Jo Malone London, Paddington Bear to take on Shanghai’s busiest metro line

Subscribe to our Jing Beauty to get the latest news on China's world of beauty and wellness. All eyes are on beauty this week in our Chinese collaboration highlights, with brands gearing up with gift ideas ready for Qixi Festival, aka China’s Valentine's Day, next month. British fragrance and lifestyle house Jo Malone London has gone nostalgic with a quintessential classic – it has released a global Paddington Bear collection. Yet, the China activations for the launch are set to be particularly creative, from a Shanghai Waterfront out-of-home display to a subway takeover, also in Shanghai. Also in the news this week is streetwear retailer Costs’ latest Western collab: this time, with Casio watches’ G-Shock brand. Finally, we also delve into Perfect Diary’s Qixi-ready Le Petit Prince limited edition capsule. Subscribe here to receive this news to your inbox every Tuesday. Jo Malone London x Paddington Bear Details: Limited-edition collection inspired by marmalade sandwiches, July 18 Social context: Jo Malone London has 601,000 followers on Weibo. Verdict: Leveraging both nostalgia and British culture, Jo Malone London creates a resonant gift idea that chimes with young and old audiences on a global scale. For overseas consumers, it’s a novelty idea that channels Britishness; for Brits, it’s warm familiarity. The out-of-home stunt at Shanghai Waterfront (Bund), which will take place from July 18 to 22, is strategically positioned in a high-traffic, iconic location. This ensures visibility and engagement with both locals and tourists, ingredients likely to create significant buzz around the campaign. The campaign also features a subway takeover on Shanghai Metro’s Line 2, its busiest, from July 18 to 31, ensuring sustained exposure among a large and diverse audience. By targeting daily commuters over two weeks, the campaign aims to maximize brand impressions and reinforce its message across a critical urban demographic. Costs x G-Shock Details: Social context: Verdict: The partnership between G-Shock and Shenzhen streetwear retailer Costs leverages local brand appeal to attract a younger, streetwear-conscious audience in China. This collaboration taps into the urban streetwear trend, boosting the likelihood of the watch resonating with contemporary consumers’ style preferences. Blend of cultural design elements: The co-branded watch integrates the Lingnan design language, emphasizing tough, durable details that align with G-Shock's brand ethos. By partnering with Costs, which has a history of successful collaborations with Western brands like Asics, New Balance, and Saucony, G-Shock is poised to strengthen its presence in the streetwear scene. Perfect Diary x Little Prince Details: Co-branded makeup collection, July 5 Social context: The hashtag #PerfectDiaryLittlePrincecollab (#完美日记小王子联名) has 228,000 reads on Weibo, where Perfect Diary has 564,000 followers. Verdict: The collaboration introduces a mini lip glaze gift box featuring five popular lip colors, allowing customers to easily switch styles. The design caters to modern beauty enthusiasts who value versatility and convenience in their makeup products, enhancing the appeal of the collection. Advanced skincare technology: The inclusion of the first lip bionic membrane, Biolip, highlights Perfect Diary’s commitment to integrating skincare benefits with makeup. The technology promises to reduce lip lines within two weeks, offering consumers a dual benefit of cosmetic enhancement and lip care, thus differentiating the product in a competitive market. Drawing inspiration from the beloved story The Little Prince, the collaboration taps into the emotional connection and whimsical charm associated with the literary classic. This adds a layer of narrative and nostalgia to the product, making it not only a functional beauty item, but also a collector’s piece that resonates with fans of the story and enhances the brand’s cultural and emotional relevance.

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Jo Malone London, Paddington Bear to take on Shanghai’s busiest metro line