Self-portrait has unveiled its new Lunar New Year campaign, headlined by legendary actress Carina Lau (刘嘉玲). In celebration of the Year of the Snake, the brand’s latest cinematic narrative draws on Hong Kong’s television heritage to explore the shared memories, festive customs, and enduring cultural identity. Photographed by Feng Li, the campaign’s imagery bridges past and present, illustrating how storytelling traditions continue to influence modern forms of creativity and connection.
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Joining Lau are three notable figures who bring depth and authenticity to the campaign’s homage to television’s golden era. Close friend Anna Ueyama (上山诗纳) is cast alongside Bowie Wu Fung (胡枫), renowned actor since his 1953 debut in Men’s Hearts, and William Chang (张叔平), the celebrated art director and producer behind Wong Kar Wai’s iconic films. Their combined presence echoes the significance of collective memories and reaffirms the timeless impact of classic Hong Kong TV dramas.
These dramas, once a nightly centerpiece in homes across the city, served not only as a source of entertainment but also as a social glue. Families would gather around the television, their simple meals elevated by the vivid stories unfolding on-screen. This practice, often described as “TV gravy mixed with rice” (电视汁捞饭), symbolizes the way fiction brought people together and enriched daily life. Self-portrait’s new campaign captures this warmth and nostalgia, setting its scenes amid Hong Kong’s bustling streets and festive gatherings.
The campaign is told in two acts. Act I spotlights Hong Kong’s famed Yat Lok restaurant in Central, where Carina Lau, William Chang, and Bowie Wu—portraying a waiter—share a Lunar New Year feast. Here, Hong Kong’s iconic red taxis glide through the narrative, symbolizing movement, connection, and the city’s rapid rhythm. Act II shifts to the Island Shangri-La hotel, where Lau and Anna Ueyama navigate scenes that blur the lines between their on-screen personas and off-screen realities, a nod to how the stories once confined to television sets have since seeped into the city’s everyday pulse.
For Han Chong, Founder and Creative Director of self-portrait, this campaign revisits traditions central to his upbringing. “Lunar New Year is a time to honour the past while looking to the future,” Chong said, emphasizing the importance of television-era storytelling that sparked imaginations and brought families closer.
