ByteDance's Doubao AI App Launches Chinese New Year Campaign with Cash and Tech Giveaways

ByteDance's AI app Doubao has launched an ambitious Chinese New Year campaign that combines traditional holiday celebrations with modern AI technology, offering users the chance to win cash prizes and high-tech gadgets through interactive activities.

The campaign, which began on February 13, 2026, features two distinct phases designed to engage users throughout the Spring Festival period. The first phase kicked off at 8 p.m. on February 13, with the campaign quickly gaining traction and trending online as users flocked to participate.

How the Campaign Works

Users can participate by generating AI-powered New Year greetings or festive portraits within the Doubao app. These AI-generated creations serve as entries into the lottery system, where participants can win cash rewards. The prize structure follows a tiered approach:

• Most common prizes range from RMB 0.1 to RMB 8.88 ($0.01-$1.23)
• Occasional higher amounts of RMB 66.6 or RMB 88.8 ($9.25-$12.33)
• The top prize of RMB 8,888 ($1,234) is reportedly rare

The campaign's mechanics are straightforward - after verification, red packets can be directly withdrawn to a personal bank account with no additional requirements, and funds arrive instantly upon withdrawal application. This instant payout system adds to the campaign's appeal, as users can quickly access their winnings without navigating complex redemption processes.

Phase Two: The Spring Festival Gala Event

The second phase of the campaign is scheduled for Chinese New Year's Eve on February 16, coinciding with the highly anticipated Spring Festival Gala broadcast. During this phase, Doubao plans to distribute more than 100,000 prizes through three interactive lucky draws.

These draws will feature 17 different types of tech products that are integrated with Doubao's large model capabilities. The prize lineup includes:

• Unitree robots
• Songyan Power robots
• Magic Atom robot dogs
• Bambu Lab 3D printers
• DJI drones
• Usage rights for electric vehicles including the Audi E5 Sportback and Mercedes-Benz CLA EV models

This diverse range of prizes demonstrates ByteDance's strategy to showcase the practical applications of AI technology while creating excitement around the Doubao platform.

Marketing Strategy and User Engagement

The campaign represents a sophisticated approach to user acquisition and engagement during one of China's most important cultural celebrations. By combining traditional red packet giving with modern AI technology, ByteDance is creating a bridge between cultural heritage and technological innovation.

The use of AI-generated content as a participation mechanism serves multiple purposes:

1. It encourages users to explore and engage with the app's AI capabilities
2. It generates user-created content that can be shared socially
3. It creates a viral loop as participants share their winnings and experiences
4. It positions Doubao as a fun, accessible AI tool rather than just a technical product

Industry Context

This campaign comes at a time when AI applications are becoming increasingly competitive in the Chinese market. ByteDance, already a dominant player in social media and content creation through TikTok and Douyin, is leveraging its massive user base to promote Doubao as a serious contender in the AI space.

The integration of high-value prizes like electric vehicles and premium robots suggests that ByteDance is willing to invest significantly in building Doubao's user base and brand recognition. This approach mirrors similar strategies used by other tech companies during major shopping festivals and holiday periods, but with a distinctly AI-focused twist.

Technical Implementation

While specific technical details about the AI models used for generating greetings and portraits aren't provided, the campaign likely utilizes Doubao's large language models and image generation capabilities. The requirement for users to create AI-generated content suggests that the app has robust text-to-image and natural language processing capabilities that can handle the expected surge in usage during the campaign period.

The instant withdrawal feature also indicates sophisticated backend infrastructure capable of processing payments and verifying user identities at scale, which is crucial for maintaining user trust and campaign momentum.

Cultural Significance

By timing this campaign with the Chinese New Year and Spring Festival Gala, ByteDance is tapping into deeply rooted cultural traditions. The red packet (hongbao) tradition, which involves giving money in red envelopes for good luck, has been successfully digitized by various platforms in recent years. Doubao's approach adds an AI dimension to this tradition, potentially setting a new standard for how technology companies engage with cultural celebrations.

The campaign also reflects the growing integration of AI into everyday life in China, where technological adoption often occurs alongside traditional practices rather than replacing them.

Potential Impact

If successful, this campaign could significantly boost Doubao's user base and establish it as a household name in AI applications. The combination of cash prizes and high-tech gadgets creates multiple entry points for different user segments - from those attracted by the chance of quick cash to tech enthusiasts interested in the premium gadgets.

The campaign's success could also influence how other AI companies approach user acquisition and engagement, potentially leading to more interactive, culturally-integrated marketing strategies in the AI sector.

As the campaign unfolds through both phases, industry observers will be watching closely to see how effectively ByteDance can convert campaign participants into long-term Doubao users, and whether this approach can be replicated for other cultural events and markets.