Thanks to the Lunar New Year and China reopening its borders for the first time since 2020, this week’s seen a whirlwind of releases and activations. The beginning of a new year on the Chinese calendar has led brands to get nostalgic, working with familiar names to appeal to mainstream consumers at a time of family-oriented celebrations.
Taking advantage of people actively leaving their homes, it’s high-time for retail pop-ups in the mainland, such as Puma and Staffonly’s latest collaboration featuring Monopoly’s world-famous IP; the Shanghai Hao Market installation will run until January 15. And over at Shenzhen Vientiane World, Lululemon China joined forces with its brand ambassador Xiao Dou for a lantern installation for the New Year.
This week’s Collabs & Drops newsletter highlights two of the most exciting Year of the Rabbit co-branded releases: Barbie’s back with local couturier Guo Pei, and SK-II is the most recent name to work with household candy brand White Rabbit.
For the full verdict, see below and be sure to check out the full issue here.
GUO PEI X BARBIE
The Guo Pei dressed Lunar New Year Barbie for 2023. Photo: Mattel Creations
Date: January 22
Trend: Global x Local
The Verdict: Following the success of its 2022 Lunar New Year Barbie, couturier Guo Pei is back for a second round of celebrations for the Year of the Rabbit. Overall, we’ve seen an estimated reach of 3 million, but only 270 organic posts, which is down to mainstream press covering it, rather than consumers. The upcoming Barbie movie, set to be released in July 2023, is likely to contribute to the popularity. The collab item is already listed on StockX for over double the recommended retail price, implying that it is being viewed as an esteemed collectors’ item. That said, in 2022, only five Golden-Yellow Gown Barbie Dolls sold on the platform with the average sales price being $150 (1,000 RMB) — solid for Mattel Creations to connect to Chinese consumers, but not yet a blockbuster.
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