands and high jewelry, which emphasize timeless elegance and sophistication.
Chinese New Year: Key Marketing Strategies for 2025
Launch Exclusive Snake-Inspired Collections
Brands can leverage the Year of the Snake by introducing limited-edition products that incorporate the traits and symbolism of this Chinese zodiac sign.
Customization for the Year of the Snake:
Fashion & Accessories: Incorporate serpentine motifs, scale-like textures, or snake-inspired patterns to evoke elegance and mystery. Handbags, jewelry, or apparel featuring sophisticated, sleek designs can captivate audiences.
Cosmetics: Offer packaging in lucky colors (red and gold) with subtle snake motifs or themes centered on transformation and inner beauty.
Technology: Release special-edition gadgets, such as smartphones or headphones, with symbolic snake designs highlighting wisdom and adaptability.
Storytelling Aligned with the Snake’s Traits
Crafting narratives that align the values of the Snake with those of the brand can attract consumers seeking a personalized and meaningful connection.
Customization for the Year of the Snake:
- Wisdom & Transformation: Personal development, education, and wellness brands can promote campaigns centered on intelligence, strategy, and personal growth.
- Strategic Adaptability: Financial services and tech companies can use the Snake’s metaphor to symbolize strategy, flexibility, and resilience in their messaging.
Interactive and Personalized Social Media Content
With Chinese consumers being highly engaged on social networks like WeChat, Douyin (TikTok in China), Xiaohongshu (RedNote), and Weibo, brands should leverage these platforms to create immersive experiences.
Customization for the Year of the Snake:
- Astrology-Based Interactive Quizzes: Allow users to discover how their zodiac sign interacts with the Snake and recommend related products or services.
- AR Filters & Effects: Create augmented reality (AR) filters that let users add serpentine accessories, crowns, or textures to their selfies or videos.
Luxury Packaging & Immersive Customer Experiences
Zodiac-inspired packaging and in-store experiences are powerful tools to attract and retain customers.
Customization for the Year of the Snake:
- Premium Packaging: Introduce high-end embossed designs resembling snake scales, using refined colors such as jade green and gold.
- Exclusive Themed Events: Organize calligraphy workshops, astrology readings, or special design sessions in flagship stores to deepen customer engagement.
Gamification & Exclusive Promotions
- Interactive Games: Develop a mobile game where users embody a wise and strategic Snake, overcoming challenges to win rewards or special offers.
- “Astrological” Promotions: Offer discounts or exclusive gifts based on the customer’s Chinese zodiac sign and its compatibility with the Snake.
- Collaborations with Local Artists: Work with Chinese designers to create limited-edition artwork and visuals celebrating the Snake’s elegance.
The Best Chinese New Year Campaigns 2024
Luxury brands compete in ingenuity to win over the Chinese market during the New Year. In 2024, some campaigns made a particular impact, combining cultural storytelling and innovative strategies.
Louis Vuitton: an artistic tribute to Chinese traditions
To celebrate the Year of the Dragon, Louis Vuitton installed five monumental golden dragon sculptures in its flagship stores in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. Created by Chinese craftsmen, these works have enabled the brand to reinforce its cultural roots and local commitment. The visual and immersive storytelling generated strong interaction on WeChat and Xiaohongshu, underlining the importance of an authentic and artistic approach.
Gucci x Disney: a playful and strategic collaboration
Gucci teamed up with Disney for an exclusive collection dedicated to the Year of the Rat, featuring Mickey Mouse. Photographed in the enchanted world of Disneyland, the campaign fused Western popular culture with Chinese traditions, appealing to a young, hip audience. By integrating iconic motifs into its collections and playing on nostalgia, Gucci was able to create a strong emotional bond with its Chinese consumers.
Lesson for 2025: Focus on a Cultural and Immersive Approach
These campaigns show that to successfully market Chinese New Year 2025, brands need to go beyond traditional symbols and offer immersive, interactive and meaningful experiences. Authenticity, strong storytelling and digital engagement will be the keys to a successful campaign for the Year of the Snake.
Relevant emotional and cultural positioning
Marketing in China relies on alignment with the local culture. To avoid the trap of opportunistic marketing, it’s essential to integrate cultural references in a subtle and authentic way.
Concrete actions to take
- Don’t limit yourself to the obvious visual codes (red & gold), but explore the values associated with the Snake: wisdom, intuition, transformation.
- Tell an inspiring story: Why does your brand embody the spirit of the Snake? How does the Snake symbolize your product?
- Rely on local experts: Work with Chinese designers or astrological historians to ensure a credible narrative.
Luxury Brands & The Year of the Snake: How to Capitalize on This Opportunity?
Emotional & Cultural Positioning
Success in China depends on how well brands align with local culture. To avoid opportunistic marketing, it is crucial to integrate cultural references subtly and authentically.
Key Marketing Actions:
Go beyond the obvious visuals (red & gold) and explore the deeper values of the Snake: wisdom, intuition, transformation.
Tell an inspiring story: Why does your brand embody the spirit of the Snake? How does the Snake reflect your product’s uniqueness?
Leverage local expertise: Collaborate with Chinese designers, historians, and astrologers to create an authentic and compelling brand narrative.
Bulgari could introduce a customization service for its Serpenti collection, where customers select gemstones corresponding to their Chinese zodiac sign to create a one-of-a-kind piece.
For Cartier or Bulgari:
Both brands could build a storytelling campaign centered on the Snake as a symbol of transformation, highlighting personal evolution and renewal, which resonates strongly with China’s younger luxury consumers.
Cartier could also collaborate with a WeChat influencer to launch a video series exploring “The Secrets of the Snake in High Jewelry,” blending education with subtle product promotion.
Limited-Edition Strategy & Exclusivity Tactics :
To enhance the desirability of these special collections, brands can create an aura of exclusivity:
- Limited Availability: Restrict the collection to flagship stores in strategic cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong.
- VIP Experiences: Host private events where customers unveil their jewelry through an immersive ceremony featuring calligraphy and traditional Chinese tea rituals.
- Numbered Pieces & Collector’s Boxes: Engrave personalized markings on each item to appeal to collectors and reinforce the feeling of exclusivity.
Digital Campaigns & Storytelling
Brands should craft compelling narratives around the Snake, highlighting its qualities and aligning them with their brand identity.
- WeChat & RedNote: Create interactive mini-programs or social media campaigns where customers explore their Chinese zodiac sign and its connection to the Snake.
- Douyin & Weibo: Collaborate with KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) to share stories about the Snake’s symbolism in luxury and brand heritage.
️ Personalized Customer Experience & Brand Engagement
Luxury brands should focus on tailored experiences and VIP services for loyal customers during this festive period.
- Premium Packaging & Personalized Gifts with Snake-themed motifs.
- Exclusive In-Store Activations: Live calligraphy demonstrations and art workshops inspired by the Snake’s symbolism.
How Can Brands Leverage the Year of the Snake?
Unlike more festive zodiac signs (such as the Dragon or the Tiger), the Snake embodies discretion, refinement, and strategic thinking, which aligns perfectly with luxury brand values.
Brands that embrace the Snake’s aura of mystery and elegance will establish a deep emotional connection with their Chinese audience.
By intelligently integrating the Snake’s symbolism into marketing campaigns, brands can transform 2025 into a powerful year for storytelling, differentiation, and customer loyalty.
How do you envision integrating the Snake into your marketing strategy?