VML Thailand turns sauce sachet into cultural solution for Lotus’s this Chinese New Year

In the high-stakes world of Chinese New Year offerings, tradition is non-negotiable. A “whole chicken” – complete with head – is mandatory for the ancestral altar. It symbolizes “completeness,” a good beginning and end to the year, and overall prosperity. To offer a headless chicken is to invite bad luck, or worse, the scolding of a traditional grandmother.

This ancient requirement has long clashed with the realities of modern retail. Lotus’s Thailand, a leading hypermarket, faced a unique dilemma with their best-selling product: the “Fresh Milk Grilled Chicken” (Kai Yang Nom Sod). Famous for its juicy texture and delicious taste, the product is sold headless for packaging efficiency. Consequently, despite being a consumer favorite, it was disqualified from the prayer table, forcing younger generations to buy bland, boiled chickens to appease tradition.

This year, VML Thailand bridged the gap between strict tradition and modern appetite with a brilliant, low-tech design solution: The Emperor’s Chicken Head Sauce Packet.

The agency reimagined the humble dipping sauce sachet – usually a discardable utility – transforming it into a culturally vital accessory. The new packets are die-cut in the shape of a majestic, golden-crowned rooster head.

The Design Strategy: Drawing on deep cultural insights, the design features a vibrant red and gold color palette that represents wealth and luck. The graphic emphasizes a large, upright rooster comb, which in Chinese symbology resembles a Mandarin official’s hat, signifying career advancement and power.

Solving the “Headless” Taboo. The application is simple yet transformative. By placing the sauce packet at the neck of the grilled chicken, the product is instantly “completed.”
• Spiritual Solved: The offering now possesses a “head,” satisfying the auspicious requirements of the elders and symbolizing a complete life cycle.
• Functional Flavor: The packet contains the brand’s signature spicy dipping sauce, ensuring the meal after the ritual is as delicious as it is meaningful.

“This campaign tackles a genuine tension in Thai-Chinese families,” said the creative team at VML Thailand. “The younger generation wants the convenience and taste of Lotus’s grilled chicken, but they fear breaking the ‘headless’ taboo. The ‘Emperor’s Chicken Head’ allows them to have it both ways: respect for the ancestors and a delicious family meal.”

The campaign turns a standard grocery item into a conversation piece, proving that sometimes the most effective creative solutions don’t require technology – just a little sauce and a lot of cultural understanding.

Credits
Client: Lotus’s Team
Head of Brand Communications: Una Tan
Senior Manager – Brand Communications: Wonchalom Romsaisiri
Brand and Campaign – Marketing Manager: Supassorn Hempiyasombat
Brand and Campaign – Marketing Manager: Kotchakorn Oumoran
Brand and Campaign – Assistant Manager: Nareerat Wirulhateerasan
Agency: VML Thailand Team
Chief Executive Officer: Parattajariya Jalayanateja
Chief Creative Officer: Park Wannasiri
Group Creative Director: Buncharith Saovapichard
Associate Creative Director: Unnopp Nirathon
Senior Copywriter: Vatcharapon Chanwanichpan
Copywriter: Ratthanakorn Lue-amroong
Art Director: Yuttpichai Seryota
Strategic Director: Poomjai Limvichai
Senior Strategic Planner: Pundaree Teintaweewut
Managing Partner: Vichien Techabunyat
Client Service Director: Onsiri Thanibutra
Account Manager: Natcha Wongpratoom
Senior Account Executive: Supakorn Tanomkit
Project Client & Business Leadership Department
Project Manager: Ratanaporn Ueawongchai
Production [Do come team co.,ltd.]
Director: Kanita Kaniyomwakin
Producer / Photographer: Pitti Preyachit