Lunar New Year now a theme for retailers
Asian-americans across the U.S. were able to mark the Lunar New Year on Tuesday by eating Mickey Mouse-shaped tofu, sporting a pair of Year of the Pig-inspired Nike shoes and snacking on pricey cupcakes.
The delicacies and traditions that once made a generation of AsianAmericans feel foreign are now fodder for merchandizing. Through Feb. 17, Disney California Adventure Park is offering “Asian eats” that include the Mickeyshaped tofu and purple yam macarons. Nike is issuing a limited-edition Chinese New Year collection of shoes with traditional Chinese patchwork. And housewares giant Williams Sonoma has a slew of Lunar New Year dishware, and its website offers a set of nine “Year of the Pig” cupcakes for $80.
Robert Passikoff, a marketing consultant and founder of Brand Keys Inc., said there has been a “reawakening” in the last few years of the United States’ view of China. But it’s also about differentiating your business and increasing revenue, not necessarily inclusion.
“They’re not there as social workers to create harmony among the disenfranchised people,” Passikoff said. “The other side is, brands are all looking for an itch, they’re all looking for some way to engage customers. And if the Lunar New Year will do it, why not?”
Chinese fast-food chain Panda Express funded a New Year’s-themed interactive exhibit in a Los Angeles mall. “The House of Good Fortune: A Lunar New Year,” includes rooms showcasing customs, such as a room of “flying” red envelopes and a “hall of long noodles,” a customary dish that symbolizes long life.
Andrea Cherng, the Panda Restaurant Group’s chief marketing officer and the daughter of its ChineseAmerican founders, Andrew and Peggy Cherng, said she knows that some AsianAmericans will roll their eyes.
“Now the reality about Panda is that we were many people’s first Chinese experience in the U.S.,” Cherng said. “But then what a fantastic opportunity for us to be able to bridge cultures and bring to them our interpretation of what’s so special about this holiday.”