Eu Yan Sang keeps CNY traditions alive

With creative direction from the healthcare company and the production by Yellow Pictures, the 2½-minute Cantonese-language Chinese New Year commercial was launched end of last month on pay-TV Astro and Youtube. It features a lady, who tells the story of how her family of seven celebrates Chinese New Year.

When she was younger, her parents prepared traditional festive cuisines for the reunion dinner. Her mother teaches her the custom of giving back something in return for gifts received, as well as traditional table manners.

Twenty years later, the lady and her older brothers have grown up and are working in the city. As usual, they go back to their hometown for Chinese New Year to find that their parents are, unusually, not at home and the dinner is half-prepared.

It transpires the father has injured himself, and is at the Chinese physician's for treatment. The siblings then decided to cook the dinner, but they realise that they don’t know how to cook, or even cut up a whole chicken.

The eldest brother doesn’t know that he has to give back something in return when his aunt comes to visit. "After this incident, we are thinking if these traditions would disappear when our parents are no longer here," she narrates.

A spokesperson from Eu Yan Sang Malaysia said the commercial aims to remind the younger generation about Chinese traditions and cultures. “We want to encourage them to continue practicing these traditions and forget not our cultures, such as the food and the customs.”

A shortened, 30-second version will also be launched next week.

This campaign is a collaboration with pay-TV Astro, which sees the healthcare company sponsoring the broadcaster’s Chinese New Year roadshows across the country. This year is the third consecutive year that Eu Yan Sang has worked with Astro for Chinese New Year activities.