Back to the ordinary after Tet, this special gift set retains its value and presence in everyday lives of the recipients, recalling moments of family gathering for Tet feasts and the meaning of collaboration.
Three months prior to Tet, Ivy+Partners initiated the quest for the creative concept of this annual gift, with the aim to express gratitude towards business partners. In a collaborative effort with Practice Theory, both teams got a chance to contemplate deeply about Tet, one of the most important traditional holidays of Vietnam.
The Inspiration Comes from Tet Food Tray
Over the years, Tet has become synonymous with dining experiences, prompting the customary expression of “Ăn Tết” (Taste Tet). Inspired by an age-old Vietnamese belief that: “Bát sạch ngon cơm” (Clean bowls make food good), Ivy+Partners has curated a premium Bat Trang ceramic bowl collection to be the gift of this year.
When talking about Tet, it’s inevitable to talk about the Tet feast, one of the grandest and most heartfelt meals of the whole year, embodying a sense of fullness. This fullness lies in the essence of family reunion. Leading separate lives throughout the year, all family members now gather around one shared tray of food. Coming from successive generations and different places, they return to one single home. The “full Tet” has since become the core message that Ivy+Partners wants to convey through this gift.
The completed collection also serves as a symbol for the relationship between “Ivy” and “Partners”. Ivy+Partners holds the belief that, much like those ceramic pieces, every meaningful collaboration has to undergo a shaping and firing process to become resilient.
Stepping away from the seasonal nature of a typical Tet gift set, Ivy+Partners seeks to create an everlasting experience that resonates with recipients not just during this year’s Tet season but for many years to come.
A Contemporary Definition of the “Full Tet”
Ivy+Partners chooses “appreciation”, “completion”, “sensation”, “duration” as the four key elements to compose a full Tet, representing the most sincere wishes in everyone’s heart and mind. These messages are subtly placed on each ceramic piece, and collectively form a poem. Typography is abstract and modern, underscoring the emphasis on the circle of unity by integrating the lines.
A dish of completion
A bowl of sensation
A plate of appreciation
A pot of duration
A full Tet isn’t necessarily a big one. It’s simply a Tet marked by the footsteps of those who come back home from afar, expressing apprecation to their loved ones; the unexpected moment when your hearts swells with sensation like the sap of blooming spring plants; the realization that career’s ups and downs are normal, as long as we maintain endurable mental and physical health; The past year of working hard and and chasing achievements has passed, the beginning of a new year is about setting everything aside and embrace a complete Tet.
From Message to Design Language
To infuse a distinctive contemporary flair into the design, all details are stylized in a circular form. Inspired by the moon and sun, this is the metaphor for the cycle of the seasons, revolving around annual family gatherings. Simple yet effective, this design symbolizes the intersection between tradition and modernity, acting as a call to preserve cultural values of the past and look forward to the advancements of the future.
This blend symbolises the progression of the modern family, honouring their heritage while adapting to the future. Our team, consisting of designers and creatives from around the globe, holds unity and family traditions at its core.
– Shared by Randy Yeo, Founder and Creative Director of Practice Theory.
More than a gift, this set is an experience, a medium through which the values of unity and tradition are reimagined in today’s context.
Reflecting on Tet: Insights from Recipients
As the daily work pace resumes after Tet, Ivy+Partners got a chance to catch up with the partners who received this gift. While each person had a unique piece of story to share about Tet, they all have the same “Yes!” for the question of “Has you Tet been full?”, in one way or another.
“I was truly thrilled to receive this gift set from Ivy+Partners. It exudes a perfect blend of innovation and originality, while honoring tradition and embracing Vietnamese roots. It’s not just a gift, it’s a memento that promises to leave a lasting impression on the future.” – Shared by Francesca Severoni, Relationship Manager & Business Developer from Fidinam Vietnam.
The other media partner, shared: “This is not the first ceramics set I’ve received, but it’s probably the first one with exclusive wishes printed like this. I’m keeping it for a suitable time to use because what makes it special is that it will never go out of trend or date. This year, my family is still healthy enough to gather together, which makes a full Tet to me. Thanks to Ivy+Partners for such a meaningful gift and wish your team a year filled with love from clients and partners.”
Empowered by New Year gifts and wishes, all partnerships continue to evolve on a new journey, paving the way for new successes. This imparts a significant meaning to the gift-giving tradition in Tet, when people take a moment to reflect on the past year and commit to a promising future together.
Tet’s still “full” in everyday life
After all, Tet is merely an occasion, an opportunity, a season of the year. Tet is over but something about it would forever remain, which are cultural values, reunion memories, and gratitude on collaboration. Ivy+Partners and Practice Theory aspires for this Tet gift set to extend beyond the Tet and become a permanent fixture of recipients’ daily lives, reminding of the past season and opening up other seasons lying ahead.
