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 Moncler's newly-opened flagship store in Chengdu, K-beauty brand tamburins' holiday campaign, and Li-Ning's presentation of its SS22 collection in Sanya.
Moncler Unveils Immersive Retail Space in Chengdu#
BRAND#
Moncler
CATEGORY#
Luxury
PLATFORMS#
Weibo, WeChat, Xiaohongshu
MEDIUM#
Image, Short-video, Offline Event
FEATURED TALENTS#
Victoria Song (49.5M Weibo Followers) | INTO1-Mika (2M) | INTO1-Zanduo (2.4M) | INTO1-Zhou Keyu (2.9M)
OVERVIEW#
On December 15, Moncler opened a flagship store featuring immersive retail spaces at Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li in Chengdu. The boutique, designed by the world-famous French architectural firm Gilles & Boissier, covers an area of nearly 500 square meters, marking one of the brand's largest offline retail sites in the Mainland to date. The house also collaborated with Chinese new media artist Gan Jian to create an audio-visual art piece exclusively for the store.
NETIZEN REACTION#
The campaign's Weibo posts accrued 121,000 impressions in three hours, thanks to celebrity endorsements from brand ambassador Victoria Song and three other brand partners: INTO1-Mika, INTO1-Zanduo, and INTO1-Zhou Keyu. In addition to their social exposure, their presence at the opening event lured numerous local visitors to the store.
VERDICT#
Discerning luxury players have learned that one strategy does not fit all Chinese consumers, especially when it comes to targeting various demographics. By differentiating merchandising approaches at its two boutiques in Chengdu, Moncler mapped out a varied strategy for its regional market. From the futuristic vibe of the newly opened boutique to its curated show, “Moncler House of Genius,” the house showcased a dedication to younger consumers in Southwest China.
Niche K-Beauty Label Tamburins Leveraged Celebrity Power to Launch Holiday Limited-Edition Set#
BRAND#
tamburins
CATEGORY#
Beauty
PLATFORMS#
Weibo, WeChat, Xiaohongshu
MEDIUM#
Image, Short-video
FEATURED TALENTS#
Zhu Yilong (30.7M Weibo Followers)
OVERVIEW#
K-beauty brand tamburins, owned by the premium designer eyewear label Gentle Monster, launched its holiday limited-edition set. It featured a minimalist aesthetic with red tones and the campaign video starred Chinese actor Zhu Yilong, the brand's ambassador. The special launch, which included a perfumed hand and body duet, as well as a postcard with Zhu’s autograph, is now available on the brand’s Tmall flagship store and offline at the Gentle Monster store in Haus Shanghai.
NETIZEN REACTION#
Netizens have written positive comments regarding the campaign, especially on the casting of Zhu Yilong. Thanks to Zhu’s large fanbase and social following, the sales volume of the set exceeded 1,000 within four days, marking a substantial number for a niche brand. Meanwhile, on Xiaohongshu and Weibo, consumers (who are mostly Zhu’s followers) shared product reviews, as well as their support for their idol.
VERDICT#
As Chinese consumers seek more personalized and intimate scents after the pandemic, niche fragrance brands have seen growing market opportunities. However, with the emergence of local disruptors in the sector, global beauty players are also encountering challenges from them. Though tamburins entered China’s market later than its competitors, it has nimbly balanced celebrity endorsements while maintaining its niche positioning, indicating a positive growth trajectory to win over local consumers.
Li-Ning’s Cultural Runway Show Hits Sanya#
BRAND#
Li-Ning
CATEGORY#
Fashion
PLATFORMS#
Weibo, WeChat
MEDIUM#
Image, Short-video, Livestream, Offline Event
FEATURED TALENTS#
Xiao Zhan (29.7M Weibo Followers)
OVERVIEW#
On December 10, Li-Ning presented its Spring 2022 Collection with a physical runway show in Sanya, Hainan Province. This presentation was part of the brand’s first-ever music festival, which fell under the theme title: Reframing Perspectives. It featured key pillars ingrained in the brand's DNA like adventure, China Chic, and extreme sports. In addition to talents across music, Esports, and dancing, world-famous actor Jackie Chan attended the event to present the Li Ning x Jackie Chan Kung Fu collection.
NETIZEN REACTION#
On Weibo, the livestream of the music festival garnered a viewership of 7 million, while the campaign hashtag #LiNingSS22MusicFestival received 480 million total impressions. This substantial online traffic was driven by the brand’s global ambassador, Xiao Zhan, and fashion & music KOLs like dancer Huang Xiao and professional League of Legends player Doinb.
VERDICT#
Homegrown sportswear giant Li-Ning has been incorporating cultural motifs into its storytelling and product design for years. Over the last two seasons, the brand presented physical runway shows in Dun Huang and Henan, respectively. These locations are distinct from huge Mainland cities like Beijing and represent unique regional cultures. This concept allows the brand to develop dynamic narratives that feel relevant to local younger generations with high patriotism.