China’s Olympic heartthrobs: A new frontier for brands?

What happened: At 190cm tall with broad shoulders, dark floppy locks, and a washboard stomach, you would be forgiven for thinking these were the defining features of Asia’s C-pop idols or Thailand’s celebrity hunks. But they in fact belong to Wang Shun, the Chinese athlete who has stolen the hearts of local netizens for his athletic prowess and swoon-worthy appearance. After clinching the Bronze medal during the men’s 200 individual medley on Friday last week, China’s digital natives have been pining over the sportsman online. “Swimmers are really much prettier than the entertainment industry hotties,” penned user Modu A’s Mom Chloe (@魔都A妈克洛伊) in the wake of his victory. Related hashtags also lit up social media following Wang’s win, with the hashtag “Wang Shun” (#汪顺) amassing over 180 million views on Xiaohongshu. Wang isn’t the only athlete to enter the heartthrob canon this Olympics. Zhang Boheng, the 24-year-old artistic gymnast who narrowly missed out on gold last Wednesday has earned sweetheart status across China after a viral clip of the tumbler looking despondent post-competition went viral. Snapping up silver, Zhang lost out to Japan’s Shinnosuke Oka by just 0.233 of a point. Then there’s Pan Zhanle, the Wenzhou-born swimmer who broke his own world record during the men’s 100-meter freestyle on July 31. After taking gold for his win, Pan later powered China into the lead during the men’s 4x100 meter relay final on Monday, ending the US’ decades-long reign. China’s internet exploded with pride for Pan following his record-breaking triumph. But it wasn’t just the swimmer’s athletic talent being praised. “This is what the world champion looks like, more handsome than anyone else,” user Xiao Hongshu (@小红曙) wrote on Xiaohongshu. The Jing Take: China’s Olympians have been serving up many unexpected brand opportunities throughout the Games. From unpredictable viral moments like swimmer Qin Haiyang’s swag walk to hurdler Wu Yanni’s polarizing ascent to stardom, the mainland’s athletes are dominating the zeitgeist – and brands should be watching. While these sudden moments of opportunity are often tricky to plan, some brands anticipated the popularity of China’s domestic sportsmen ahead of the Games. In April, Swiss timepiece maker Jaeger-LeCoultre enlisted swimmer Wang as the latest face to join its Friend of the House ambassador initiative. Rival Tag Heuer similarly snapped up swimmer Qin in February, noting that the athlete’s embodiment of “excellence, boldness, and determination” made him a prime choice for the role. It’s a strategic move, considering how the Olympics has commanded headlines. Online chatter is also bumping up Earned Media Value (a marketing metric that estimates the value of a brand’s exposure or engagement from non-paid channels), as seen with icy-calm shooter Kim Yeji’s sleek Fila windbreaker – a piece that consumers have been desperately trying to hunt down since its TV debut. Netizens’ shift towards sportspeople is indicative of evolving fandom preferences across China. In response to multiplying scandals among actors and musicians, local audiences are pivoting to less controversial athletes. Their discipline, strength, and optimal physiques also hark back to traditional Chinese values. This trend extends beyond Chinese faces, too, with Western darlings like American basketball point guard James Harden gaining star-boy status across the mainland. But athletes aren’t immune to controversy. Swimmer Wang was this week linked to a doping scandal after testing positive for a banned substance ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. The athlete has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, publicly noting that he was tested extensively before the Paris Games. “Chinese swimmers only compete cleanly,” he said through a translator. “That’s our goal.” Likewise with freestyler Pan, who recently came under intense scrutiny from Australian coach Brett Hawke, who described Pan’s blitzing win as “not humanly possible for a clean athlete,” as well as British star Adam Peaty reportedly “questioning the honor” of the Chinese swimmers. Meanwhile, gymnast Zhang acquired the nickname “tea tea” (茶茶) during 2021’s Tokyo Games, after posting a tongue-in-cheek comment about his teammates (Zhang wasn’t picked to compete due to a lack of experience). The slang term was originally used to describe Zhang as “pure but manipulative” – like green tea – though this has since evolved into a label of endearment. These athletes may not be completely free from misconduct. But local fans continue to display more trust in them than in their entertainment counterparts – something that brands should take into account when forming close ties with China’s spenders. Prada, for example, felt the heat after former brand ambassador and actress Zheng Shuang was accused by her ex-boyfriend of considering forcing their surrogates to terminate their pregnancies, as well as alleged tax evasion. Since dropping Zheng in 2021, Prada has been scrambling to save face across the mainland via partnerships alongside China’s Women’s National Football team and basketball player Shuyu Yang. It’s a move that’s paying off. Last week, the Prada Group cited a boost in Asia-Pacific sales – notably in China – as a key driver behind its recent double-digit revenue growth. Netizens have been quick to praise the brand’s pivot, imploring others to follow suit. As one spectator puts it on Instagram, “If you follow athletes, your stan may become an Olympic gold medalist. If you follow idols, your stan may end up a convict.” 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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China’s Olympic heartthrobs: A new frontier for brands?