With China's growing importance to luxury brands, more and more are making devoted efforts for Chinese New Year. To capitalize on the season, a time when gift giving is popular, a great number of luxury brands have not only released products commemorating this year’s zodiac animal, but also launched tailored digital campaigns.
Below, we evaluate ten of them, counting down to the most successful and engaging for Chinese consumers.
10. Chanel#
So far, Chinese New Year has not been a major priority for French fashion powerhouse Chanel. Last week, the brand hosted a small online event inviting consumers to try out its Gabrielle Chanel Fragrance. Users who fill out their personal information online before the event closes can go to the nearest boutique to collect a sample. While the online invitation, which Chanel posted on both Weibo and WeChat, was open to the public, the number of perfume samples was limited.
9. Giorgio Armani#
Giorgio Armani released a new video to launch its Chinese New Year collection. The color red, which symbolizes good fortune and joy, is used throughout the collection along with this year's ubiquitous design element: dogs (2018 brings the Year of Dog, according to the Chinese zodiac calendar). In the 17-second video, which can be found on the brand's official WeChat and Weibo channels, two models showcase red outfits and accessories.
Giorgio Armani also created the hashtags #ArmaniExchange# and #AXCNYCollection#(#AX中国新年系列#) to promote the items, and shoulder tapped yuyuzhangzhou, an online influencer, to help raise awareness among Chinese consumers.
8. Fendi#
Italian luxury label Fendi this year released an animated short video crammed with both traditional Chinese elements, such as fireworks, red envelopes, the Peking Opera and Chinese papercutting, and signature Fendi items like "Kan I" handbags and the Fendi "POMPOM" to welcome the Chinese New Year.
7. Christian Dior#
Like Giorgio Armani, French luxury brand Christian Dior also released a dedicated video to introduce the exclusive "Rose des vents" jewelry collection in celebration of the Chinese New Year. The animated short video, painted and directed by Victoire de Castellane, Creative Director of Dior Jewelry, depicts two characters dressed in traditional Chinese clothing sitting in a pavilion to welcome the arrival of the Year of Dog.
6. Louis Vuitton#
French luxury giant Louis Vuitton created a cartoon dog based on the Japanese Shiba Inu breed for Chinese New Year. This dog can be found across all the brand's digital channels, including as a set of WeChat digital stickers (or emoji) that users can download and use when chatting with others. The dog also features in a video Louis Vuitton shared on its online store, WeChat, and Weibo.
5. Mulberry#
WeChat is the main digital channel British luxury brand Mulberry uses to reach consumers in China. On February 6, the brand posted an article inviting followers to create digital calligraphy spring couplets (春联), a traditional Chinese New Year decoration families paste on their front doors to celebrate the return of Spring.
After entering an interactive web page linked at the end of the post, readers can choose the style, background image, and a Mulberry item that they'd like to use in their spring couplets. Once they finish, they are encouraged to share the resulting image on their Moments social feeds to receive Mulberry red envelopes (hong bao).
4. Bottega Veneta#
Like Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta also created a cartoon dog character this year, making it into three kinds of WeChat stickers that followers can send to their friends and families.Consumers who follow the brand on WeChat can create customized New Year greetings with Bottega Veneta while learning about its Year of Dog special designs through an interactive web page. On Weibo, the brand has also released plenty of posts to introduce their Chinese New Year special editions.
3. Prada#
Last week, Prada released a video featuring a robot dog family to introduce its special CNY-themed handbag on WeChat and Weibo. The brand also launched an interactive page on WeChat to inform readers about other Chinese New Year offerings from Prada, such as pop-up stores in the country's major high-end department stores.
2. Dolce & Gabbana#
At the core of Dolce & Gabbana's digital campaign this year is a well-designed red envelope game on WeChat. In the game, players need to click on dog-decorated red envelopes until they collect all six types of dogs. Participants can then receive a set of Dolce & Gabbana red envelopes. Dolce & Gabbana also worked with Wang Junkai and Di Lirenba, two of the most popular celebrities in China at present, to record CNY video greetings for fans.
1. Gucci#
To celebrate the Year of the Dog, Gucci released a capsule edition which was inspired by Bosco and Orso, dogs owned by Creative Director Alessandro Michele. The brand has promoted the collection on multiple digital channels, first with an interactive game and then a WeChat mini-program dedicated to selling the collection. On Weibo, Gucci has brand ambassador Li Yuchun and actor Bai Jingting promote the collection.