The Lucky Red Envelope (hóngbāo)
During the Lunar New Year in Asia, it is traditional to give a bright red envelope to family and friends. They can be filled with money or trinkets and symbolize good luck for the start of the new year. Red represents joy, happiness, and prosperity in many Asian cultures, making it a traditional and eye-catching choice. A wide variety of cultural festivals and significant events, such as weddings, use red decorations.
The gifting practice of the “red envelopes” or “hóngbāo” is based on a story in Chinese mythology. The custom originated from a legend about Chinese New Year that tells the story of a demon named “Sui.” Parents would give children coins to protect them while they slept. These coins, emitting a glow, frightened the monster and scared it away, thus giving rise to the tradition of placing money in an envelope to protect loved ones and wish them good luck in the new year.
Although its origins date back to China, this practice has also spread to other parts of the world, notably during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr in Southeast Asia and in American cities, becoming a worldwide custom.
Ateliers AME x VanEck: A Twist On A Traditional Gift
Specificity of the collaboration
As Chinese New Year was approaching, offering hóngbāo was the perfect traditional item to gift for VanEck to make an impact with a few of its top customers. Ateliers AME brought its expertise in luxury craftsmanship to this project, collaborating with its manufacturer network to bring unique know-how to this traditional item.
Expertise specific to the local market
As hóngbāo was a native practice of Asia, this circumstance created all the more necessity for VanEck to stand out from the crowd. In response to this circumstance, Ateliers AME exploited its knowledge of the local market and offered a creative solution and unique local know-how, surpassing expectations.
Creative solution, force of proposal on design
The goal of this collaboration was to honor tradition without deviating too far from the fundamental design so that it could be recognized but still be unique. The design was carefully constructed to adhere to the traditional requirements while following the codes of luxury. In order to add a unique touch, we integrated a holographic effect into the gold stamp in addition to the gilding on the envelopes. A luxurious finish was also achieved by using a soft matte paper. For the material sourcing, we used specialist suppliers who could select materials that would stand out from the competition while replicating the traditional gift.
Unique craftsmanship
This collaboration and the creation of this original design were largely successful due to sourcing craftsmen with unique expertise and the ability to meet deadlines while remaining within budget. Collaboration with a partner specializing in the creation of this product was essential to the success of the one-of-a-kind hóngbāo.
Global delivery service
One of the critical aspects of this collaboration was the logistical challenges linked to the operation. The campaign involved a combination of deliveries both to the brand’s headquarters and individual deliveries to end customers and those in different countries around the world. The collaboration between the logistics teams of Ateliers AME and their distribution partners enabled synchronized and careful delivery to each customer.
