WITH the Spring Festival (the Chinese New Year) around the corner, various foreign brands, drawing inspiration from the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, are rushing to release a series of the Year of the Horse limited editions, ranging from earphones and apparel to watches and home decor, to celebrate the start of the new year.
Analysts said foreign brands’ move to deepen their presence in the Chinese market by leveraging the Year of the Horse themes represents an integration of cultural empathy and commercial insight while underscoring their recognition of the resilience of China’s ultra-large market.
With the implementation of the national strategy to expand the domestic market during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), a massive increase in consumption is expected, which will create more opportunities for foreign enterprises.
Catering to zodiac culture
Footwear companies such as major brands Nike and Converse have taken the lead to release the Year of the Horse-themed limited editions. For instance, Nike recently launched Nike Dunk Low SE “CNY” sneakers, with the heel featuring a winged horse and auspicious cloud motifs aimed at celebrating the Year of the Horse.
Converse launched its “Taking Flight” footwear.
Inspired by the horse, Belgian chocolate brand Godiva transformed the blessing of “smooth progress and continuous good luck” into exquisite chocolates with horse-shaped boxes.
French cognac producer Hennessy pays tribute to the vibrant spirit of the horse in its limited editions for the Year of the Horse.
US tech giant Apple also launched a limited-edition version of AirPods Pro 3 to celebrate the Year of the Horse, with a cute horse emoji engraved on the front of the case, according to the Apple China website. The sales started on Thursday in the Chinese mainland and several other regions.
Swedish home furnishing giant Ikea has launched the Spring Festival series for five consecutive years, with the sales of about 25 new products for the Year of the Horse starting in December 2025 in the Chinese mainland. With new brand positioning, Ikea aims to join hands with more families in China to add beauty to festive life through design, according to the Ikea China website.
Swiss watch brand Vacheron Constantin released 25 watches in its Métiers D’Art “The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac — Year of The Horse” series, which feature a horse leaping into the air to jump over a boulder, showcasing the vitality and power of the animal in Chinese culture.
The Year of the Horse zodiac has invigorated China’s consumer market in recent days, reflecting not only the growing demand for customization and diversity but also people’s deep-seated identification with and emotional connection to traditional Chinese culture, Zhang Yi, CEO of the iiMedia Research Institute, told the Global Times.
“As an integral part of traditional Chinese culture, the Spring Festival and the zodiac are imbued with rich cultural meanings and embody people’s aspirations and blessings for a better life,” Zhang said.
“Behind those foreign brands’ marketing practices lies the boundless vitality of traditional Chinese culture in the modern era.”
