Self-love, situationships and low marriage rates: Qixi 2025

A new wave of Qixi Festival marketing campaigns are beginning to emerge as luxury brands move away from couple-centric messaging to keep up with evolving consumer behaviors. Demonstrating a singleton-led shift amid China’s falling marriage rates, this year Tiffany & Co. centered its festival marketing on self-love, Lululemon promoted solo wellness experiences, and Neiwai rebranded lingerie as “body freedom” rather than romantic attraction. “Chinese consumers are focusing less on product consumption and more on brand meaning,” says Laura Pan, luxury strategy lecturer at SDA Bocconi School of Management. “Particularly now, when Gen Z are not ashamed of buying dupes or fakes, simply putting out themed products is no longer a viable strategy.” Beyond traditional romance The shift reflects deeper changes in Chinese consumer priorities. According to iiMedia Research’s 2023 survey, 46.3% of Qixi (Chinese Valentine’s Day) gift buyers cited practicality as their primary consideration, above sentimental significance (44.8%), partner preferences (43.6%), and aesthetic value (36.2%). Shoppers' emphasis on practicality aligns with the growing trend of self-gifting. Tmall data shows 30% of jewelry and beauty purchases during festival periods are now self-purchased by women, according to Red Ant Asia, a China influencer marketing and social media agency. From marriage declining and more young people choosing to remain single, to the market's largest LGBTQ+ social networking app HeeSay (previously known as Blued) hosting more than 58 million users, traditional romance storytelling is being challenged. Tiffany & Co. case study Tiffany & Co. exemplifies this strategic shift toward self-love messaging. The American luxury jewelry brand’s Qixi short film, I Am the Subject of Love, features actors Tang Yan, Zhang Ruoyun, and Zhong Chuxi wearing pieces from the HardWear collection. Rather than focusing on romantic partnerships, the narrative centers on individual empowerment, conveying the message that “loving yourself is the beginning of loving others.” Such messaging resonated with younger consumers who increasingly prioritize personal fulfillment. On Weibo, related hashtags “why self-love is important” and “how should modern youth love themselves” have accumulated 65.97 million and 11 million impressions, respectively, demonstrating significant audience engagement with self-love themes. Tiffany & Co.’s approach reflects broader industry recognition that traditional romance marketing is losing its allure. Similar messaging appeared across luxury categories, as in Lululemon “self-care” yoga experiences and Neiwai repositioning lingerie as “body freedom” rather than romantic attraction. Consumers are embracing self-gifting, platonic celebrations, and experiences that reinforce independence, according to Red Ant Asia. From grand myths to genuine stories The traditional Chinese concept of love embodied by Qixi celebrations has historically leaned toward the grandiose, shaped by folklore and sacrifice. The festival, which this year falls on August 29, itself is rooted in the forbidden love story of the cowherd and the weaver girl (牛郎织女), a tale of passionate devotion and dramatic separation. But today’s consumers want more grounded depictions of relationships. “Modern true love is something Gen Z are discovering themselves, through exposure to different cultures and the concept of how to love freely without generational pressures,” says Pan. Such cultural shifts are translating into new brand strategies. Louis Vuitton captured attention in 2023 by featuring real-life couple Mario Ho and Ming Xi, moving away from mythological storytelling toward authentic relationships. By 2025, the brand had shifted toward campaigns that highlight genuine love stories rather than fantastical romance. This year, Balenciaga experimented with an editorial series starring married couple Jiang Qilin and Zhou Qiqi under the theme “Frozen in Time,” showcasing real relationships rather than staged romantic scenarios. The wellness opportunity Self-care and personal empowerment have become new emotional drivers for luxury brands during festival periods. Luxury skincare brand Omorovicza, for example, collaborated this year with the Hyatt Spa in Guangzhou to create a Qixi wellness experience for KOLs. Rooted in the brand’s heritage of Hungarian thermal baths, the program positioned self-love and restoration as integral to nurturing any relationship, romantic or platonic. Such positioning demonstrates how wellness and beauty brands are expanding beyond traditional romantic messaging to capture the self-care market during festival periods. New storytelling formats Beyond traditional advertisements, short dramas have emerged as a powerful format for communicating these new relationship ideals. “Short dramas are a very digestible way to communicate stories,” Pan says. “Many stem from strong female leads who want independence or from male leads who respect and understand women.” Take multibrand skincare company Marubi, which this year funded a Douyin web series, “The Next One Will Be Happier” (下一任更幸福), dedicating a full minute of each five-minute episode to product placement. Meanwhile, Burberry tapped into the format with a romantic mini-drama featuring Wu Lei and Zhang Jingyi, while Loewe partnered with Chen Zheyuan and Chen Duling in a series that drew millions of views. These storylines, romantic yet aspirational, mirror the cultural moment where independence and intimacy coexist. A more complex dating landscape Shifts in Qixi marketing mirror broader changes in how young Chinese approach relationships. In Shanghai and other Tier 1 cities, Pan observes that “women are a lot more independent, where their careers and self-love are more important than settling down. Expectations are higher, particularly in Shanghai where men are expected to cook and share household responsibilities.” Tier 2-4 cities show similar patterns. Dating no longer carries the assumption of marriage, and safe sex is increasingly normalized thanks to campaigns by condom brands. “Women are now becoming afraid of commitment and being tied down,” Pan says. “They are willing to date several different men and decide who is better for them. Sex before marriage is also more acceptable.” Such evolving attitudes explain why traditional Qixi marketing — built on assumptions of heterosexual coupling and marriage as the ultimate goal — no longer resonates with target demographics as it once did. Rewriting Qixi for 2026 and beyond Today’s Chinese youth are rewriting the meaning of love, with freedom of choice driving their decisions, and traditional rituals decreasing in importance. For brands, this means Qixi is an opportunity to explore self-love, LGBTQIA+ representation, and the freedom that the new generation of Chinese consumers are embracing more and more. Thus, as Pan emphasizes, relying on themed products is not enough; brands must find ways to connect emotionally, whether through genuine love stories, empowering short dramas, or immersive experiences that celebrate togetherness. The myth of the cowherd and the weaver girl endures because it speaks to longing and connection. But in today’s China, where marriage is no longer destiny, particularly due to gay marriage still not being legalized, love takes many forms, Qixi should be reimagined to transfer that multifaceted society which is not always conventional.

Self-love and falling marriage rates: Qixi 2025

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Self-love and falling marriage rates: Qixi 2025