Prada Lunar New Year 2026 Ad Campaign

Review of Prada Lunar New Year 2026 Ad Campaign by Creative Director Ferdinando Verderi and Photographer Zhong Lin with models Yang Mi and Ma Long

For Chinese New Year 2026, Prada turns to symbolism, geometry, and spectacle to mark the arrival of the Year of the Fire Horse—an event that occurs only once every sixty years in the lunisolar calendar. Rather than leaning into folkloric literalism, the brand reframes the Fire Horse through its most enduring visual code: the Prada Triangle.

At the center of the campaign imagery is a reimagined horse constructed from faceted triangular forms, rendered in a saturated red that immediately signals both celebration and intensity. The geometric figure operates as both sculpture and symbol, its fragmented body suggesting motion, tension, and transformation. This abstraction aligns naturally with Prada’s long-standing interest in modularity and reconfiguration, allowing cultural reference to pass through a distinctly brand-driven lens.

Photographed by Zhong Lin under the creative direction of Ferdinando Verderi, the campaign pairs the Fire Horse with Prada ambassadors Yang Mi and Ma Long. Their presence grounds the conceptual framework, introducing human scale and narrative counterbalance. Styled in key looks from the Spring/Summer 2026 collections, the duo interacts with the sculptural form in ways that feel composed rather than performative, reinforcing the campaign’s emphasis on poise and control over overt dramatization.

Beyond the imagery, the campaign expands into physical space through a series of site-specific installations across Shanghai and Chengdu. The Fire Horse appears as a monumental object within public and cultural venues, while Prada Rong Zhai becomes a focal point for projection mapping and immersive programming. These extensions move the campaign beyond static advertising, positioning it as an experiential project that merges architecture, digital media, and ritualized celebration.

What distinguishes Prada’s approach is its refusal to dilute symbolism for accessibility. The Fire Horse is not explained away but reinterpreted, filtered through abstraction and repetition. While the scale and ambition of the installations inevitably introduce a sense of spectacle, the underlying concept remains disciplined, rooted in form rather than ornament.

In the context of Prada’s broader visual language, the Chinese New Year 2026 campaign feels both timely and consistent. It reinforces the brand’s ability to engage with cultural moments through intellectual structure and design logic, presenting celebration not as excess, but as a controlled interplay of history, identity, and transformation.