Local brands are rushing to join hands with China’s hit series of the year, A Dream of Splendor. Will C-drama IP collaboration be the new marketing craze?
Before it even officially hit screens, Chinese period drama A Dream of Splendor 梦华录 was a hit among netizens for its star-studded cast. Marking Mulan actress Liu Yifei’s long-awaited return to the genre after 16 years, the official premiere was viewed over 500 million times within just a few days. To date, the hashtag #梦华录 has 16 billion views on Weibo. So big news then.
The hit C-series, which follows three women transforming a tea shop into a successful restaurant, has driven a wave of imitation of Song dynasty desserts, tea, and clothing. Recipes for osmanthus rice jelly cake, green bean cake, and perilla leaf tea have been circulating on Xiaohongshu, with users recreating the Song-style afternoon tea.
Due to its sheer popularity, the show has become a recent go-to for collaboration among local brands. Chinese businesses have leveraged the IP to co-launch limited edition products, such as food, gadgets, and garments, attracting millions in media impact value (MIV) according to Launchmetrics ($2.46 million MIV in total).
Ashley Dudarenok, the founder of China trend-watching company ChoZan, believes the accomplishment of these collaborations speaks to the success of IP marketing. “Chinese consumers, especially Gen Z, love it and demand more of it. IP marketing is a lucrative and effective way to break into a demographic that is saturated with ads from sun-up to sun-down because consumers already like an aspect of the product, thanks to their preferred IP.”
For Jing Collabs & Drops’ latest issue, we analyze the trend around A Dream of Splendor and how luxury brands can tap into the fan economy of popular TV shows. Continue to read the full article here
