Art Direction
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SPH | 2026 | Regional
SPH The Straits Times – 2026 Chinese New Year Integrated Campaign Series
Project Overview
In early 2026, The Straits Times commissioned a series of three consecutive promotional campaigns to drive subscription growth across print and digital platforms. Designed to resonate with households, each campaign was developed in partnership with prominent lifestyle brands, bridging the gap between traditional festive spirit and modern, professional sensibilities.
Campaign launched both traditional media and digital media - Traditional media: The Straits Times Newspaper. Digital media: Google search, Meta etc.
The Creative Challenge
Moving away from the conventional reliance on heavy festive reds and overt cultural motifs, the creative direction required a sophisticated and restrained approach. The objective was to evoke the essence of the Lunar New Year through a contemporary, "quiet" visual language—one that felt festive yet remained aligned with the prestige of a premier business publication. A key element of the brief was to seamlessly integrate the unique brand identities of our partners without compromising the aesthetic cohesion of the series.
Campaign 01:
Usher in Bags of Fortune
Concept & Visual Style:
The Lunar New Year is a time for reunion, and timely news serves as the perfect conversation starter at the dinner table. We positioned a subscription to The Business Times as the ultimate companion for meaningful dialogue during festive meals.
Moving away from standard "festive red," we utilized a refined palette of luxurious gold against the signature SPH blue. The primary visual features a horse carrying a "Fortune Bag," rendered in a minimalist Chinese illustration style. The campaign emphasizes the synergy between the premium kitchen appliances offered as subscription gifts and the warmth of a modern family reunion.
[Partner] Premium Kitchenware & Appliances
Campaign 02:
Open Up Your World Through Our Stories
Concept & Visual Style:
With the growing trend of young professionals traveling during the Lunar New Year, we highlighted the connection between global exploration and world-class journalism. The campaign bridges the physical act of "flipping a newspaper page" with the act of "opening up" new horizons through travel.
The design uses a clever tactile, layered approach where the "unfolding" of the newspaper reveals a vibrant vacation scene—a visual metaphor for uncovering the world. The execution focuses on depth and texture, showing how news media, like travel, broadens one’s perspective and brings new landscapes to life.
[Partner] Scoots
Campaign 03:
Every Day, Fresh Stories
Concept & Visual Style:
This collaboration draws a parallel between the necessity of daily household essentials and the indispensability of daily news. We equated the freshness of produce with the freshness of information, underscoring The Business Times as an essential daily habit.
Beyond the primary hero visual, the series explores the depth and substance of journalism through organic, nature-inspired metaphors. By creatively integrating imagery such as carrots buried in soil, a bunch of bananas, and the layers of an onion, the design visually communicates the layers of insight, comprehensive reporting, and the spirit of exploration inherent in our news coverage.
[Partner] Scoots
