From HR to hype: China’s annual brand galas go viral

What happened A corporate annual gala staged on the scale of a major pop concert has propelled Chinese tech brand Dreame into mainstream visibility with unprecedented speed. On February 4, Dreame Technology took over Suzhou Olympic Sports Center with “Dare to Dream and Act · Dreame Night,” a large-scale event co-hosted with China Central Television. What unfolded went far beyond a routine internal celebration. With the production values and lineup of a prime-time broadcast gala, the evening blurred the line between corporate gathering and mass entertainment. Hosted by CCTV’s Benny Sa alongside Yunxi Gong, the show featured performances by some of China’s most recognizable singers, including Jeff Chang, Mao Buyi, Han Hong, Jam Hsiao, Kelly Chen, and Hacken Lee. This break from convention catapulted the event across Chinese social media. “Dreame annual meeting” quickly trended, with stage clips circulating widely and prompting a recurring question in comment sections: What exactly is Dreame? Founded in 2017, Dreame has risen to prominence in China’s highly competitive robot vacuum market and has since expanded into large home appliances, drones, and smartphones. In August 2025, the company announced plans to enter the electric vehicle sector, with its first model expected to debut in 2027. The visibility strategy extended beyond China’s domestic market. Capitalizing on momentum from the annual meeting, Dreame moved swiftly to secure a prime advertising slot during the February 8 Super Bowl, becoming the first Chinese hard-technology brand to advertise at the world’s most commercially coveted sporting event. Combined, these moves shifted public perception. The company has evolved from robot-vacuum specialist to emerging technology brand defined by premium ambition, cross-category reach, and global expansion. The Jing Take As year-end corporate gatherings have become nearly universal, brands are increasingly drawing attention not for holding annual meetings, but for how they stage them. On February 6 in Beijing, Pop Mart hosted its annual meeting, dubbed “Ride the Wave,” bringing together 3,418 employees from around the world. The event emphasized entertainment, with appearances by comedian Li Dan, who made a playful declaration of affection for the brand’s Twinkle Twinkle toys, and actor Shen Teng, whose surprise arrival reinforced the evening’s celebratory tone. Live performances by bands Wutiao Ren and Escape Plan amplified the atmosphere. What drew the most attention — and generated widespread social media circulation — was founder Wang Ning’s performance of Wing Chun. Through sharp, controlled movements, he reinforced Pop Mart’s “Ride the Wave” theme and global expansion ambitions. The footage spread widely across platforms, making the brand one of the year-end’s most discussed topics. Online commenters called for next year's annual meeting to be livestreamed. L’Oréal Paris followed a similar strategy. On February 4, the brand partnered with state broadcaster Shanghai Media Group (SMG) to host a gala celebrating the 30th anniversary of its Revitalift line. The show featured A-list stars — including Song Jia, Ni Ni, Gong Li, Xu Qing, Hanikezi, and Dong Jie — each representing a different life stage and aesthetic. The message centered on age-inclusive beauty. For the first time, L’Oréal Paris adopted the televised gala format popular with Chinese audiences to welcome the Year of the Horse. The event also marked the 30th anniversary of the Revitalift line, a product with longstanding recognition among Chinese women. Positioning the event as “a classic honoring a classic,” the gala referenced the Spring Festival Gala tradition while incorporating contemporary elements, connecting festive season nostalgia with product heritage. Why galas are a new consumer touchpoint The commercial logic is straightforward. In China’s crowded consumer market, product quality alone no longer guarantees differentiation. Brands must offer emotional connection, shared values, and cultural relevance. Annual galas, once purely internal affairs, have evolved into brand-building opportunities — blending corporate culture with public spectacle to amplify loyalty, generate conversation, and maintain visibility during peak shopping seasons. As these examples demonstrate, the annual gala has become more than an employee benefit or seasonal tradition. It functions as a strategic marketing tool — allowing brands to broadcast values, reinforce identity, and reach consumers when attention and spending both peak. In an era where consumer loyalty depends on storytelling as much as product quality, the gala offers a distinct brand-building platform. 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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From HR to hype: China’s annual brand galas go viral