Magnum 4D's CNY film uplifts the hopes of those who are down on their luck

Malaysian-based 4D operator Magnum 4D has unveiled a new Chinese New Year brand film titled "Threads of hope".

"Threads of hope" aims to send well wishes to viewers during the festive season and remind them that hope is the greatest blessing that connects people and lifts them up. The campaign is in line with Magnum 4D's CSR efforts to give back to the community and was created in collaboration with creative agency The Clan and production house Directors Think Tank.

In "Threads of hope", a man named Nam attempting to help those in his community. However, despite his good intentions, he messes up every time he tries. With each mistake he makes, a red thread becomes attached to him too.

First, he tries to catch a chicken for his family member Xiao Mai, but the chicken manages to fly and run away. Afterwards, he tries to help neighbourhood kids untie their balloons, but ends up releasing them to the sky. Nam is later seen helping an uncle fix his broken stool but accidentally pours soda into the uncle's nian gao ('sweet rice cake') batter. Feeling dejected, the man returns home to find the entire neighbourhood having dinner outside of his home.

Xiao Mai invites him in and reveals that the chicken that ran away, returned home and brought many friends with it. The uncle also tells Nam that he had intended to throw the nian gao batter away but realised that the soda had made his rice cake taste so much better. Xiao Mai later asks Nam if he still has the lottery ticket that he bought. When Nam pulls out his ticket, he realises that he has won the lucky price.

According to The Clan, ⁠the idea was inspired by the Chinese traditional belief that an invisible red thread of fate binds people together no matter how far apart they are. The agency took creative liberties and turned it into threads of hope where human connection isn’t only limited to romantic love.

In addition, the campaign is a departure from Magnum 4D’s usual humour-led approach, opting for a more emotional, human story that talks about connections instead, said The Clan.

The campaign will run from January till the end of Chinese New Year. It will be aired in Magnum 4D's outlets and its social media platforms.

With Chinese New Year around the corner, more and more brands are releasing films to usher in the year of the snake. Tech giant Apple recently unveiled its film shot entirely on the iPhone 16. Titled "I made a mixtape for you", the film sees a young man named Wei being transported into the 90s. There, he falls in love with a girl name Man who reignites his faith in love.