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 and a guide to CNY games for offices, company dinners and malls.
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. Our AI Feng Shui photo booth is built for CNY.
- 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. See CNY games for the office and company events below.
- Company CNY dinners. Plenty of annual dinners fall around Chinese New Year; see our annual dinner theme ideas for an Oriental night. Prefer Bahasa Malaysia? Read tema annual dinner menarik.
CNY games for the office and company events
The best CNY games for an office party are short, team-based and need no explanation: a prosperity toss, a red packet trivia round, a calligraphy challenge or a lucky draw. For a large group or a company dinner, an interactive version on a screen or phone keeps the score and hands out the prizes, so the host does not have to.
This section is for HR and admin teams planning a staff celebration, and for brand teams running a CNY event for staff or customers. Our custom interactive games library has 18 ready-made games that we restyle for Chinese New Year in 48 to 72 hours, and bespoke event game builds start from RM25,000.
Company event proof: at KWAP's appreciation event, staff sketched messages on iPad stations and watched them appear live on an LED wall: 294 people over 8 hours. See the KWAP project.
Classic CNY games and their interactive versions
Each classic below works at an office party as it is. The interactive version is what we build when you want the scores, prizes and data handled for you.
| Classic game | At an office party | Interactive version | Real reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prosperity toss (lou hei) | Each table tosses together for a table prize | A motion-tracked toss or slicing game on a big screen | Tiger Soju's motion slicing game: 100% merchandise redemption (format reference) |
| Red packet hunt | Teams search the office for hidden red packets | A runner game on a phone where players catch red packets | Hennessy VSOP's CNY Web-AR game: 5,680 players in Malaysia and Singapore |
| Lucky draw | Names drawn from a box between dinner courses | A digital claw machine or prize wheel with prize tiers | Digital claw machine at Sunway Pyramid: 479 prizes won in 3 days |
| Zodiac or red packet trivia | A quizmaster reads questions to each table | A phone quiz with a live leaderboard | Nespresso's AI quiz: 6,327 emails collected, 98% redemption (format reference) |
| Calligraphy challenge | Brush and ink at a side table | A digital calligraphy kiosk with a printed keepsake | Mid Valley's digital calligraphy: 4,973 guests over 31 days |
| Zodiac memory match | Paper cards laid out on a table | A memory-match game on a touchscreen | A ready-made format in our games library |
| CNY bingo | Bingo cards handed out at the door | A smart-stamp passport across stations | YSL's smart-stamp journey: 7,421 people in Malaysia and Singapore (format reference) |
Physical games such as chopstick relays are run by the host. We do not supply them.
How to run CNY games at an office party or annual dinner
- Keep rounds short. Ten to twenty minutes a round, and no more than three rounds at a dinner, so the programme keeps moving.
- Play by table. Treat each table or department as a team and show the scores on screen.
- Use tiered, non-cash prizes. Give prizes out on the spot; a QR redemption screen does this without a queue.
- Keep it inclusive. For mixed-faith teams, call it a prize draw, never a bet, and choose games anyone can play.
- Plan for hybrid teams. Phone-based games need no hardware, so a branch office can play the same round online. Wefic's phone-controlled multiplayer game had 983 people playing over 4 days at OTC Exhibition 2024.
Hosts often forget the basics: a screen, power, Wi-Fi for web games, and one person to announce the scores. At HAYS's year-end party at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Kuala Lumpur, two booth stations produced 478 printed photos and 106 videos. At Maybank Group Awards Night, our glass booth recorded 396 videos. For the dinner itself, see our annual dinner theme ideas.
CNY games for malls and brand activations
For a mall or a brand, a CNY game is a footfall and data tool. It runs in four steps: play, score, redeem, capture. The calligraphy and Web-AR campaigns above show the first two. Brand teams usually ask about the rest:
- Entry. A QR code or an app-membership scan starts the game, as at Mid Valley, where the calligraphy kiosk drove app sign-ups.
- Prize redemption. A win code redeemed on the spot keeps the queue moving: Tiger Soju's game reached 100% merchandise redemption and Nespresso's quiz 98%.
- Leaderboards. A live leaderboard brings players back: Puma's motion-tracking game at its flagship store launch drew 1,424 people over 24 days.
- Verified data. Thermomix's smart-stamp journey verified 3,636 participants by WhatsApp across three malls.
Every game can be restyled for the Year of the Goat. Browse the custom interactive games library, or brief us for a bespoke build.
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.
CNY games and photo booths for Singapore teams
We build and crew Singapore events from our Kuala Lumpur studio, and the crew travels with the equipment. Hennessy's CNY game ran in Malaysia and Singapore. In Singapore, ready-made interactive games start from S$5,000, and an AI photo booth in Singapore runs S$3,600 to S$6,000 all-in, including transport, permits and crew. Ready-to-deploy formats can be set up in Singapore in under two weeks, with rush available, and software features take 48 to 72 hours.
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.
What are good CNY games for the office?
Five that work at most office parties: a prosperity toss, a red packet hunt, a lucky draw, zodiac trivia and a calligraphy challenge. For a big group or a company dinner, each has an interactive version on a screen or phone, such as a motion-tracked toss game, a digital claw machine or a phone quiz with a live leaderboard.
How long should an office CNY game session run?
Ten to twenty minutes a round. At a company dinner, plan no more than three rounds between courses so the programme keeps moving.
Can CNY games be played online or hybrid?
Yes. Phone and web games need no hardware, so remote staff and branch offices can play the same round. Wefic's phone-controlled game had 983 people playing over 4 days at OTC Exhibition 2024.
How much does a custom CNY game cost?
Ready-made games from our library start from RM6,300 each, as an add-on to a per-campaign base fee, and are restyled for Chinese New Year in 48 to 72 hours. Fully custom builds start from RM25,000. In Singapore, ready-made games start from S$5,000.
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.
More from the blog: Annual dinner theme ideas from real Malaysian corporate events, Product launch gimmick ideas from real Malaysian launches, How much a photo booth costs in Malaysia, Hari Raya office games and corporate open house ideas and Exhibition and conference booth ideas that pull a crowd.
Planning a year-end party too? See our Christmas photo booth.
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