5 Emotional CNY 2025 Commercials That Will Leave You Teary-Eyed

I know you are wondering what led to this sudden change in my tone after my ‘outburst’ against Chinese New Year ad campaigns following the clichéd template of unexpected and emotional reunions in our previous blog on CNY 2025 commercials. After all, what’s more clichéd than an emotional CNY advert? But you see, sentiments are to CNY adverts what Santa is to a Christmas commercial; they are inseparable. And my biggest grouse against CNY adverts isn’t their sentimental aspects but their overly repeated storylines. I am all for soul-stirring CNY commercials, especially if they are backed by festive storytelling.

And brands have left no stone unturned in doing that. So, here we are with 5 emotional CNY 2025 commercials that celebrate love, heritage, and sacrifice.

1. Mediacorp Drama: Lucky Lucky!

Is it even a Chinese New Year ad if it doesn’t involve a bit of drama? Speaking of drama, there could be no better option than Singapore’s national media network, Mediacorp, to stir it up as it did in its heartwarming CNY 2025 advert.

The ad follows the Chong siblings who strive to recreate their late grandma’s dumplings for New Year, searching for the lost recipe. Amid the chaos, their mischievous dog Lucky stirs up trouble, leading to a heartfelt journey of love and family.

Watch this lovely short film to find out why I’m so big on emotions when it comes to launching an ideal CNY campaign.

2. Knife Delicious: Always Be There

Happiness might often seem like an elusive dream. But a closer look will tell you that happiness has always been there on your side in various forms like the encouragement of our families, the joy of our favorite dishes, and the treasured moments spent together.

This beautiful short film by the popular Hong Kong cooking oil brand Knife revolves around a young guy named Ming, who works hard to provide for his family but feels like he has failed to take care of his mother after his father’s demise. However, his father’s memories of motivating him and a heart-to-heart conversation with his mother lift his spirits.

What happens next will surely bring a smile to your face, especially if you feel like life has been too hard on you.

3. RHB Group: Wealth

RHB has made it a habit to showcase real-life stories as part of its CNY campaigns year after year. And it’s no different this season as the Malaysian financial services brand dished out this gem of an ad.

The ad revolves around the true story of Tan Swee Ban, who sacrificed his job, his house, and even his health to run Peace and Harmony Home, a not-for-profit nursing centre that takes care of the sick and elderly. Standing firmly behind him is his mother, who has been his biggest pillar of support and to whom her son is the wealthiest of all people despite not having a stable job or a big house. His big heart is enough to make her feel proud.

And why not, after all, true prosperity isn’t in what we own, but in the legacy we create through our actions!

4. McDonalds Malaysia: The Wish

Chinese New Year wishes carry deeper meanings that go beyond just words, as seen in this moving advert by McDonalds Malaysia.

The ad follows Jane, who dreads wishing her grandmother on Chinese New Year due to the continuous goof-ups that she has made with her wishes year after year, reducing her to the butt of all jokes amongst her cousins and aunts. So, when she arrives at her grandma’s place to wish her this Chinese New Year, everyone gets their phones out, as they wait in anticipation to record any goof-up that she may make again.

However, when have wishes ever relied solely on words? It’s the emotion behind those words that count, and Jane and her ‘popo’ perfectly understand those!

5 IJM Land: The Lasting Frame

In today’s rapidly evolving world where technology is leading the way, Malaysian property developer IJM Land has released an advert that’s enmeshed in tradition and innovation.

The ad revolves around a man who inherits a photo studio from his father after his demise but ironically doesn’t have any photos with him. But his daughter uses AI to merge their pictures and breathe life into it and create a small video where the father and son pose for the camera, thereby, helping him preserve his connection with his father.

Could there be a better “Ang Bao?” I don’t think so!

Wrapping Up

And that’s a wrap of some of the most emotional CNY 2025 commercials that embodied the spirit of the Chinese New Year. Honestly, this has been a tried-and-tested formula for CNY campaign success. If you get the conceptualization right, you might hit the jackpot with your CNY ad too.

We’ll be back with more CNY 2025 commercials for you. Till then, stay tuned!