As the Chinese New Year celebrations have come to a close, the iconic zodiac animal—snake—takes center stage. The snake is deeply embedded in Chinese culture, representing both ancient mythologies and contemporary beliefs. However, the snake also carries some negative connotations in Chinese folklore, often associated with venomous qualities or betrayal, such as in the tale of the "Farmer and the Snake" (农夫与蛇). These cultural nuances present challenges for brands looking to leverage the snake as a symbol in their marketing campaigns.
Brands must navigate these complexities and find innovative ways to transform the negative perceptions of the snake into positive emotional values. The key to successful marketing lies in breaking stereotypes and aligning with the sentiments of Chinese consumers.
Three Core Marketing Strategies for the 2025 Year of the Snake
Through our analysis, Double V has identified three primary creative marketing strategies shaping Year of the Snake campaigns in 2025. These strategies are essential for capturing the attention of both traditional and younger, tech-savvy consumers in China:
1. Emotional Value: Connecting with Gen Z's Emotional Needs
2. Collective Memories: Using Nostalgia to Enhance Engagement
3. Cultural Fusion: Blending Traditional and Modern Values
Let’s explore each of these strategies and highlight relevant brand examples to demonstrate how these approaches can drive consumer engagement.
1. Emotional Value: Building Deep Emotional
As Gen Z continues to dominate the consumer market, brands are increasingly moving beyond simple zodiac symbolism. Instead, they are using creative collaborations, such as IP tie-ins, to elevate the emotional resonance of the Year of the Snake, making it more appealing to younger generations.
The Dog Snake Diandian, a popular character combining the innocence of a dog and the snake’s traditional features, has become a cultural phenomenon in 2025. By softening the snake's typically intimidating image, the character has gained widespread popularity on social media platform Bilibili, where an animated clip surpassed 21 million views. The character embodies warmth and healing, making the snake endearing and accessible to consumers.
Several major brands have already partnered with the Dog Snake Diandian for the Year of the Snake.
● McDonald's Collaboration: McDonald's leveraged the cuteness of Diandian to promote the "Snake Brings Luck" campaign, cleverly integrating puns and homophones like "Shu Qi" (Fortune Fries) and "Jin Bao" (Fortune Burger) to enhance the festive theme and appeal to younger consumers.
Tea Hua Nong created a range of branded merchandise, including WeChat red packets, stickers, and bottle openers, designed to capitalize on the "collecting" tendencies of Gen Z. The release of these items generated significant buzz among fans and boosted both engagement and sales.
Takeaway for Western Brands
To connect with younger consumers, consider tapping into the "cute economy" through strategic IP collaborations. These tie-ins can not only transform the snake’s image but also foster an emotional connection through engaging, fun, and shareable content.
2. Collective Memories: Evoking Nostalgia through Retro Economics
The Year of the Snake presents an opportunity for brands to draw on nostalgia, tapping into the collective memories of older consumers, particularly the millennial generation. By incorporating retro themes into Year of the Snake campaigns, brands can create a deeper emotional connection with Chinese audiences while adding a sense of cultural meaning.
Balenciaga partnered with the nostalgic "Snake" game, a popular retro game many 90s kids remember from their early mobile phones, to design a collection of limited-edition products. The collection includes Snake-themed red packetsand retro-inspired game consoles, evoking feelings of childhood memories. This clever integration of pop culture not only ties into the Year of the Snake theme but also appeals to millennial consumers’ sense of nostalgia.
Luckin Coffee, known for its creative marketing strategies, launched a "Snake Skin Bag" series in collaboration with the renowned Chinese artist Han Meilin. The bags, crafted from traditional Chinese snake-skin texture, became a trendy collector's item, blending the past and present in a culturally relevant way. The bags drew inspiration from a specific type of bag often used during China's Spring Festival travel rush, known as "snake skin bags." These bags have become a cultural icon, and by associating them with the Year of the Snake, Luckin effectively tapped into collective memories while making the product relevant to contemporary consumers.
