Maurice Lacroix Taps Hong Kong Actor Dicky Cheung#
Dicky Cheung appointed as Maurice Lacroix's first Asian ambassador
Following the lead of competitors like Omega and Hublot, the luxury Swiss watchmaker Maurice Lacroix has appointed its first-ever Asian brand ambassador, tapping the Hong Kong actor and singer Dicky Cheung Wai Kin (张卫健) for the role.
Since launching its "Follow Your Convictions" campaign last year, Maurice Lacroix has been on a brand ambassador recruitment drive, pulling in international celebrities such as musician Bob Geldof, golfer Justin Rose and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales. Lacroix's first ambassador in East Asia, Dicky Cheung's reputation and over two decades in the business make him a recognizable representative, particularly in the highly lucrative Hong Kong and mainland China markets.
As Maurice Lacroix CEO Martin Bachmann said at Cheung's appointment ceremony, the decision to make a Chinese celebrity the brand's first Asian ambassador reflects Lacroix's dedication to China's booming luxury watch market. "Booming" is the right word, considering a Research in China study found that Chinese consumers spent over US$2 billion on luxury watches in 2009.
Appointing a Chinese brand ambassador is a smart move, but Maurice Lacroix has its work cut out in the Chinese luxury watch market. As Jing Daily recently noted, Swiss watchmakers have plowed into the mainland China market since the onset of the global economic crisis, as they've struggled to stay afloat in traditional markets like Europe and the U.S. To differentiate themselves in this already crowded retail space, these brands have increasingly localized product lines and created special China-only collections designed to cater specifically to the whims of Chinese buyers. Now it seems watchmakers are also competing in terms of who can recruit the most high-profile brand ambassador.