L'Oréal Paris — whose parent company L'Oréal Group accounts for the largest share of China’s beauty and personal care market — is no stranger to attention-grabbing marketing campaigns. But unleashing an epic pink dragon raft parade and fireworks display along the Yulong River to welcome the Lunar New Year of the Dragon stands out as a highlight.
L’Oreal Paris’ namesake cosmetics and beauty brand collaborated with contemporary artist Chen Fenwan to hold the “Ride the Tides to Prosperity” event in the picturesque county of Yangshuo, Guangxi province last month. The beauty firm launched a limited-edition dragon gift box comprising star products from L’Oréal Paris’ skincare, makeup, and hair care ranges.
Chen’s paper-cut dragon sculpture, titled “Infinite,” consisting of thousands of individually crafted paper scales, was part of a multi-day celebration combining Chinese traditions and French charm, designed to honor the traditional Chinese festival and promote women’s diversified beauty.
An ‘Infinite’ pink dragon symbolizing women’s confidence#
For more than half a century, L’Oréal Paris has sought to empower women of all ages and backgrounds to believe in their beauty and sense of worth, with the tagline “We’re Worth It.” This commitment extends beyond rhetoric to its product lines and active support for women’s causes.
For Chinese New Year 2024, the brand embraced its core message and pink hue, expanding and enriching the color through an evocative cultural kaleidoscope.
L’Oréal Paris teamed up with Chinese contemporary artist Chen to showcase her dragon-themed masterpiece “Infinite,” which has been evolving since 2017, in its most spellbinding setting yet: a mythical landscape of mountains and winding rivers in southern China. The dragon’s pink paper scales weave together and coil uniquely in infinite adaptations, transforming from delicate pieces into an epic masterpiece.
Just as Chen’s artwork breaks free from traditional boundaries, the pink dragon is meant to symbolize diversified beauty and the infinite soaring of female confidence, making it a compelling motif for the L’Oréal Paris event.
In the words of Chen: “Just like art, beauty should never be limited by only one standard. I’ve translated this freedom of beauty into one-of-a-kind dragon scales, weaved into a fearless dragon with infinite power.”
The dragon’s scales feature on the design of L’Oréal Paris’ Year of the Dragon Limited Edition Gift Box, which was launched during the event. The box comes in six limited editions of signature products designed to “care for the beauty of every woman from fingertips to hair tips.”
The artist attended the event to present “Infinite” and lead participants in a workshop teaching paper cutting, a traditional New Year activity in China. The artist collaboration underlines L’Oréal Paris’ mission to support local Chinese talent and act as a cultural bridge between Paris and its second-largest market, China.
Infinite possibilities in the Lunar New Year#
Attendees at the Yangshuo event were treated to a lively branding journey, highlighted by a dragon raft parade along the river.
L’Oréal Paris turned the annual parade, recognized by CCTV as a traditional regional celebration, a stunning pink to match the theme of the diversity of women’s beauty.
Among the KOLs at the celebration were L’Oréal Paris spokesperson Ju Xiaowen, skincare and haircare spokesperson Wei Daxun, and mask and hair spokesperson Liu Wen. Gathering the trio of stars and artist Chen at the event to discuss the dragon artwork and express their New Year wishes underscores the power of celebrity endorsement in China.
As a digital flourish, the Chinese New Year campaign utilized new technology to create an artificial intelligence generated content (AIGC) short film and AI applet designed to attract consumers with trendy creative experiences and reinforce the brand’s social and e-commerce advantages. E-commerce will be the fastest growing channel for beauty products over the coming three years, McKinsey & Company forecasts.
Strong vision for the Chinese market#
L’Oréal Group accounted for the biggest share of China's $78.9 billion beauty and personal care market in 2022. Despite a muted market, it achieved 7.7 percent year-on-year sales growth in China in the first three quarters of 2023.
The French behemoth benefits from its own China Consumer Research Center, which supplies its 31 brands with vital data and future projections. According to a survey conducted by the center, half of Chinese consumers’ purchasing decisions relate to the efficacy and functionality of products, and the other half reference the brand’s connection to social responsibility, social and other values, and consumers’ emotions. Cultural and emotional marketing remains a major trend shaping China’s rapidly evolving beauty landscape.
The latest festive campaign emerges amid a multitude of dragons vying for Chinese consumers’ attention in the lead up to Chinese New Year on February 10. The traditional festival has become an important marketing event for beauty brands, which are increasingly releasing limited-edition packaging and themed short films.
Despite intensifying competition from fast-moving C-beauty newcomers, L’Oréal Paris strategically employs precise consumer insights and omnichannel innovation to maintain its advantage. Its glamorous and nuanced offline-online interpretation weaves its brand message with traditional culture, and distinguishes the brand from the crowd.
As illustrated by its Chinese New Year event, AIGC film and AI applet, the French beauty brand is committed to cultivating cultural and emotional connections in China.
Presented by L'Oréal Paris.