The Western tradition of celebrating your fathers on the third Sunday in June is catching on in China. Father's Day in China, which falls on June 18 this year, has, much like Mother’s Day, become a festival that luxury retailers can tap to connect with consumers on a personal level.
So what are some ideas that brands have given to Chinese consumers for this year's Father’s Day?
Over the past couple of weeks, many luxury brands have pushed out creative marketing campaigns and articles on WeChat, the country's biggest social media platform, with a number of great gift ideas for their followers and creative ways of engaging consumers that brands can take note of. One gave customers tools to create a fun digital card for their fathers that we particularly liked.
Here are ten of our favorites:
1. MCM#
Will Smith’s movie “The Pursuit of Happiness" was a touchpoint for German luxury label MCM's Father's Day message to fans. A GIF at the top of its campaign page shows a snippet from the film of a father and son walking down a hill holding hands. A text above it reads, "We may not cook as much as mother's, but we'll take you to nice restaurants."
MCM then offers a variety of gift recommendations for Chinese dads including leather hats, wallets, sunglasses, headphones and travel bags. If readers want to buy, there's a call to action button that will take them to the brand’s official Chinese website. During the campaign, MCM is throwing in free shipping and returns.
2. Coach#
Over the past several decades, Chinese fathers rarely cared about their clothes and had little to no knowledge about fashion. A lot has changed since then, though, and the American accessible luxury brand Coach is seizing on the opportunity to give their fans a little know-how.
At the centerpiece of its Father's Day campaign is a fashion style guide showing kids how they can spruce up their fathers' sartorial efforts with Coach apparel and accessories like briefcases, leather belts, and T-shirts. The brand is running a sales promotion on their WeChat account from June 12-18, where consumers get RMB 618 (US91) off when they spend more than RMB 4,000 (US588).
3. Givenchy#
The Parisian fashion powerhouse Givenchy provides Chinese fathers with products they can use whether they're in work mode or vacation mode. For the former, loved ones can gift crocodile leather handbags and belts for their working fathers. For fathers on vacation, the “Silver” collection, of sporty outerwear and sneakers, is the perfect match. All products can be purchased at Givenchy’s local stores in major Chinese cities.
4. Montblanc#
German luxury manufacturer Montblanc promotes their signature pens, watches, handbags and cufflinks in its Father’s Day campaign. On WeChat, the brand offers an exclusive promotion code (300 yuan—US44—off any purchase) that the followers can apply when they check out on Montblanc's official website.
5. Cartier#
Even though it's still not that common in China for spouses to give gifts to fathers on Father's Day, the practice has gained some popularity among young couples who take their cues from Western culture. Cartier's selection for the holiday—the classic and popular "Love" ring—shows that it's picking up on this trend. The Love ring as well as the "Juste un Clou" bracelet can be bought in Cartier's WeChat boutique.
6. Michael Kors#
In the campaign post, Michael Kors wrote that fathers are not always good at communicating their feelings...but they always serve as an example for kids to learn some of the most important qualities that people need to acquire such as resilience, strength and ambition. This again is a sign that Western values are rubbing off on Chinese fans. Chinese fathers historically were too busy working to spend a lot of time with their children and families. Michael Kors, tapping into this evolution of the familial role, helps family members communicate their feelings through the following gifts for fathers: handbags, shirts, wallets, and cardholders.
7. Armani Beauty#
A bottle of perfume for your father? That’s what Armani Beauty suggests its followers send on this special day. The campaign features notes from Jason Morgan, the Global Ambassador for Armani Beauty’s fragrance products, and several Chinese actors, who reveal why they like Armani’s perfume.
8. Hugo Boss#
To celebrate Father’s Day, Hugo Boss launched an event on WeChat that asks followers to make a nifty electronic card with its embedded link. All participants have the chance to win a shoe care kit. This was a great way to engage consumers and let them have a little fun while perusing the cufflinks, shoes, and sweaters.
9. Bally#
The theme of Bally’s Father’s Day is about making your fathers feel young again. Their antidote to the phenomenon of aging?: Their shoes and handbags, which are said to help fathers look younger than they are. All of the products ear-marked are embedded with purchasing links that allow shoppers to visit Bally’s official site to place their order.
10. Beijing's Four Seasons Hotel#
Sending wallets, belts and razors on Father’s Day is not creative according to the Four Seasons. The luxury hotel and resort brand thinks the holiday is much better spent giving your father quality time over a delicious meal. In its Beijing location, the hotel offers guests a special menu for the occasion.