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Panda Express' Lunar New Year Campaign: Key Findings:
Campaign Snapshot
Panda Express is aiming for more than appetite this Lunar New Year.
The American-Chinese comfort food chain has launched “Wishes,” a handcrafted animated short that puts family and tradition at the heart of its 2026 holiday push.
The short film was made with independent agency Opinionated and three-time Academy Award-winning animation house Passion Pictures.
"Wishes" has grounds for being Panda Express' most ambitious holiday story yet.
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Panda Express VP of Integrated Marketing Communications Fabiola Del Rio explained that using animation "capture[s] the sense of wonder and possibility that children feel during the holidays."
"We also wanted to honor what so many of us know to be true, that sometimes the people we love can’t be there in the way we hope, and yet love still finds us."
"'Wishes’ is for anyone who’s ever waited for someone to come home," he added.
The campaign builds on the brand’s existing "Have You Eaten Yet?" platform, widening its emotional reach from humorous family moments to the community and celebration.
Opinionated creatives were heavily involved in shaping the film’s tone and look.
"So much thought, care, and love has been poured into this film from our partners across continents," said Opinionated Associate Creative Director Chris Le.
Overall, “Wishes” is a way for Panda Express to deepen its brand identity with diverse audiences by honoring Asian culture.
This ensures the spot resonates far beyond the restaurant aisle.
Bringing 'Wishes' to Life
The film is set against the lantern-lit streets of San Francisco’s Chinatown during Lunar New Year.
It follows a young girl whose heartfelt wish to have her family together is tested when her father, who's a doctor, is called away.
The film’s journey, rich with emotional moments and cultural cues, charts a dreamlike path "high above the city" toward reunion and love.
This pushes Panda Express’ message that food often expresses care more deeply than words.
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Shorter cuts of the film tailor the narrative for TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube feeds while the full piece plays in environments where audiences are primed for storytelling.
Panda Express is also supporting the Lunar New Year celebration with in-store visuals and digital brand activations that tie back to the film’s themes of togetherness and food.
Ultimately, it's campaigns like “Wishes” that increasingly rely on deeply human storytelling rather than product pushes.
A Lesson in Emotive Storytelling
The fast-food chain shows how narrative campaigns can deepen cultural connection and drive seasonal relevance.
- Using animation and hand-crafted visuals can level up a seasonal campaign and show that it cares about the culture.
- Centering a story on real family dynamics makes holiday campaigns feel relatable and authentic.
- An integrated campaign makes sure the narrative reaches audiences.
The real test will be in the months ahead.
Can Panda Express maintain this emotional connection in its effort to keep marketing fresh and culturally grounded?
Last year, Panda Restaurant Group reported about $6.2 billion in revenue, highlighting the brand’s ongoing growth and cultural presence.
Our Take: Do 'Wishes' Resonate?
I watched “Wishes” and didn’t expect to choke up over a two-minute animated short.
It’s simple, really. A kid wants her family together for Lunar New Year, and life gets in the way.
However, the story lands because Panda Express paid its respects to the very culture that its brand is built on.
The animation is also hand-drawn, with no use of shiny CGI.
This makes the spot feel lived-in, almost as if someone actually cared about every frame.
If anything, it teaches marketers not to just slap a logo on a holiday scene and call it a campaign.
Give people a story they recognize in their own lives and make it a visual stunner.
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