The Social Edition is our weekly series which deep dives into luxury initiatives in China’s social media landscape. Every week, we highlight brand campaigns distributed on Chinese digital platforms — WeChat, Weibo, Tmall, Douyin, and beyond.
Our coverage spotlights global luxury brands, global beauty brands, and local Chinese brands. The latter gives insight into some of China’s most successful campaigns, which often come from local players, and are outside of the beauty and fashion space.
In this week’s roundup, we look at three campaigns, including Bulgari’s new approach to celebrity endorsements, Saint Laurent’s newly released art film, and L’Oréal Paris’ dedication to Asian elephant protection.
Scent of a Winner? Chanel Perfume Show Enchants China#
BRAND#
Chanel
CATEGORY#
Luxury
PLATFORMS#
Weibo, WeChat, Little Red Book
MEDIUM#
Image, Short-video, Offline Exhibition
FEATURED TALENTS#
Liu Wen (26M Weibo Followers) | Zhou Xun (6.4M) | Janine Chang (16.2M) | Wang Yibo (39M)
OVERVIEW#
Chanel opens its first-ever perfume exhibition, titled “Feeling Chanel” (感知香奈儿), on August 23 at Shanghai West Bund Art Center. The exhibition focuses on the house’s signature Factory 5, Coco Mademoiselle, and Chance perfume collections via an immersive and olfactory-pleasing journey. In addition to offline activities, the campaign features video magazines that star the house's brand ambassadors, including Janine Chang, Zhou Xun, and Liu Wen.
NETIZEN REACTION#
The campaign hashtag #FeelingChanel amassed 140 million views on Weibo within four days, demonstrating massive social power. Along with its brand ambassador endorsements, which drove huge traffic, fashion KOL posts and spontaneously shared visitor experiences helped the campaign gain terrific organic engagement.
VERDICT#
Running offline exhibitions and events has become a critical marketing tool in post-pandemic China. As a legacy luxury house, Chanel has made bold moves in China to attract the country's younger demographics. Whether it is the brand's recent music-club-themed pop-up event in Chengdu or this current art exhibition in Shanghai, Chanel's physical activities focusing on specific categories have undoubtedly helped the brand increase its desirability and strengthen its multi-line strategy.
SK-II Highlights Its ‘High-Quality’ Ambassadors in Relaunch Campaign#
BRAND#
SK-II
CATEGORY#
Cosmetics
PLATFORMS#
Weibo, WeChat, Little Red Book
MEDIUM#
Image, Short-video
FEATURED TALENTS#
Ni Ni (24.2 Weibo followers) | Tang Wei, Haruki Ayase, and Chloe Grace Moretz (no Weibo official accounts)
OVERVIEW#
On August 19, Japanese beauty brand SK-II unveiled a documentary series titled “My Pitera Story,” starring its four global brand ambassadors. In the videos, the featured female celebrities — Chinese actresses Tang Wei and Ni Ni, Japanese actress Haruki Ayase, and American actress Chloe Grace Moretz — share their experiences with the brand’s best-selling Pitera Essence.
Spotlighting in-person conversations and behind-the-scenes footage from the stars' previous campaign shoots for Pitera Essence, the short films explain how the ambassadors' personal and professional journeys have been transformed over the years.
NETIZEN REACTION#
In China, the three Weibo hashtags #MyPiteraStory, #TangWeiStatus, and #HowTheyReshapeClassics were released to help promote the campaign. The short documentaries casting Tang Wei and Ni Ni have garnered a combined viewership of 18 million thus far, even though Tang does not have an official Weibo account. Their brand endorsements over the past decade were acclaimed by local beauty shoppers, who described them as “high-quality” brand ambassadors.
VERDICT#
SK-II has always created disruptive and thought-provoking social campaigns to enrich its brand story. In this remake campaign, the brand highlights the long-term relationships it has forged with its global brand ambassadors, showcasing a dedication to authenticity and longevity. This tactic explains to global beauty and fashion players that celebrity endorsements are not only about driving traffic but, more importantly, are about finding the right person to tell the brand's true story.
Gentle Monster Unveils First Optical Collection#
BRAND#
Gentle Monster
CATEGORY#
Luxury Eyewear
PLATFORMS#
Weibo, WeChat, Little Red Book
MEDIUM#
Image, Short-video
FEATURED TALENTS#
Esther Yu (15.5M Weibo Followers) and 11 global celebrities
OVERVIEW#
Gentle Monster, the popular Korean luxury eyewear brand, has released a new campaign entitled “Gentle Campaign” for their first optical collection which launches on August 26. The campaign features a mix of 12 international celebrities, as well as a short companion video.
NETIZEN REACTION#
Esther Yu, the popular Chinese female idol, has been well received by netizens even though she’s sporting a rather nerdy look in the campaign. No matter, the campaign post featuring Yu received 11,700 comments and 56,500 likes within three days, which performed substantially higher than the others featured talents.
VERDICT#
Gentle Monster has garnered recognition among China’s Gen Z shoppers who adore unique and avant-garde aesthetics. Its recent collaborations with luxury streetwear brands including Heron Preston and Ambush sold out soon after they were dropped. And now, Gentle Monster’s newly launched optical collection will allow the brand to expand its product portfolios beyond sunglasses and leverage the huge opportunities of higher-end eyeglasses.