Trending in China: Yili's Dada Dance ignites a New Year movement across the Internet

The 'Subject Three' dance trend has been popping up everywhere across China in recent months, from promotions by Haidilao to various cultural and tourism campaigns. The ubiquity has seen it lose its novelty and induce fatigue among many consumers.

Despite the Subject Three been overdone, Yili has boldly launched another dance named the "Dada Dance" to celebrate the Chinese New Year, with a demonstration by the "Dragon King of the East Sea." The simple-Macarena-style moves alongside lyrics that are mostly "hahaha," making them easy to learn while still having a strong emotional impact and resonating with the "crazy spirit" prevalent among contemporary Chinese youth. They've expressed their enthusiasm, with comments like "So crazy, I love it!" Many consumers have posted dance videos on Douyin, hoping to have a chance to win the limited edition Yili Fortune Gold milk.

Yili’s CNY Dada Dance craze. Source: @伊利 on Douyin

Seeded and driven by celebrities and influencers, the hashtag #DanceToYili'sDadaDanceForTheYearOfTheDragon has built a significant amount of user-generated content (UGC) on Douyin. Coupled with exposure across channels such as Weibo and WeChat, Yili's "Dada Dance" quickly became a viral sensation, emerging as a new trend for celebrating the Chinese New Year across the Internet.

Another quirky version of Yili’s CNY Dada Dance craze. Source: @伊利 on Douyin