Taobao showcases 10,000 possibilities in life as part of 20th anniversary campaign

Taobao has launched a campaign celebrating its 20th anniversary, showcasing 10,000 types of different lifestyles.

Also known as "Hello, 20 years old", the two-minute video campaign features a girl making birthday wishes for her 20th birthday. Her wishes are accompanied by imaginative and whimsical visuals throughout the video, some of her wishes such as “having a trip whenever and wherever she wants” and “have the courage to take flight anytime”, are accompanied by a bus soaring through the clouds.

Following her wish of “meeting every version of herself in the alternate universe”, audiences are able to meet different versions of her with different outfits and makeup. Next, her wish of “never grow up” has her landing on a giant cat’s belly. The video also creatively turns into a 8-bit pixelated “game” where the girl runs through the rooftop, wanting to “ace the game of life”.

With a straightforward message of “10,000 wishes offers 10,000 different lives”, the message about embracing life strikes an emotional chord with young consumers, reminding them that the vast array of products available on Taobao can facilitate all kinds of creative adventures. The video garnered 5.98 million views and over 352,174 shares, accompanied by a hashtag of 220 million views, with netizens wishing Taobao a “happy birthday”, and sharing their fond memories with Taobao.  

In order to mark its anniversary, the brand also launched a series of online and offline events. Another online activation include “Taobao time machine” (淘宝时光机), an in-app activity that offers people a chance to have a look at their spending behaviours in Taobao throughout the last 20 years. Apart from spending behaviours, the activity also includes interesting statistics such as how long has the user been using the app, what time does the user usually browse the app. The hashtag attracted over 20 million views, with netizens sharing their screencaps of their spending results.

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Furthermore, an offline popup with the same theme had been set up in Hangzhou. A futuristic-looking bus with the theme “Taobao time machine” invited visitors to take photos with the props and look at their results real-time.

Taobao also had a six-hour consecutive live commerce event on 10 May as part of the campaign. A selection of rare goods were auctioned during the live, including Maotai from 2023, antique car from 1993, as well as a chance of being the owner of a small island in Yunnan for a month.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Taobao for more information. 

Taobao has made a name for itself through both offline and digital campaigns. Recently, Taobao held its annual Maker Festival in April. This year’s Taobao Maker Festival revolved around the theme “Uncovering Infinite Lifestyle Possibilities on Taobao”. With a focus on innovation and entrepreneurship, Taobao Maker Festival aims to showcase the country’s consumer lifestyle trends by providing an offline venue and online platform for entrepreneurs to demonstrate their ideas and creativity. The campaign was created to appeal to China's Generation Z by providing unique cultural experiences and incorporating the latest fashion trends.

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