The Social Edition is our weekly series which deep dives into luxury initiatives in China’s social media landscape. Every week, we highlight brand campaigns distributed on Chinese digital platforms — WeChat, Weibo, Tmall, Douyin, and beyond.
Our coverage spotlights global luxury brands, global beauty brands, and local Chinese brands. The latter gives insight into some of China’s most successful campaigns, which often come from local players, and are outside of the beauty and fashion space.
In this week’s roundup, we look at three campaigns, including Loewe x On’s capsule collection, Prada Tropico pop-uo store at Rong Zhai, and Chinese lifestyle brand Beast’s collaboration with Marimekko.
Loewe Experiments With Livestream E-Commerce for Its Collab With Swiss Sneaker Brand On
BRAND Loewe
CATEGORY Luxury
PLATFORMS Weibo, WeChat, Xiaohongshu
MEDIUM Image, Short-Video, Livestream, WeChat Mini Program
FEATURED TALENTS Cici Xiang (2.5M Weibo Followers) | Linda Li (5.1M) | Fahai (4.2M) | @怕肥luk (1.9K) | @Fil小白 (5.8M)
OVERVIEW
Loewe rolled out its collaboration with Swiss sneaker brand On, featuring a capsule collection with athletic apparel and shoes. The items premiered on the label’s WeChat boutique and official site on March 9, and in Loewe’s stores the following day. At the online launch, the house unveiled a livestream on its WeChat channel to introduce the collab, starring Chinese fashion influencers such as @Fil小白 and Cici Xiang. Meanwhile, a series of dedicated branded memes have been available for WeChat users to download.
NETIZEN REACTION
The campaign garnered 2.5 million views in the past 10 days, thanks to Cici Xiang’s debut on Loewe’s livestream and Chinese male idol Dong Sicheng — better known by his stage name Winwin — styling the collection on NYLON China. Most netizens who are fans of both companies showed positive reactions to the crossover. There have been about 400 UGC posts on Xiaohongshu from those sharing the news and their unboxings.
VERDICT
While maintaining a consistent dedication to craftsmanship and heritage, Loewe has played with its partnerships to create newness — and drive hype that can reach younger generations. In the Loewe x Spirited Away collection and the collab with On, the house has managed to engage both anime communities and fitness enthusiasts. By leveraging such relationships, it maintains a buzz around its identity, attracts consumers beyond seasonal collections, and taps a diverse range of audiences.
Prada Opens Pop-up Store in Rong Zhai, Shanghai
BRAND Prada
CATEGORY Luxury
PLATFORMS Weibo, WeChat, Xiaohongshu
MEDIUM Image, Offline Pop-up Store
OVERVIEW
Prada unveiled their latest Prada Tropico pop-up store at Rong Zhai, the brand’s social and cultural hub located in the heart of Shanghai. Open to the public between March 11-20, the space marries a tropical setting with pop art white-and-green stripes to create an inviting atmosphere for visitors. After Shanghai, Prada Tropico will head to Wuhan, Beijing, and Xi’an in the following months.
NETIZEN REACTION
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai, local residents have been experiencing a series of lockdowns. Though public places without confirmed cases are still open, offline traffic has largely slumped in the city. Given this, Prada Market, which was supposed to open along with the Prada Tropico pop-up store, has been postponed. Given the circumstances, there has been no UGC content about the much anticipated pop-up event on Xiaohongshu.
VERDICT
As Prada struggles with the lack of foot traffic amid the current wave of COVID-19, the brand will switch to online alternatives. For example, it will launch a Private Service Mini Program on its WeChat account, offering virtual one-on-one consultations for customers. However, as concerns about the pandemic increase and lockdowns spread throughout other major Chinese cities, will luxury brands, like Prada, be able weather Omicron through innovative digital tactics?
Beast Collaborates With Marimekko to Launch Exclusive Editions
BRAND Beast, Marimekko
CATEGORY Lifestyle
PLATFORMS Weibo, WeChat, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, Tmall, JD.com
MEDIUM Image, Offline Pop-up Store
OVERVIEW
Chinese lifestyle label Beast partnered with Finnish designer brand Marimekko to launch the “Happy Together” limited-edition collection, which celebrates the spring season and natural beauty. The collaboration features a mixture of items for the home, such as bedding, summer quilts, perfumes, and eye masks. An offline pop-up event will be open to the public on March 20 at Beast’s flagship store on Anfu Road, Shanghai.
NETIZEN REACTION
The two companies are popular among local homeware and lifestyle enthusiasts; many netizens have shown a strong interest in the collection, calling it a “dreamy collaboration.” There have been 120 UGC posts on Xiaohongshu and some users have shared product snapshots on the platform. In particular, the marriage between Marimekko’s signature floral pattern and Beast’s design elements impressed domestic customers.
VERDICT
Starting as a high-end flower retail business, Beast has expanded to a full-fledged lifestyle brand known for its perfume and homeware categories. Driven by soaring patriotism and the ongoing pandemic, a growing cohort of made-in-China fragrance outfits are appealing to homegrown consumers. And Beast is one of the leading players in this sector. Given this, the collaboration means that the two parties can engage one another’s contrasting audiences — while offering novelty to existing followers.
