5 Tearjerker CNY 2026 Commercials That Brought Family Bonds to Life

I know it’s been a while since the Chinese New Year festivities dialled down. But when family forms the core of CNY festivities and brands dish out campaigns after campaigns about the same every year, bloggers like us are almost always playing the catch-up game, trying to cover the best CNY adverts. Moreover, the ad hunt for our previous blog on emotional CNY 2026 commercials led us to a fountain of heartwrenching CNY campaigns that celebrated love, sacrifice, and family. And there’s no way we’d have deprived you of such wonderful ad campaigns.

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So, here we are once again with 5 absolute tearjerker CNY 2026 commercials that captured the heart of family traditions and celebrated the unbreakable bond of family. Let’s take a look at these.

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1. Marrybrown: Paper For You (Crafted With Love)

Malaysian fast-food chain Marrybrown’s CNY commercial from this year celebrated the quiet beauty of traditions passed down through generations.

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The ad follows an old Popo who tries to pass down the delicate art of paper cutting to her granddaughter. However, the generational gap between the two women clearly shows when the granddaughter snaps at her Popo for being rather too particular about the paper cuttings since nobody had asked her to do it. However, the sight of Popo's trembling hands evaporates her anger and frustration as she realizes that those very hands that conveyed blessings through the paper cuttings on Chinese New Year can no longer do it on their own.

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The young girl sits with her Popo and helps her with her paper cuttings, with every snip carrying love, memories, and blessings.

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2. Etiqa: Bittersweet Blessings

A family isn’t defined by being there for one another only during the happy moments, but rather by showing up even during the most difficult times. Etiqa’s CNY ad campaign this season perfectly underscores this.

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The ad follows a young boy, who talks about his father’s absence from his life lately owing to his rather busy schedule, in a speech at his school. He soon reveals to the audience that his father has been busy taking care of his sick father, who has had a stroke and will need to go through rehabilitation therapy. In doing so, he had to let go of his job and miss out on spending time with his own son.

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But the strength of any relationship is defined by the degree of sacrifices one can make and doing what’s right and important. And that’s what family is all about– showing up during the good times and the bad!

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3. Petronas: Shop of Wonders

Brands seemed to be exploring father-son bonds this Chinese New Year, with Petronas releasing this poignant advert, where family bonds overcome the unravelling of memory brought about by dementia.

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The ad showcases a young boy and a girl, who are on their way to see the boy’s father. As the girl nervously prepares to meet her boyfriend’s father, they come across an antique store where they are welcomed by the friendly shopkeeper, who offers a 50% discount on all the antiques. As the boy engages with the shopkeeper, his girlfriend remains anxious about not being late to the scheduled meeting with his father. However, the ad takes a rather emotional turn when the girl flips open the encyclopedia that the shopkeeper gave them as a gift, and discovers a note revealing that he is none other than the boy’s father, who is now living with dementia.

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Even though a quiet fog had settled over the one-familiar paths and moments had lost their edges, the father’s love for his son persisted through the unspoken bonds that connected them.

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4. Malaysia Airlines: The Reunion That Matters

While the Chinese New Year has traditionally revolved around the themes of homecoming, Malaysia Airlines’ 2026 ad campaign moved away from physical homecomings to a more emotional one.

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The ad film follows Alina, a woman returning to Malaysia in search of her biological family as she sets off on a voyage that is as much about identity and reconciliation as it is about geography. The ad explores what it truly means to belong, touching upon themes of adoption, migration, separation, and reunion.

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The ad ultimately reminds us that distance is never just about miles travelled, but about the moments, memories, and reunions that make every return meaningful.

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5. Knife Delicious: Always Be There

Growing up often brings with it an inevitable moment of departure; when the comfort of home gives way to the unknown, and love quietly reshapes itself into distance, memory, and longing. It is in these transitions that family bonds are tested, deepened, and truly understood. This CNY spot explores those themes of love, separation, and quiet resilience, capturing the emotional complexity of moving on while still holding on to where one truly belongs.

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The story follows a young woman who is about to get married and is preparing for the wedding. The ad opens with a heated exchange between mother and daughter over wedding plans, where playful disagreement gives way to gentle wisdom. The daughter remarks that she learned to argue from her mother, only for her mother to remind her that life rarely unfolds as expected, and true understanding comes with time.

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As the narrative progresses, the young woman reflects on her childhood and shares a tender conversation with her father, expressing the mix of excitement, anxiety, and sadness that comes with moving on. Wanting to hold on to what she’s about to leave behind, she begins documenting her final days at home– capturing small, intimate moments as her family prepares for Chinese New Year, while quietly acknowledging how deeply she will miss them.

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The ad gently reminds us that life is a series of departures that shape who we become. Growing up is not about letting go of where we come from, but learning to hold on to it in a different way, even as we step into the unknown.

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Wrapping Up

And that’s a wrap of our second installment of emotional CNY 2026 commercials. These campaigns reveal a simple yet profound truth– family is not just found in grand reunions, but in the quiet, often overlooked moments of love, sacrifice, and understanding. Whether it’s holding on, letting go, or finding one’s way back, these stories remind us that the essence of the Chinese New Year lies not in celebration alone, but in connection.

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And perhaps that’s what makes these ads linger long after the festivities fade– they reflect life as it is: fleeting, emotional, and deeply rooted in the people we call family.

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On that note, we bid you adieu for the day. We’ll be back with more amazing ad campaigns for you. Till then, stay tuned!