Coca-Cola unifies Lunar New Year across SEA

Coca-Cola has launched a multi-market Lunar New Year and Tet 2026 campaign across Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia, combining a shared regional design system with locally developed creative platforms.

The initiative aligns visual identity across markets while allowing each country team to shape culturally specific narratives. The strategy addresses a common festive challenge: connecting tradition-focused older generations with Gen Z audiences seeking participatory and contemporary experiences.

Regional design system anchors campaign

At the center of the rollout is a unified Lunar New Year visual identity developed with design consultancy Elmwood. The system appears across cans, packaging, retail displays and digital touchpoints in all three markets.

The design reinterprets fireworks as symbols of joy and renewal, incorporating textures inspired by Chinese embroidery, Vietnamese brocade and Peranakan beadwork. Market-specific elements include Golden Swallows, peach and apricot blossoms and red envelopes in Vietnam, while Singapore and Malaysia feature limited-edition cans with horses, flowers, ingots, fans and bamboo motifs.

Ying Ling Poh, Marketing Director, Coca-Cola Meals in ASEAN & South Pacific: "Our ambition with Lunar New Year this 2026 was to create a regional campaign that honours shared traditions while celebrating the unique cultural stories of each market. A single festive design unites the region visually, but every market – guided by local teams and experts – brings its own personality. From reimagining symbolic Tet traditions in Vietnam, to creating a Lunar New Year music track that bridges communities and generations across Singapore and Malaysia, our campaign celebrates the local stories and upholds each country’s traditions with the goal of providing an uplifting new year experience to everyone. That way, people everywhere can not only just enjoy the celebrations, but co create them, shaping their own moments of happiness."

Lisa Balm, Executive Creative Director, Elmwood Asia: "Our ambition was to create an identity that feels universally festive yet deeply local. For example, brocade isn’t just textile, it’s storytelling that celebrates and unites the 54 diverse ethnic groups in Vietnam. The embroidery and weaving technique evoke intricate detail and richness, creating a culturally layered aesthetic that feels both intimate and celebratory. By focusing on shared symbols and reimagining them through the artistry and cultural depth of Asian craftsmanship, we created a single visual language that successfully translates across Tet and Lunar New Year."

Vietnam focuses on co-creation

In Vietnam, the platform Dệt Nên Tết Mới (Weave a New Tet) encourages younger consumers to reinterpret family traditions.

Product-led activations include the Coke Half-Half Tablecloth, which visually splits the dining table between traditional Tet dishes and modern global flavors, and the Coke Drinkable Pháo concept, where can-opening moments become decorative elements inspired by firecrackers.

The brand also updates the Lì Xì red envelope tradition with AI-enabled features that allow users to create personalized digital art, memory photos and written promises, shifting the ritual from cash exchange to symbolic gifting.

Music-led activation in Singapore and Malaysia

In Singapore and Malaysia, the campaign centers on an original Lunar New Year anthem titled 可口可樂，共創好年. The track blends orchestral festive elements with contemporary pop and rap, performed by 3P in Malaysia and Mayiduo in Singapore.

The music video portrays cross-generational participation, from modernized calligraphy scrolls to blind-box gifting. Offline activations in both markets include calligraphy stations, fortune-telling booths and interactive experiences linked to the anthem.

The campaign unfolds in three phases, supported by retail and e-commerce partnerships, including collaborations with Grab, supermarkets and convenience stores to drive in-store and online purchases.

By combining a consistent regional design language with tailored local storytelling, Coca-Cola positions the Lunar New Year and Tet 2026 campaign as a scalable model for Southeast Asian brand activations.

www.coca-colacompany.com

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