CMG unveils Spring Festival mascot merchandise

China Media Group (CMG) unveiled a new series of cultural merchandise at a press event in Beijing on Sunday, in celebration of the forthcoming Chinese Year of the Rabbit. 

Yu Lei, general director of the Spring Festival Gala, introduced their mascot, Rabbit Yuanyuan, at a press event held in Beijing, Jan. 8, 2023. [Photo courtesy of CTVIG]

The designs, inspired by traditional culture and prehistoric lagomorphs (a group of mammals that includes rabbits and hares), include various products such as plush toys, PVC figures, dinnerware, hand ropes, and ceramics. The most eye-catching designs were Rabbit Tuantuan and Rabbit Yuanyuan, whose names combined mean "family reunion" in Chinese.

Rabbit Yuanyuan was also chosen as this year's mascot for CMG's annual Spring Festival Gala. At the press event, Yu Lei, general director of the gala, introduced the white rabbit, which she described as cute and designed with the Oriental art expression of "everything in the world having a soul."

The design of Rabbit Yuanyuan was also inspired by the fossil of the mimotona, a prehistoric lagomorph that lived 62 million years ago in China. The fossil, discovered in Anhui province, is notable for its four massive incisors. 

"The mascot Rabbit Yuanyuan not only embodies the preferences and expectations of the audience from big data research covering the whole internet, but also contains the connotation and beauty of the traditional Chinese culture on the rabbit, and creatively presents the scientific research achievements of Chinese scientists," Yu noted. The mascot will appear in animation form during the gala, broadcast worldwide on the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Red Rabbit Tuantuan and Rabbit Yuanyuan dolls are shown at a press event held in Beijing, Jan. 8, 2023. [Photo courtesy of CTVIG]

Rabbit Tuantuan, actually a pair of white and red rabbits, is CMG's zodiac franchise design for the upcoming Year of the Rabbit. Inspired by China's traditional rabbit lanterns and featuring patterns from the traditional painted clay sculpture folk art of Fengxiang county in Shaanxi province, the design symbolizes auspiciousness and happiness. The name "Tuantuan" also means "unity and solidarity" in Chinese. 

All the rabbit designs and products will be part of the Rabbit Tuantuan family franchise, said executives of China Television Industrial Group (CTVIG). The designs were created through a collaborative process involving teachers, students, and alumni of the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University and established artists and designers.

CTVIG, a state-owned enterprise affiliated with CMG, has been developing cultural merchandise and gifts since 2021. In the past two years, the company has released nearly 300 products and influential franchises, many of which are related to the Chinese Zodiac and Spring Festival. The products have helped CMG gain a significant share of the market and build up its brand in the cultural products sector.

Merchandise products of the Rabbit Tuantuan family franchise are displayed at a press event held in Beijing, Jan. 8, 2023. [Photo courtesy of CTVIG]

CMG has also signed partnership deals with local government representatives and several enterprises, including the government of Yangquan city in Shanxi province, China Unicom, Huaguang Ceramics, Happy Valley Group, Pingding Yingyu Porcelain Co. Ltd, and Yuetu's high-speed railway VIP business services, among others, to jointly create and develop CMG's cultural products.