The new Lunar New Year is celebrated between January and February, the exact date determined by the appearance of the new moon. As 2021 marks the year of the Ox, this was a unique opportunity to share the story of the Balvenie Ox across the globe. 

In Scotland, the New Year is usually celebrated with the words of one of Scotland’s most famous poets, Robert Burns. To give this story a similar feel but with a twist to appeal to their east asian audiences, Balvenie wrote a series of haikus to tell the story. 

We developed a series of storyboards and moodboards to help the haikus take shape, finally crafting them into an elegant animation. 

We included a few references to the red lanterns and decorations which will be seen all over China during this time, to usher in prosperity and good fortune for the new year.

Regardless of how or where it is celebrated, Lunar New Year is a time to reconnect with family, share gifts, eat (and drink) too much and enjoy the possibilities that the new year will bring. So, let’s raise a dram to celebrate the New Year with friends across the globe.