It's going to be a pretty strange Chinese New Year this year.
Yes, the SOP allows for 15 to gather at a time, but most families are going to remain separated for fear that they may inadvertently spread the COVID-19 virus to their loved ones.
It's not going to be the same, but we will get through it.
Hoping to spread a little cheer for CNY, various companies have come up with advertisements for the season.
We've picked some of the ones that stood out and included a cute moo-meter rating in line with the coming Year of the Ox ?.
#1 Panadol: Time For Joy And Not For Pain
Making love letters with Ah Ma has always been a tradition, and when she says that she's too old to do it for Chinese New Year this year, her two grandsons take up the challenge to prepare it instead. Armed with her recipe and her moulds, the two find that it's not as easy as they thought it would be.
While the product placement is a little too blatant for our liking, we loved the sweet storyline.
Moo-meter: ???/5
#2 Sunway: Shared Prosperity and Wisdom
This animated advert anchors its message around quite a heavy issue - the lack of reading and mathematics proficiency among children and adolescents, and how imbalanced knowledge distribution is linked to social levels.
What does that have to do with CNY? Well, watch the advert and see.
It tells us that in the end, we can only thrive together when we share prosperity and wisdom.
Moo-meter: ???/5
#3 Standard Chartered Malaysia: Innovation Keeps Traditions Alive
Featuring a super relatable father who is annoyed at his son for not letting him know if he's coming back for CNY, this lighthearted story made us smile. Determined to uphold tradition, the stubborn father tries his best to find a way to give an ang pow to his precious granddaughter.
The story is sweet and reflects the realities of celebrating CNY from afar this year.
Moo-meter: ????/5
#4 COURTS : Where There's Love, There's Home
This story follows Popo who goes through the trouble to make her granddaughter's favourite "Nian Gao" - a Chinese New Year traditional cake - despite knowing that she will not be coming over for CNY.
Beautifully shot, the touching story reveals how many elderly parents will be celebrating the festivities this year.
Moo-meter: ????/5
#5 AIA: Saving Chinese New YAY
Ah Ma (and Yeh Yeh) are resolved to the fact that they will have to celebrate CNY without their grandchildren.
Determined to bring some cheer to Ah Mah's life, the grandchildren use their "special powers" to brighten up her celebration despite being apart.
Moo-meter: ???/5
#6 Yodoo: God of Prosperity's Huat Huat Tips!
The God of Prosperity and his personal assistant go from home to home checking to see if people are following the CNY traditions and pantangs. They eventually meet Ah Boy who finds CNY gatherings bothersome and traditions a waste of time.
Highlighting some of the more annoying parts of CNY celebrations (at least from Ah Boy's perspective), this advert is honest, funny and has a cute twist at the end.
Moo-meter: ????/5
#7 Digi: From the Heart
Based on a true story, this advert revolves around Ah Tan, a kindhearted man who gives people around his neighbourhood fish during CNY. Why fish? It's a must-have dish at the table to ensure a prosperous year ahead.
A tear-jerker, this one left us with a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
Moo-meter: ?????/5
#8 TNB: Nian-tastic New Start
The people at this village are sick of Nian, the monster who steals their prosperity.
Determined to get rid of the menace, they seek a wise guru, and together they work hand-in-hand to defeat the monster.
Based on the actual legend behind the birth of Chinese New Year, this story is both hilarious and engaging. The visuals and effects are also pretty cool, and the characters, memorable.
Moo-meter: ????/5
#9 Maxis: Little Lion
All Ah Boy wants to do is practice his lion dance techniques, but the whole family is more concerned with other matters and wants him to help them because of bad times.
Children may not truly understand the difficulties of the current times, but this story shows how the family comes together to fulfil sweet Ah Boy's simple desire.
Moo-meter: ????/5
#10 Petronas: Yi Qi
Inspired by the mythical tale of dancing lions who drove away evil spirits, this beautifully illustrated tale reveals how the adorable lions rise about challenges to find a new rhythm of joy.
The animation and cute story is what we loved most about this one.
Moo-meter: ????/5
#11 RHB: Love Carries On
Another one inspired by true events, this emotional CNY advert follows the story of little Ngu Nyok Ping and her father who dedicated his life to aiding her to achieve her dreams.
We were crying buckets watching this one. Stupid ninjas cutting onions right beside us.
The only reason why we're giving it 3 moos on the moo-meter is because it feels more like a Father's Day sorta story as compared to a CNY one.
Moo-meter: ???/5
#12 Yakult: Miles Apart, But Close At Heart
We don't usually see CNY adverts at hospitals but this one follows a frontliner and how she deals with her constantly worried mother who insists she returns home for CNY.
Mirroring the realities that a lot of frontliners have to face this year, this story is another one that touches the heart. Just keep a box of tissues close, k?.
Moo-meter: ?????/5
Adverts galore
Do you have a favourite CNY advert this year?
Which was the one advert that you just could not stand?
Let us know in the comments.