China Mobile unveils AI-generated short film for Qixi Festival

China Mobile has unveiled an AI-generated campaign for the Qixi Festival that redefines emotional storytelling around digital connection, developed in partnership with F5 Shanghai.

Titled "Cosmic true heart," the short film centres on China Mobile’s iconic 10086 customer service hotline. Drawing inspiration from the classic literary phrase "For you, a thousand times over," the creative reinterprets traditional reunion tropes through the lens of modern digital isolation, anxiety, and longing.

While the Qixi myth tells the story of two star-crossed lovers separated by the Milky Way, the campaign points out that modern distance is rarely cosmic. Instead, relationships often drift apart due to mundane dropouts: missed calls, lost signals, and dropped connections.

The film opens with a fleeting subway encounter between two strangers. When a sudden cell signal interruption cuts off their communication, the male protagonist is thrown into a surreal, multi-dimensional search spanning ancient dynasties, Wild West towns, primeval forests, and futuristic alien landscapes.

After venturing through countless parallel dimensions, his cross-realm journey finally lands back in reality at the "10086th dimension"—where China Mobile's hotline restores the connection, allowing him to rush to the next station and reunite with the girl.

The narrative shifts away from standard romantic Qixi tropes to address a broader, universal human fear: the anxiety of losing touch. 

Visually, the video was produced entirely using AI tools. F5 Shanghai leveraged generative tools not just as a production cost-saver, but as a narrative asset—using distinct visual styles across historical, natural, and sci-fi realms to represent the concept of traveling across 10,086 dimensions to preserve a single human connection.

The integrated campaign highlights China Mobile's core service promise: 24/7 uninterrupted support through its 10086 hotline, framing reliable network coverage as the ultimate tool for overcoming modern distance.

“Connection is never merely technical. Every signal represents real people, genuineemotions, and irreplaceable encounters. Qixi celebrates reunion across galaxies, while 10086 protects every ordinary connection so no important person is ever missed,” commented Adams Fan, chief creative officer of F5 Shanghai.

“Most festival campaigns focus solely on sweet romantic narratives. Instead, we mirrored the mythical ‘galaxy separation’ with modern digital disconnection. By visualising people’s fear of losing contact, the work achieves broader public resonance,” added Jimyi Xu, marketing director of F5 Shanghai.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to China Mobile for more information.

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