Key Takeaways:#
In addition to “Dioramour,” the house also released a Dior + Kenny Scharf limited-edition collection for men, with the American artist’s colorful aesthetic and creative spirit speaking well to younger Chinese generations.
Valentino’s star endorsements contributed to 15 million video views for its Qixi campaign and a combined 200 million views of the campaign hashtags.
Gucci collaborated with Tmall Super Brand Day to launch exclusive products, including a Padlock handbag and an iPhone 12 Pro phone case, on its Tmall flagship store. The special partnership allowed Tmall consumers to purchase the Qixi collection with interest-free payment plans.
With Chinese Valentine’s Day (also known as the Qixi Festival) falling on August 14 this year, luxury players have been kicking off their campaigns for this traditional Chinese festival since early July. Many leveraged this opportunity to cast new faces alongside their brand ambassadors to reach more audiences.
Moreover, the narrative of Qixi has been moving beyond the legend behind this traditional festival, adding modern twists that speak to today’s younger generations. Compared to the bold aesthetic experiments from houses like Balenciaga last year, this year’s campaigns opted for safer approaches. Below, Jing Daily spotlights eight luxury brands that have been well-received by Chinese consumers, thanks to their acute localization strategies, ranging from design to communication.
Louis Vuitton#
As one of the first luxury houses to kick off Qixi initiatives, Louis Vuitton presented a “Fall in Love” special collection that featured heart-shaped red prints on the house’s iconic Dauphine, Petit Sac Plat, and Onthego handbags. By collaborating with three female celebrities, including brand ambassador Dilraba, actress Liu Haocun, and singer Xu Jiaqi, the house chose to focus on women’s clothes, handbags, sneakers, and accessories for Qixi.
The campaign videos of the three young girls are driving substantial engagement on Weibo and Little Red Book, with comments saying Louis Vuitton chose the right celebrities to align with the brand's image.
Dior#
Dior continued the house’s annual celebration of Chinese Valentine’s Day via its love-inspired “Dioramour” collection. Six female faces, including Yang Caiyu, Wang Ziwen, Meng Meiqi, Zhang Ruonan, Lu Jingshan, and Yuan Bingyan, were chosen to showcase the collection, which ranges from ready-to-wear and shoes to handbags and accessories.
In addition to “Dioramour,” the house also released a Dior + Kenny Scharf limited-edition collection for men by teaming up with five Gen-Z male talents, including actor Rong Zishan and singer Jeffery Dong to present it. The American artist’s colorful aesthetic and creative spirit speak well to younger Chinese generations.
Prada#
On July 26, Prada rolled out its Qixi Festival 2021 campaign, exploring the concept of gifts. The visuals for the campaign, which included photos and a short film, were created by photographer Zeng Wu (who was named one of “100 of the most innovative and inspiring young creative talents from around the world” by the British Fashion Council in 2019), up-and-coming film director AJ Duan, and the brand's creative director, Wu Woo.
In addition to starring in the short film, brand ambassador Cai Xukun (known as Kun) created the song “You Know What I Want” especially for the campaign that served as the film's soundtrack. Elsewhere, an interactive challenge on Douyin, where Kun gifts his track to users in a Prada Cleo, invited users to co-create a short video.
Valentino#
Valentino's Amore 2021 collection celebrated the Qixi Festival with special heart motifs and a vibrant red hue. This special launch features a range of items for men and women, including wardrobe essentials, new versions of Valentino's iconic Garavani bags and shoes adorned with heart details, and a small selection of fashion jewelry. The campaign, starring brand ambassadors Lay Zhang, Tang Yan, and singer Luo Yizhou, shares romantic moments in unique settings, such as a Karaoke room, an aquarium, and a game center.
Star endorsements contributed to 15 million campaign video views and a combined 200 million views of the campaign hashtags. In addition to online initiatives, pop-up stores with special installations also opened in major cities like Shanghai, Ningbo, Chengdu, and Dalian.
Givenchy#
Givenchy’s creative director, Matthew M. Williams, partnered with Seattle-born and Mexico-based artist Chito to launch a limited collection for this year’s Qixi Festival. Featuring modern “hot love” prints, graffiti dolls, and love patterns, the release set off a wave of summer vibes. In addition to launching a WeChat Mini Program on July 9, the house also unveiled an offline pop-up store at Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li, Chengdu, between July 16 and 18.
The four stars of the campaign — Henry Lau, Amber Kuo, Ma Siwei, and Jenny Zeng — have also been announced as “Givenchy Love Ambassadors,” which attracted substantial social attention for Givenchy and its Qixi activities. Among them, Chinese singer and actress Jenny Zeng and Canadian singer Henry Lau contributed the most traffic to the campaign, and the Weibo hashtag #GivenchyLoveAmbassadors received 43.5 million views in one month.
Gucci#
Gucci released a special collection featuring heart-apple prints, along with a one-minute short film, in celebration of this Qixi Festival. The film, which stars rising male idol Lucas Huang and supermodel Ju Xiaowen, portrays three love-related stories. Huang contributed huge social traffic and sales to the campaign, thanks to his cult social following among young local girls.
Moreover, the house collaborated with Tmall Super Brand Day to launch exclusive products, including a Padlock handbag and an iPhone 12 Pro phone case, on its Tmall flagship store. The special partnership allowed Tmall consumers to purchase the Qixi collection with interest-free payment plans.
Moncler#
Moncler Grenoble, the luxury skiwear label of Moncler, and Italian fashion house Naj-Oleari collaborated for the first time to celebrate the Qixi Festival via a playful range of ready-to-wear items that radiate love and humor. Emblazoned with an allover hearts print — created by Naj-Oleari and reimagined by designer Sandro Mandrino for Moncler in a vibrant palette of yellow, blue, and fuchsia — the range captures the passion of new romance.
Starring Chinese actor Johnny Huang and actress Zhong Chuxi, the campaign photography, which was also published in the fashion outlet Cosmopolitan's Hits July edition, received positive feedback from netizens, thanks to both talents’ popularity in China. The capsule collection is available on the brand’s WeChat Mini Program and offline boutiques.
Miu Miu#
Themed as “Personal Obsession,” Miu Miu’s Qixi celebration is a continuation of its narratives for romance-related occasions. The brand's Qixi offering was a selection of gifts for a loved one — or a delightful way to indulge your own obsessions. The Miu Miu girl embraces a more-is-more attitude, putting on a Matellasse adorned with pearly delights, oversized gems spelling out the brand logo, and denim pockets with sequins dripping down.
Thanks to Chinese model Cici Xiang’s presentation, the campaign images were a perfect interpretation of Miu Miu girls. Though Xiang is not a typical idol, her loyal social followers drove nearly 28 million views for the campaign hashtag #MiuMiu2021Qixi on Weibo over one week.