For Lunar New Year 2026, Panda Express is leaning into wonder. The family-owned restaurant chain has launched “Wishes,” its first-ever fully animated short, a two-minute film that celebrates togetherness, tradition, and the emotional power of food. Created by Opinionated, a Tombras company, in partnership with three-time Academy Award-winning animation studio Passion Pictures, the spot marks Panda Express’ most ambitious holiday storytelling to date.
Set against the lantern-lit streets of San Francisco’s Chinatown, the film follows a young girl whose only wish is to have her family together for the New Year celebration. When her physician father is called away on an emergency, her longing becomes a dreamlike journey above the city, ultimately landing in a place rooted in love, resilience, and connection. Watch below:
Unlike many contemporary animated projects, “Wishes” was created entirely without AI. The piece relies on meticulous hand-drawn 2D animation, enhanced with subtle 3D effects, resulting in a visual style that feels both timeless and intimate. Every frame is packed with detail, from bustling street scenes to quiet family moments, reinforcing the brand’s belief that food is an expression of care.
The film builds on Panda Express’ “Have You Eaten Yet?” platform, which has positioned the brand as a cultural ambassador for American Chinese traditions. Lunar New Year represents the most important moment on the brand’s calendar, and “Wishes” expands the emotional territory introduced in last year’s award-winning “The Invitation.” Where that film focused on the humor and intimacy of family gatherings, “Wishes” widens the lens to include community and intergenerational storytelling.
The choice of animation is strategic. It allows Panda Express to capture the magic children associate with holidays, the hope that wishes might come true, while acknowledging a universal truth: sometimes loved ones cannot be physically present, yet connection endures.
Long- and short-form versions of the film are running across broadcast, YouTube, owned channels, and social, with additional campaign elements extending in-store and across paid media.
In a holiday season often dominated by spectacle and symbolism, Panda Express instead delivers something softer, a reminder that the Lunar New Year is less about fireworks and more about who you share the table with.
CREDITS:
BRAND: Panda Express
Client: Diana Huang
AGENCY: Opinionated
- Executive Creative Directors: Mark Fitzloff, Rob Palmer
- President: Trish Adams
- Associate Creative Directors: Cameron Soane, Chris Le
- Design Director: Lau Peltzer
- Designer: Ellie Nicoll
- Producer: Cole Davenport
- Strategy Director: Dave Daines
- Strategist: Ethan Jone
- Account Director: Marcelina Ward
- Account Supervisor: Meg Ellis-Palmer
- Account Executive: Marika Peláez
- Business Affairs Director: Mike Heaton-Gill
PRODUCTION COMPANY: PASSION US
- Managing Director: Neysa Horsburgh
- Producer: Suzie Cimato
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Passion Paris
- Director: Slimane Aniss
- Managing Director: Caroline Audebert
- Executive Producer: Julien de Lestrange
- Line Producer: Lisa Hieblot
- 1st AD: Sabrina Chabanier
- Coordinators: Camille Ringuet, Louise Marquer
- Editors: Slimane Aniss, Nazim Meslem
POST/ VFX: Passion Paris
Designers: Rudy Parfaite, Ulric Leprovost
Matte Painting:
- Hortense Mariano
- Vincent Rouzière
- Mélodie Charier-Rangel
- Lea Alves
- Aymeric Gesbert
- Sophie Barocas
- Mathis Richard
- Anne Marmion
2D Artists:
- Benoit Monchanin
- Camille De Knÿff
- Lola Montes
- Lou-Anne Laporte
- Jules Seviere
- Josselin Facon
2D Animation:
- Chloé Aubert
- Sixtine Dano
- Adrien Fromenteil
- Charlotte Bakers
MUSIC/SOUND: Butter
Composer: Martin Lezaack
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