3 Homegrown Brands That Won Mother's Day

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 in celebration of the Mother's Day this year, from homegrown brands including Proya, Beast, and Ubras. C-Beauty Label Proya Mastered Female Marketing BRAND Proya CATEGORY Cosmetics PLATFORMS Weibo, WeChat, Xiaohongshu, Tmall MEDIUM Short Video OVERVIEW In China, as in many other countries, housework traditionally fell to women and mothers: an unpaid and unsung form of labor that is perhaps the most vital and necessary of all work. C-beauty label Proya engaged this in their Mother’s Day campaign, "Exclusively Visible to Moms." Shown from the perspective of a young mum, the campaign video explores "whether housework has gender attributes" — to remind viewers that responsibilities should be shared and contributions appreciated. NETIZEN REACTION The campaign video received extremely positive comments from netizens, garnering 4.5 million views within 3 days. Many commented that the firm’s approach resonated with mothers, and delivered well the moral that their work should not be taken for granted. One Weibo user commented: “Finally, there’s a brand that genuinely understands mothers.” VERDICT Proya is a veteran in marketing to women, especially when it comes to developing stories that speak to local audiences. In exploring gender equality, its previous campaign “Gender does not set boundaries; prejudice does” was a hit last International Women’s Day. It is a sharp contrast to the many beauty companies rolling out special gift kits or discounts on such occasions. Proya instead focuses on consolidating its brand values and image by tackling social issues. BEAST Tap Nostalgia For Mother’s Day Marketing BRAND BEAST CATEGORY Lifestyle PLATFORMS Weibo, WeChat, Xiaohongshu, Tmall MEDIUM Short Film OVERVIEW Ahead of Mother's Day this year, Chinese lifestyle brand BEAST collaborated with Shanghai Art Film Studio to release the campaign Little Tadpoles Looking for Their Mother. Its theme drew inspiration from the first ink animation film (of the same title), produced by the studio back in 1960. The label incorporated elements from the film into designs, launching limited editions of flower gift kits, bouquets, and homeware products. NETIZEN REACTION Every local is familiar with the film Little Tadpoles Looking for Their Mother — a classic animation about motherly love. The campaign post racked up over 379,000 likes on Weibo, inviting netizens to share personal stories of their mothers in its comment section. The campaign’s visual assets, as well as product designs, feature a retro-style with a modern twist: a trip down memory lane that provoked fond recollections of childhood. VERDICT Nostalgia marketing has been proven effective in China. Perhaps it’s because of the increasing loneliness of young adults that there has been a great rise in the importance of shared memories. And of course, in the midst of lockdowns, such warm storytelling will be a comfort. Certainly BEAST is not one to miss a domestic trend or marketing opportunity: from camping to the upcoming 520 Valentine’s Day, it takes any chance it can to drive social traffic. Ubras Celebrates Its 6th Anniversary BRAND Ubras CATEGORY Underwear PLATFORMS Weibo, WeChat, Xiaohongshu, Tmall MEDIUM Short Film OVERVIEW On May 8, underwear company Ubras released the short film To Us in celebration of its sixth anniversary. Featuring relationships between mothers and daughters, girlfriends, and teammates, it celebrates the joy of companionship in communities of women. Ultimately, the campaign aims to encourage them to create more possibilities beyond what social norms might traditionally expect of their identities. NETIZEN REACTION The campaign hashtag #ToUs has garnered 12 million views on Weibo so far. Many Weibo and WeChat users shared stories of their own relationships with mothers, best friends, and partners. The social traffic was also helped by the underwear group’s collaboration with beauty labels Farmacy and Into You, which featured gift boxes including both brands’ best-selling products. VERDICT Founded in 2016, Ubras is known for its rimless bras, size-free underwear, and designs that prioritize comfort. Thanks to its precise brand positioning, it has won the hearts of young consumers seeking lingerie that feels good. This has been bolstered by strong brand ambassadors: Chinese supermodel Liu Wen and Gen Z musician Ouyang Nana, who have helped the business gain broad recognition in the domestic market. But for this specific campaign, it was the timing: the fact that its sixth anniversary coincided with Mother’s Day offered a chance to consolidate its brand values of caring, community, and women’s empowerment.

3 Homegrown Brands That Won Mother's Day

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Published May 13, 2022

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3 Homegrown Brands That Won Mother's Day