It was said to be product placement, but it was almost considered customized.
Originally, in the 2005 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, Uncle Benshan brought a skit named "Kung Fu." Whether it was a tribute to Zhou Xingxing's comedy movie of the same name this year, riding the trend, or purely coincidental, is unknown.
But due to the relationship with New Era, the skit was changed to "Buying a Smartphone."
This was a suggestion from New Era, reasoning that by 2005, smartphone prices had become more accessible, with phones priced between 300 to 500 yuan being quite common. With the reduction in call and SMS fees, smartphones were gradually being introduced into households, and even many villagers had started using them, enjoying the convenience technology brought to life. Therefore, such skit content would better reflect the era and resonate with the people's mentality.
In addition, this skit could also warm up the audience for the first round of red packet giveaways to follow.
