Sunquick's CNY spot puts a fruity twist on festive wishes

Fruit-based concentrate brand Sunquick is ushering in Chinese New Year with a 30 second television spot that leans into imagination, warmth, and playful storytelling, proving that even a short-format film can leave a lasting emotional impression.

The festive "Sip your blessings 贺满福运" campaign centres on a fast-paced narrative led by two child talents, set against a vibrant and imaginative visual world. Designed to capture attention within seconds, the spot blends everyday family emotions with colourful, energetic visuals that mirror Sunquick’s cheerful brand personality. The spot was created in partnership with creative agency Grey Malaysia, production house Directors Think Tank, and post-production company TANK3 Asia.

The 30-second spot opens on a playful note, with a pair of siblings looking bored as their family busies itself preparing the house for Chinese New Year. A eureka moment strikes when the children take a sip of Sunquick to lift the mood. Soon after, the brother and sister are transported into a fantastical world, sailing through a mystical river lined with apple trees bearing the words “苹安喜樂”, an apple-led pun on the festive greeting “平安喜樂”, which wishes peace, safety, and joy.

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The adventure continues as the children float through a field of oranges in an orange hot air balloon, where the phrase “心想事橙” appears, replacing the word “成” in the well-known greeting with a similar-sounding Chinese character for orange. The original saying, “心想事成”, is a wish for one’s hopes and desires to come true.

In the final scene, the siblings soar among the clouds surrounded by berries, nodding to the Chinese idiom “眉开眼笑”, which means beaming with happiness. The phrase is reimagined as “莓开眼笑”, swapping the first character to reference berries and bringing the film’s fruity wordplay to a cheerful close. 

From the agency perspective, the objective was to balance visual excitement with emotional resonance. Grey Worldwide focused on building a story that feels lively and imaginative, while staying grounded in relatable family moments that audiences associate with Chinese New Year. Sharing the creative intent behind the spot, Jeremy Yeoh, executive creative director, Grey, said, “The goal was to create something visually exciting and emotionally warm at the same time. We wanted audiences to feel the fun immediately, while still connecting with the heart of the story."

Behind the scenes, the production presented its own creative challenges. Working with child actors meant careful casting and performance direction, particularly as much of the film was shot on a green screen set where imagination was key. The children were guided to respond to a world that did not physically exist during filming, placing greater emphasis on performance, timing, and visual storytelling.

Meanwhile, Chevie Law, the director of the spot from Directors Think Tank, said she was immediately drawn to the script and the opportunity to bring its imaginative elements to life. Reflecting on the experience, she shared, “It was a challenge to direct the children while shooting entirely on green screen, as the kids couldn't see the world we were creating for them." This led to her taking a different approach to directing. "Instead of focusing on marks and camera positions, I focused on storytelling and play. I described the scenes to them in a very visual and relatable way, almost like telling a short story, so they could emotionally connect with what they were supposed to see."

Post-production played a significant role in shaping the final film. With the support of TANK3 Asia, the visual world was enhanced to ensure the children’s performances translated seamlessly on screen, creating a believable and engaging festive environment that feels both playful and warm.

Besides the 30-second spot, Sunquick has also been sharing a number of social media posts under the tagline "Every little prep, a sip of blessing" as a part of its wider CNY campaign. This also includes festive recipes, such as the Huat Mini Cookies and Fortune Cookies featuring the use of Sunquick's Orange concentrate. The brand has also teamed up with Krispy Kreme to release limited edition festive flavours, available from 2 to 22 February. From zesty Prosperity Mandarin to Golden Prosperity, and Lucky Guava Berry, the flavours are all made with Sunquick for that extra festive pop.

Another brand which has taken the playful route this CNY, is Mister Potato, which tapped into kungfu movie nostalgia this Chinese New Year with a social-first campaign that blends humour, pop culture and festive snacking. “HORSE-H LIAO DRAMA” unfolds through a series of three short films released across Mister Potato’s social platforms. Inspired by legendary kungfu titles such as Drunken Master, Ip Man and Enter The Dragon, the films parody well-known fight scenes with a local twist, featuring Malaysian KOLs Sai, SongBill and Jobroseph.

Meanwhile, Maybank has also taken the opportunity to reimagine prosperity as something more enduring. Drawing from the symbolism of traditional Chinese four-character wishes, its festive film reframed phrases commonly associated with material success through quieter, more intimate moments of fulfilment. In doing so, encourages audiences to reflect on what they already have, rather than what they are striving to accumulate.

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