What happened
Balenciaga has again brought its signature flair to China’s 520 Day. The love-themed shopping festival, also known as Cyber Valentine’s Day, is celebrated on May 20 as the numeric date sounds like “I love you” in Mandarin.
Launched on April 25, almost a month ahead of 520 Day, Balenciaga’s “520 Series 2024” includes China-exclusive, ready-to-wear pieces and a dedicated campaign shot in the Chinese mega-city of Chongqing.
Against Chongqing’s vibrant urban skyline, award-winning documentary photographer Chen Ronghui captured different types of loving relationships, including social media influencer Gogoboi and his mother, real-life couple Maojing and Xiaoying, and celebrity parents Zheng Kai and Miao Miao.
The models pose in the playful 520 Signals of the Heart print that merges the international symbol for Wifi with a heart-shaped base and Balenciaga logo, embodying the notion that love transcends space and time.
Accompanying the print pieces, the Crush Tote, Paris Mule, and Track Sneaker have been updated for the festival with a red drawstring/shoelace and white repeating double-B logo.
Providing consumers with fresh styling inspiration, the new pieces are paired with other looks from the Fall 24 collection, including the recently launched Rodeo Bag adorned with love-inspired charms.
“Balenciaga has created a 520 Series collection and dedicated campaign in celebration of love including talents that have embraced Demna’s vision at the very first,” Balenciaga CEO Cédric Charbit tells Jing Daily. “It stands for universal love and diversity that we share as brand values.”
The Jing Take
The Kering-owned brand has an impressive track record when it comes to engaging with Chinese festivals. It leverages cultural connection, creativity, and its signature cool within a localized context.
Reflecting the changing mindsets of Chinese youth, marked by solo lifestyles and decreasing marriage and birth rates, the love-themed campaign looks beyond romance to express love at different life stages, creating an inclusive attitude that is not just reserved for younger generations. Gogoboi’s mom looks on point in head-to-toe Balenciaga, potentially attracting China’s swelling ranks of “silver spenders,” too.
Short videos taken alongside the still images add intimacy and authenticity as couples are seen playfully interacting between the shots. Heart-shaped hand gestures that are popular when posing for photos in China were also incorporated, heightening the campaign’s cultural resonance.
From oversized shoulder pads and footwear to Gogoboi’s lime-green hair, Balenciaga’s futuristic cyberpunk aesthetic was complemented by setting the campaign in Chongqing. China’s biggest city is often overlooked by luxury brands despite ranking eighth among Chinese cities for luxury consumption in 2023. The traditional and futuristic backdrops convey national pride while a touch of neon adds a sense of drama.
Balenciaga’s current exploration of diverse love resonates with last year’s design concept of “I Love _,” leaving a blank space for personal expression. Customized social media images created for Xiaohongshu place the products in natural settings, linking back to last year’s sustainability theme.
Balenciaga’s creative approach to its China marketing was also evident earlier this year with its Chinese New Year “ParisFamily” campaign, inspired by a wordplay of the Chinese pronunciation of the brand name. Meanwhile, a 520 Day virtual arcade game in 2022 and 2023 used nostalgia to attract fans to its WeChat mini program.
The campaign hashtag Balenciaga520 (#巴黎世家520) has generated over 3.19 million views on Xiaohongshu from April 26 to May 15.
From in-the-know love gestures to a questioning of human identity and city vibes, this 520 Day campaign depicts China’s youth culture in a truly Balenciaga style.
“I am grateful to see our audience in China truly understanding fashion, recognizing themselves in what we do and how we do it,” Balenciaga CEO Cédric Charbit says.
Get set for more Balenciaga buzz later this month when Demna presents his first show in China. Balenciaga will stage its Spring 25 Collection in Shanghai on May 30 as part of celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France.
Additional reporting by Mos Wu
The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.
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