In China, Apple is seen as premium and it’s critical to maintain relevance in a hotly contested category.  To drive salience for Chinese New Year we set out to connect with China in a distinct and meaningful way. We wanted to celebrate precious family reunions as only the innovative tech of the iPhone could capture, with Apple’s unique POV on CNY’s cultural significance. Partnering with acclaimed director Peter Chan we shot “Three Minutes,” entirely on iPhone X and based on a true story. The film reached over 100 million views during the holidays and made headlines as “setting a new standard for advertising.”

A mum can’t be with her son on the first day of Chinese New Year, the most important day of the celebration. She’s a train conductor on duty along a week-long route, helping her passengers get home. Along the journey the train stops at her hometown station for three minutes. Her sister arranges for the son to meet mum on the train platform. They cherish their Chinese New Year reunion, even if it only lasts mere minutes.

The film launched February 1st, the first day of China’s massive CNY reunion travel period, exclusively on apple.com and on Youku. A premiere was held in Beijing, attended by nearly 50 media representatives. The film also appeared on Tencent and iQiyi video sites over the campaign. “Three Minutes” was further amplified with push messages on WeChat, broadcast media, CNY films in Cinema, outdoor and from Tim Cook's Weibo account to promote the film.