Luckin Coffee, known for its creative marketing strategies, launched a "Snake Skin Bag" series in collaboration with the renowned Chinese artist Han Meilin. The bags, crafted from traditional Chinese snake-skin texture, became a trendy collector's item, blending the past and present in a culturally relevant way. The bags drew inspiration from a specific type of bag often used during China's Spring Festival travel rush, known as "snake skin bags."
These bags have become a cultural icon, and by associating them with the Year of the Snake, Luckin effectively tapped into collective memories while making the product relevant to contemporary consumers.
Takeaway for Western Brands: :
Leverage the power of nostalgia to evoke collective memories. By incorporating well-known cultural symbols and retro elements, brands can establish an emotional bond with older consumers while attracting younger audiences who crave unique, limited-edition products.
3. Cultural Fusion: Bridging Traditional and Contemporary Through Art and Philosophy
Despite the negative associations of snakes in traditional Chinese culture, brands can successfully reshape the snake's narrative by drawing upon philosophical, artistic, and cultural perspectives. By collaborating with local artists or integrating elements of Chinese heritage, brands can infuse their campaigns with rich cultural meaning.
To Summer, a Chinese perfume brand specializing in Oriental cultural scents, launched a fragrance series inspired by Chinese mythology and philosophy. Drawing inspiration from the "Shan Hai Jing" (Classic of Mountains and Seas) and the Taoist philosophy of "Xiaoyao You" (A Happy Excursion), To Summer released a fragrance line that tied the symbolism of the snake to the idea of personal growth, renewal, and resilience. The brand used the snake to represent wisdom and transformation, offering consumers a refreshing take on the traditional negative perceptions of snakes.
Burberry’s 2025 Year of the Snake campaign featured a collaboration with Chinese bamboo weaving artist Qian Lihui, renowned for his work with intangible cultural heritage. Burberry used bamboo, symbolizing rebirth and longevity, as the centerpiece for their Snake Year collection. The limited-edition red packets and artistic bamboo installations combined the brand’s British heritage with Chinese symbolism, reflecting both a global and local commitment to cultural exchange.
Burberry's Year of the Snake bamboo weaving collection seamlessly combines the brand's iconic check pattern with traditional Chinese bamboo weaving.
Takeaway for Western Brands:
When entering the Chinese market, it’s essential to respect and integrate local cultural symbols. Collaborating with local artists, focusing on philosophy, and embracing heritage can help your brand create deeper emotional connections and position itself as a culturally aware and responsible entity.
Double V Tips:
As the Chinese market becomes increasingly competitive, Western brands must adapt to local cultural sensitivities while also creating campaigns that resonate with younger, digitally native generations. Here are some key takeaways for crafting successful campaigns for the 2025 Year of the Snake:
● Emotional Connection: Focus on Gen Z’s emotional needs by collaborating with relatable and engaging IPs, making the snake symbol more endearing and approachable.
● Leverage Nostalgia: Tap into collective memories and retro themes to create campaigns that resonate with older consumers while remaining relevant to younger audiences.
● Cultural Sensitivity: Approach traditional symbols like the snake with respect, drawing from Chinese art, philosophy, and heritage to create campaigns that speak to local values and sentiments.
● Innovative Product Design: Combine modern creativity with traditional elements to offer consumers products that feel unique, relevant, and culturally resonant.
By embracing these strategies, Western brands can not only overcome the challenges of Year of the Snake marketing but also build long-lasting emotional connections with Chinese consumers, ultimately driving both engagement and sales.
Double V Consulting is a marketing consultancy specialized in female consumer goods brands. We have been helping overseas brands navigate the complexities of the Chinese market since 2017. We specialize in creating strategies that resonate with Chinese female consumers, leveraging deep market insights and cultural understanding.
If you're interested in learning more about how we can assist your brand in understanding and connecting with Chinese consumers, don't hesitate to reach out by click the here link below.
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