The American fashion and lifestyle brand Tommy Hilfiger has appointed Shawn Yue brand ambassador for its menswear collection to cash in on the country's wealthy male population, an often overlooked demographic. According to Women's Wear Daily (WWD), the brand will name the Hong Kong-based actor and fashion horse to be the face of Tommy Hilfiger for fall 2017 and spring 2018. He is the brand's first local Chinese ambassador.
China is one of the major driving forces of sales for Tommy Hilfiger. In 2016, the Chinese market scored double-digit growth increasing 14 percent from the year before. The brand expects the collaboration to help it expand the awareness of Tommy Hilfiger's menswear among millennial consumers.
“We really wanted to put the spotlight on the men’s business," Avery Baker, the chief brand officer told WWD. "We have a strong menswear business already to date, but wanted to use this opportunity to bring new fans to the brand and reach that millennial customer.”
The brand believes this 35-year-old Hong Kong actor will be able to reach China's largest consumer group—the affluent male, as "he has great style, a zest for life and has achieved a lot in his career."
Yue established his personal fashion brand Common Sense in 2010 to make limited collaborative products with international brands and fashion designers. He then launched another independent label named "Madness" in 2014, which is an e-commerce platform where he sells items that reflect his understanding of fashion. As an actor, he starred in several popular movies such as “Love Off the Cuff” and “The Tales of Wukong” in recent years.
Compared to women, men are generally less sensitive about the celebrity effect. Therefore, to have lasting influence over male Chinese consumers, brands must carefully select the right celebrity who will resonate with their audience. With this partnership, Yue's lifestyle, personal attitude and career achievements have the potential to inspire Chinese men, and enhance their emotional connection to the brand.
Yue's active social media record is also a big asset for Tommy Hilfiger. With over 13 million followers on Weibo, the brand will have some help implementing its social media marketing campaigns.
A recent study by the consulting firm Accenture also found that China's post-95s generation sees Weibo as the most influential social media channel when shopping online.
Tommy Hilfiger's official Weibo account posted on August 30 to invite its followers to guess who would become the next Chinese brand ambassador. This post received more than 250 comments by the time of publication with many commenters suggesting Shawn Yue as a potential option.