Ogilvy Malaysia + Scentify launch Xiaohongshu CNY Drama ‘Fabric Scented, Fortune Granted’
Ogilvy Malaysia has partnered with home and fabric fragrance brand Scentify to launch an innovative Chinese New Year CNY campaign targeting Chinese audiences on Xiaohongshu XHS, one of the region’s fastest growing lifestyle platforms.
Titled ‘Fabric Scented, Fortune Granted,’ the episodic social drama fuses cultural storytelling with AI assisted production to position Scentify’s new Golden Breeze variant as the “lucky scent of the year.”
The campaign debuted on Xiaohongshu to tap into the platform’s rising appetite for serialised short form drama content, particularly among Chinese speaking audiences in Malaysia. Episodes were subsequently rolled out on Scentify’s Instagram to extend reach to the brand’s broader community.
The series follows Master Wang, a charismatic “Scent Feng Shui” master portrayed by popular personality Elaine Wong, who demonstrates how a single spritz of Golden Breeze can usher prosperity and positive energy into the home. Each weekly instalment builds anticipation in the lead up to Chinese New Year, mirroring the mounting excitement of the festive season.
Launched one month ahead of CNY, the campaign strategically draws on the cultural symbolism of mandarin notes, prominent in Golden Breeze, which are traditionally associated with prosperity, renewal and good fortune. Created collaboratively by Scentify and Ogilvy, the idea leverages the popularity of social first drama formats while delivering a fully integrated festive experience spanning content, KOL partnerships and retail activations.
“We wanted a campaign that went beyond product advertising. It had to spark conversation, feel culturally authentic and carry a touch of magic,” said Saki Goh, Marketing and E-Commerce Director at Scentify. “Ogilvy understood how to blend storytelling, tradition and technology in a way that feels both contemporary and deeply connected to the season. The idea of positioning Golden Breeze as the ‘lucky scent of the year’ immediately resonated with us. It perfectly captures the spirit of Chinese New Year.”
A standout feature of the campaign is its AI assisted production process, developed in collaboration with D Moving Pictures. The team captured still photography in a single day shoot and then applied AI prompting to animate expressions and movements, seamlessly stitching them into a polished episodic narrative. The approach delivered high production value and visual consistency while significantly improving efficiency without compromising creative integrity.
Michelle Ong, Executive Director at Ogilvy Malaysia, said: “Chinese New Year is one of the most emotionally charged and culturally nuanced moments in the calendar. By developing a Xiaohongshu first drama series, we were able to meet audiences on the platforms they love, in formats they actively engage with. AI assisted production enabled us to push creative boundaries, bringing agility, craft and a distinctive visual identity to a highly competitive festive landscape.”
The campaign underscores Ogilvy Malaysia’s strength in culture led storytelling tailored to platform behaviour, sustaining engagement through episodic formats, and orchestrating seamless integration across social content, creators and on ground activations, while experimenting with innovative craft techniques to give brands a creative edge.