Despite the slew of idol scandals, brands are still relying on stars like Blackpink and Cai Xukun to drum up excitement for their August drops in China.
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, brands can’t afford to lose their idol ambassadors.
Despite a turbulent few months of scandals — from Louis Vuitton dropping Kris Wu after his #MeToo allegations, to Lanvin scrubbing posts of Word of Honor’s star Zhang Zhehan over a selfie gone wrong — celebrity partnerships are still key to creating buzz in China.
As such, some of the hottest brand crossovers in August put fresh faces at the forefront. To celebrate the Qixi Festival, one of China’s many Valentine’s Days, Prada turned to Chinese music artist Cai Xukun to create a one-off Prada soundtrack titled You Know What I Want plus an interactive challenge on Douyin. Meanwhile, the Battle Royale game PUBG tapped K-pop group Blackpink to create limited-edition virtual merchandise, including branded helmets, building decals, and contraband coupons.
But Chinese consumers aren’t just looking for any collaboration. According to Mintel research, 87 percent of Chinese females believe that foreign brands need to incorporate Chinese elements into their products when targeting their market.
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