Karma Shanghai creates short film for Chinese New Year directed by Jody Xiong for BMW China
To celebrate Chinese New Year, BMW has released a brand film designed to strengthen its connection with Chinese audiences through culturally rooted storytelling. 2026 marks the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac – a fitting moment in a market where BMW is commonly nicknamed “The Best Horse”, positioning the year as symbolically belonging to the brand.
Karma Shanghai Chief Creative Officer Kama Zhang invited acclaimed creative and director Jody Xiong (Xiong Chao) to helm the project. Xiong, visual effects director for the Beijing Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony and ranked the No.1 most awarded Chinese creative leader in Campaign Brief Asia’s 2024 and 2025 Creative Rankings, previously gained global attention for Magnificent, his work promoting the ancient city of Yotkan in Xinjiang.
Together, the teams created twelve large-scale installation artworks mounted on the roofs of different BMW models. Combining mechanical engineering and handcrafted design, the vehicles drove through Shanghai’s landmark streets on the eve of Chinese New Year. The film captures these moments in a documentary style.
Titled “Bless My Wish”, the film uses symbolic objects associated with prosperity, happiness and reunion – including lanterns, chopsticks, tangyuan and other culturally meaningful icons — each representing a New Year blessing. The installations transform the cars into moving carriers of good fortune, linking BMW’s “Best Horse” nickname to traditional wishes for the coming year.
The project also functioned as a mobile public art exhibition. The twelve vehicles attracted large crowds across Shanghai, generating significant social sharing and tens of millions of impressions online.
Credits
Director: Jody Xiong
Creative Agency: Karma Shanghai
Chief Creative Officer: Kama Zhang
Production Company: MOD
Creative Director：Summer Du
Art Director: Jody Xiong / Lamb Ruan / Qiyang Zhang / Ziggy Deng
Group Account Director：Jasmine Zhang
Account Manager：Shiki Hong
Props: Wnag Gang / Yan Binkai
Director of Photography: Guo Yonghong
Editor: Wang Yu / Liu Yang
Color Grading Studio: Zhang Yingjie Studio
Sound Designer: Yu Lu
Installation Designer: Jody Xiong / Chen Ye
