Hogan Bets On Gen-Z China With New Ambassador Gong Jun

What happened On this Valentine’s Day, Italian luxury brand Hogan (owned by the TOD’S Group) announced Chinese actor Gong Jun as its global ambassador while releasing the brand’s Spring/Summer 2022 campaign starring the celebrity. Styled with the 2022 SS collection, Gong showcased Hogan's interpretation of the essence of casual luxury footwear. The campaign video portrays a white space decorated with geometric installations that allude to the urban life surrounded by modern skyscrapers. The campaign hashtags #HOGANSS22 and #HOGANGlobalAmbassador have racked up a combined viewership of 132 million on Weibo, with over 19 million users watching the campaign video in one day. Many netizens commented on how compatible Gong's personality was with the brand, showing their support of the actors by sharing their order confirmations. The shoes Gong featured in this campaign (women’s sizes and popular men’s sizes) sold out at the brand’s Tmall flagship store over six hours. The Jing Take Tod’s Group’s sales results in the fiscal year of 2021 beat expectations, recording $1 billion and a 38.7 percent increase over last year, according to the group’s FY 2021 preliminary consolidated sales results, released in January. During the period, business in Greater China was very solid, and revenues maintained healthy double-digit growth compared to 2019. And this latest partnership with Gong reflects the group’s dedication to the Chinese market. Thanks to his impressive 2021 performance in the blockbuster TV drama Word of Honor, Gong has found recognition with global audiences. With a sincere yet confident personality, the actor is a good fit with Hogan’s DNA, which embodies a harmonious blend of sports-inspired codes and urban chic. Moreover, the 29-year-old talent with over 19.4 million followers on Weibo has already collaborated with leading luxury houses like Louis Vuitton and Tiffany in recent years, demonstrating his substantial influence on the luxury sector. Given this, Gong’s partnership with Hogan will allow the brand to find relevance with today’s younger generation. Another focus of this celebrity collaboration is underlining the brand’s commitment to sustainability. In Hogan’s Fall/Winter 2021, the HOGAN-3R environmental protection collection debuted, resonating with young consumers who pay close attention to sustainability. The brand has partnered with creatives like fine artist Ren Zhe, musician Veegee Ruoqiao Xu, and stand-up comedian Zhang Jun to roll out its digital campaign, 3R Creative Generations. These campaigns also align with the brand’s digital strategy in the market. In the SS 2022 season, the brand replicated the first pair of its Traditional luxury sneakers (originally launched in 1986) and released an Untraditional series to re-interpret this classic sustainably. This latest sustainability initiative, along with Gong’s appointment, will most likely assure and accelerate the Italian brand’s positive trajectory in China. 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. Presented by Hogan

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Hogan Bets On Gen-Z China With New Ambassador Gong Jun