Louis Vuitton’s Shanghai pop-up celebrates art, culture, and collective memories

Overview#

Nestled on the banks of Suzhou Creek, Louis Vuitton’s "Nóng Hó 侬好, Shanghai" (the Shanghainese pronunciation of “Hello, Shanghai”) pop-up space has opened within the newly established Fotografiska Shanghai museum. Running from October 12 to November 12, the pop-up features a curated selection of brand books, along with travel, lifestyle, and art collections. The event also marks the debut of the new edition of Louis Vuitton City Guide Shanghai.

At the protected Fotografiska building, which dates back to the early 20th century, Louis Vuitton is hosting a four-week-long cultural festival where visitors can sign up for a variety of offline activities via the Louis Vuitton WeChat mini-program. These activities include book clubs, architecture tours, film screenings, local dialect and jazz music experiences, cultural talks, and children’s workshops.

In addition to the in-person programs, Louis Vuitton has launched its first Chinese podcast series, named "Louis Vuitton [EXTENDED]," on Chinese podcast platform Xiaoyuzhou. The two episodes that have been released so far explore the fluid memories of the Suzhou River and the classic Shanghainese street breakfast of youtiao (Chinese donuts) and soymilk, respectively.

Netizens’ Reaction#

The opening event of the "Nóng Hó, Shanghai" pop-up space welcomed the attendance of Louis Vuitton brand ambassador Jackson Wang, Chinese boy group TNT, actor Wang Chuanjun, footballer Zhao Lina, and model Wang Wenqin. Their endorsement has driven over 610 million views for the campaign hashtag "Nóng Hó, Shanghai" on Weibo. Since the space was officially opened to the public, there have been long queues outside the entrance. Meanwhile, the two podcast episodes racked up over 86,000 listenership and attracted 20,000 followers for the brand's podcast channel within ten days.

Verdict

Louis Vuitton continues its hyper-localization strategy in China. Suzhou Creek, Shanghai's oldest waterway, has cultural and historical significance to the city’s residents. Moreover, thanks to water improvement projects and real estate development along the riverside, the neighborhoods around Suzhou Creek have become aspirational, housing commercial complex Mixc World, luxury residency Bulgari Hotel, and Sotheby’s Shanghai Space.

An expert at blending its brand legacy of travel with local cultures, Louis Vuitton approached this new project with a localized yet inclusive perspective. Instead of mounting a grand showcase like it does for its spin-off runway shows in China, the house chose to offer intimate, immersive experiences this time.

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The podcast program taps local cultural influencers who are native Shanghainese or Shanghai immigrants to share their reflections on how the city has changed. The conversations organically engage listeners to recall their memories of the city and invite them to visit the "Nóng Hó, Shanghai" pop-up space.

With these digital and physical initiatives, Louis Vuitton not only presents its timeless spirit of travel in a local context but also injects new vitality into local communities. In an era where each luxury player understands the importance of localization, the leading ones have honed their strategy beyond marketing to create meaningful, cultural moments with local consumers.