The Homecoming Declarations: Pepsi Tet 2025
In Asian families, love is a fluent language of actions, but it often stumbles when it comes to words. We silently peel fruit for each other or slip lucky money into pockets, but saying a simple "I love you, Mom" or "Having you is all I need for Tet" out loud can feel incredibly awkward. This ingrained emotional silence, especially during the heightened emotional expectations of Tet, was the exact cultural tension our strategy team crystallized for us. The brief became clear: if we can't say it out loud, let's find a way to wear it.
Translating that strategy into a tangible visual language was where my journey as Design Lead began. Working closely with my Associate Creative Director and our design team, we spent hours establishing the layout and design guidelines for Pepsi's custom shirts. We didn't want to just create disposable promotional merchandise; we wanted to design an emotional utility. We leaned into unapologetic, vibrant pop art and bold Y2K typography, featuring massive, unmissable statements like "Tết Của Con Là Mẹ Đó" (My Tet is You, Mom). The aesthetic had to be loud and confident enough to compensate for the quietness of the people wearing it.
But the true weight of what we were creating didn't fully hit me until production day.
Leading the photoshoot with WEAN, NAOMI, and their real life mothers, I realized my responsibility had shifted. Because our account team had seamlessly handled the logistical hurdles, I was able to focus entirely on the craft and the energy on set. I wanted to strip away the stiff, manicured artificiality that plagues so many traditional Tet commercials. I didn't want them to perform; I just wanted them to be a family.
There is a distinct point in a project where the commercial mandate fades into the background. Watching Naomi pull her mother into a sweet, spontaneous embrace, or seeing W’s effortless, swaggering pride as he stood next to his mom while both wore those loud, beautiful shirts we had painstakingly designed, shifted something in the room. The shirt was just the canvas; the art was the relationship.
The true scale of this project was realized when these raw visual anchors were amplified into a nationwide digital movement by the brilliant media teams at Publicis and Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam. Their efforts drove over 150 million content views and inspired fans to create 5 million custom shirts online. When people look at those images lighting up giant LED billboards across the country, they might just see a phenomenally successful FMCG campaign or a cool streetwear drop. But for me, I see something else. I see the profound relief of a generation finally finding a way to wear the words they couldn't bring themselves to say.
But the true weight of what we were creating didn't fully hit me until production day.
Leading the photoshoot with WEAN, NAOMI, and their real life mothers, I realized my responsibility had shifted. Because our account team had seamlessly handled the logistical hurdles, I was able to focus entirely on the craft and the energy on set. I wanted to strip away the stiff, manicured artificiality that plagues so many traditional Tet commercials. I didn't want them to perform; I just wanted them to be a family.
There is a distinct point in a project where the commercial mandate fades into the background. Watching Naomi pull her mother into a sweet, spontaneous embrace, or seeing W’s effortless, swaggering pride as he stood next to his mom while both wore those loud, beautiful shirts we had painstakingly designed, shifted something in the room. The shirt was just the canvas; the art was the relationship.
The true scale of this project was realized when these raw visual anchors were amplified into a nationwide digital movement by the brilliant media teams at Publicis and Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam. Their efforts drove over 150 million content views and inspired fans to create 5 million custom shirts online. When people look at those images lighting up giant LED billboards across the country, they might just see a phenomenally successful FMCG campaign or a cool streetwear drop. But for me, I see something else. I see the profound relief of a generation finally finding a way to wear the words they couldn't bring themselves to say.
Credits & Collaborators
Client: Pepsi Vietnam
Advertising Agency: Ki Saigon
Strategic Planner: Indraneel Guha
Associate Creative Director: Chung Hoang
Design Lead / Photoshoot Art Director: Duc Luong
Designers: Huynh Nguyen, Uri Tran, Hai Le, Ngan, Han
Account Management: Aiden Do, Diaz, Uyen Trinh
Social & Media Amplification: Oanh Truong, Felix, Linh, Quoc Truong (alongside Publicis Media & Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam)
Client: Pepsi Vietnam
Advertising Agency: Ki Saigon
Strategic Planner: Indraneel Guha
Associate Creative Director: Chung Hoang
Design Lead / Photoshoot Art Director: Duc Luong
Designers: Huynh Nguyen, Uri Tran, Hai Le, Ngan, Han
Account Management: Aiden Do, Diaz, Uyen Trinh
Social & Media Amplification: Oanh Truong, Felix, Linh, Quoc Truong (alongside Publicis Media & Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam)