A good Chinese New Year activation gives shoppers a reason to stop, a keepsake that looks like the season, and something the mall or brand can measure. Below are four CNY photo booth and activation ideas, each from a real campaign we ran in Malaysia, with the results, followed by more ideas for Chinese New Year 2027.
1. A prosperity photo booth that runs all season
For its Chinese New Year 2026 campaign, Suria KLCC ran our Instabox, framed by cherry blossoms and red lanterns, for the whole campaign. Shoppers posed, chose a print or a download, and took home a "Gong Xi Fa Cai" photo strip with customised Lunar New Year frames. Our in-house IN:FRAME™ software ran live analytics, so the mall could follow participation as the campaign went on.
Result: 12,607 prints over 34 days, an average of about 370 a day. See the Suria KLCC project.
2. Digital calligraphy with a premium print
At Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA, guests stepped into an enclosed Instabooth 2.0, picked a traditional greeting and wrote it with a digital brush on the screen. Their calligraphy was combined with their photo and printed on the spot as a premium 6R print, while a live analytics dashboard showed engagement and peak hours throughout the campaign.
Result: 679 photos over 15 days. See the Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA project.
3. Calligraphy that grows the mall's app
For Mid Valley's Chinese New Year 2025, each session at our custom calligraphy kiosk began with the guest scanning their Mid Valley app membership QR code. They chose one of four traditional greetings, wrote it with a brush simulation, added the sender's and the recipient's names, and collected an oversized print. Every greeting doubled as app engagement the mall could track.
Result: 4,973 guests over 31 days. See the Mid Valley project.
4. A zodiac game for a limited-edition bottle
Hennessy marked the Year of the Snake with a Web-AR game played on the phone, with no app to download. Players steered an animated snake through a festive Chinese New Year world, collecting gold ingots and limited-edition Hennessy bottles while dodging obstacles. Every 3D asset, from the bottle to the lanterns, was built in-house, and the game ran in Malaysia and Singapore.
Result: 5,680 players across the two markets. See the Hennessy project, or our custom interactive games.
More CNY activation ideas for 2027
Chinese New Year 2027 falls on 6 February and ushers in the Year of the Goat. A few ways to build on the formats above:
- Year of the Goat frames. Refresh the photo booth frames and screen graphics for the new zodiac, as Suria KLCC did with its Lunar New Year designs.
- AI portraits in festive dress. An AI photo booth can place guests in a festive scene or traditional outfit, with the print as the keepsake.
- A greeting wall. Let guests send wishes that appear on a shared LED screen, the idea behind KWAP's digital garden.
- A red packet game. A motion or mobile game where players catch red packets or gold ingots, with a live leaderboard.
- Company CNY dinners. Plenty of annual dinners fall around Chinese New Year; see our annual dinner theme ideas for an Oriental night.
How to plan a CNY mall or brand activation
- Plan for the whole campaign. The mall campaigns above ran for 15 to 34 days, so the booth, the prints and the staffing need to last.
- Decide the keepsake. A photo strip, a 6R calligraphy print or an oversized greeting all travel home, and people keep festive prints.
- Build in data. An app QR scan, like Mid Valley's, or live analytics, like Suria KLCC's and Mitsui's, turns festive footfall into numbers you can report.
- Brief early. Searches for CNY photo booths in Malaysia start rising in December and peak in January, so dates and custom builds are best settled before then.
What a CNY activation costs
Our enclosed Instabooth 2.0 starts from RM 5,800 per day. Multi-week mall campaigns and custom builds, such as a calligraphy booth, an app-linked kiosk or a zodiac game, are quoted per brief, based on the build, the branding and the length of the campaign.
Frequently asked questions
What is a CNY photo booth?
A CNY photo booth is a branded photo booth styled for Chinese New Year, with festive frames, greetings and décor, that prints or shares each guest's photo on the spot. Malls and brands run them through the festive season to draw footfall and give shoppers a keepsake.
How long should a CNY mall activation run?
The mall campaigns above ran between 15 and 34 days. Plan the staffing, prints and consumables for the full run.
Can a CNY activation collect data?
Yes. Mid Valley's calligraphy kiosk started with an app membership QR scan, and the Suria KLCC and Mitsui booths ran live analytics throughout their campaigns.
When should we book for Chinese New Year 2027?
Chinese New Year 2027 falls on 6 February. Brief us as soon as your campaign dates are set, and allow extra time for a custom build such as a calligraphy booth or a game.
Planning a CNY campaign? Tell us the venue, the dates and what you want shoppers to take home, and we will suggest the format that fits. Contact Instamedia.
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