Selected by the Luxe.CO Jury, the marketing campaigns of the following two brands have made it to the top cases list of the 【Luxe.CO Biweekly Ranking】Top Cases List, Issue No. 5, 2024:
- Italian luxury brand Gucci
- American luxury jewelry brand Tiffany & Co.
From March 1st to March 15th, 2024, the 【Luxe.CO Biweekly Ranking】 included 27 brand activities from 24 luxury brands in the Chinese market, encompassing marketing updates (11), pop-up store openings (12), and ambassador appointments (4).
Highlighted Cases
1) Italian Luxury Brand Gucci
Case: “Gucci Ancora” Offline Space
To coincide with the launch of its Spring/Summer 2024 collection, Gucci unveiled the “Gucci Ancora” offline space from March 11th to 17th in Shanghai’s Zhang Garden, Beijing’s Sanlitun Taikoo Li and SKP, Shenzhen Bay MixC, Chengdu Taikoo Li and SKP. Additionally, Gucci Ancora temporary spaces in Hong Kong’s K11 Musea and Taipei 101 Mall in Taiwan debuted a week earlier.
These limited-time spaces showcased Sabato De Sarno’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection and a special art project in collaboration with Zhu Xiaorui, the Art Director of the Shanghai Bund Art Museum, and her team – “Gucci Prospettive: Shanghai Ancora,” an art collection featuring over 70 pieces. Selected works from this collection were displayed in the offline spaces across four cities. Moreover, Gucci invited several musicians to perform curated tracks live.
Outside the spaces, Gucci collaborated with coffee brands Blue Bottle Coffee, %Arabica, and Grid Coffee to launch limited-edition themed beverages inspired by Gucci Ancora.
This campaign marks the largest promotional event Gucci has held in China following the debut collection by creative director Sabato De Sarno. His personal attendance at the opening party in Shanghai underscores Gucci’s high regard for Chinese consumers. Gucci created a diverse pop-up space merging fashion, art, and music, vividly conveying the brand’s culture to Chinese consumers and leaving a lasting impression with the new “Gucci Ancora Red” image.
On Weibo, the hashtags #GucciAncora# and #GucciAncora# reached 1.43 billion and 430 million views, respectively. According to Luxeplace.com observations, long queues were seen outside Gucci’s Sanlitun pop-up in Beijing during workdays (pictured below).
2) American Luxury Jewelry Brand Tiffany & Co.
Case: Jean Schlumberger High Jewelry Collection Bird on a Pearl Shanghai Preview
Tiffany showcased the Jean Schlumberger High Jewelry Collection Bird on a Pearl in Shanghai, marking the collection’s debut in the city.
Hundreds of exquisite jewelry pieces were on display, including the Rainbow Bird on a Rock brooch, a magnificent necklace set with over 97 carats of natural wild pearls, and the Bird on a Pearl brooch featuring a light grey teardrop-shaped natural wild pearl supporting a small bird. Notably, the high jewelry exhibition was not shielded by glass, offering an enhanced viewing experience for VIP customers.
In recent years, Tiffany has taken several steps to reinforce its high-end positioning. For example, since last year, Tiffany has held high jewelry previews or exhibitions in global cities such as Shanghai, New York, Doha, and Mexico City, frequently showcasing its high jewelry products to consumers. Regarding retail channels, Tiffany refurbished and upgraded its boutique in Shanghai’s Qiantan Taikoo Li and the Hangzhou Tower last year, adding a high jewelry section and private salons to the Hangzhou Tower boutique. The façade of the Qiantan Taikoo Li store is decorated with 6,988 diamond shapes, covering various classic Tiffany collections and diamond jewelry inside, along with two private salons and custom decorations and art installations by world-renowned artists.
Marketing Updates
3) Italian luxury brand Gucci‘s creative director, Sabato De Sarno, participated in a panel discussion organized by Donghua University, hosted by Zhang Yu, a HongShan China partner and founding editor of Vogue Fashion and Beauty, and invited Li Jun, Dean of the International College of Fashion and Innovation at Donghua University, and Zhu Xiaorui, Art Director of the Shanghai Bund Art Museum, as guests to discuss fashion, design, art, and culture. Sabato De Sarno also shared his experiences working in fashion companies on site.
4) French luxury brand Dior premiered the documentary “Inside the Dream” in Shanghai, revealing the story behind the creation of Dior’s J’adore Parfum d’eau, the first fragrance launched by Francis Kurkdjian as Dior’s chief perfumer. The film is now exclusively available on Tencent Video for “cloud screening.”
5) Italian luxury brand Miu Miu premiered the 27th short film in its “Women’s Tales” series, “I Am the Beauty of Your Beauty, I Am the Fear of Your Fear,” in Shanghai. The next day, the film’s director, Chen Cuimei, main actress, Li Sidanni, writer Dan Bao, theatre producer Jo Kukathas, artist Fei Yining, and veteran art media person and curator Cao Dan each held thematic discussions and shared their thoughts.
6) French luxury brand Chanel, in collaboration with the Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, presented the third Jimei x Arles “Curatorial Award for Photography and Moving Image” exhibition. The exhibition “The Burning Way” was curated by award winners Gan Yingying and Zhou Yichen, showcasing works by eight artists. The exhibition is held at the Shanghai Fotografiska Centre for Photography and continues until April 21st.
7) Italian haute couture brand GIADA launched the fifth season of its podcast “Flowers in the Rocks,” with the first episode featuring a conversation between lawyer Zhan Qingyun and Chen Luyu. The podcast is available on GIADA’s WeChat mini-program, Xiao Yu Zhou, and Himalaya.
8) Italian luxury menswear brand Brioni officially kicked off its 2024 Trunk Show tour in China, offering limited-time bespoke services at its boutiques in the Shanghai Peninsula Hotel, Xi’an SKP, Shenzhen MixC, Nanjing Deji Plaza, Hangzhou Tower, and Wuhan Heartland 66.
9) French luxury brand Hermès invited French artist Hubert Crabières to create the new spring-themed window display “Faubourg Curtains Show” for Hermès Maison in Shanghai.
10) French luxury brand Dior hosted the VILLA DIOR event and unveiled its new high jewelry and watch collection in Xiamen.
11) Japanese high-end jewelry brand Mikimoto held a high jewelry appreciation dinner in Macau, China.
Pop-Up Dynamics
1) Italian luxury brand Brunello Cucinelli opened a pop-up store in Shanghai’s Plaza 66.
2) Swiss high-end watch brand HUBLOT held the 2024 LVMH Watch Week touring exhibition at its boutique in Shanghai’s Grand Gateway 66.
3) Swiss luxury jewelry and watch brand PIAGET opened a limited-time experience space in Shanghai’s IFC Mall.
4) Italian luxury brand Bottega Veneta opened a pop-up store in Wuhan’s Wushang Mall.
5) Italian luxury cashmere brand Loro Piana opened a pop-up store in Wuhan’s Wushang Mall.
6) Italian luxury brand Tod’s opened a pop-up store in Wuhan’s Wushang Mall.
7) Italian high-end fashion brand Max Mara opened a pop-up store in Wuhan’s Wushang Mall.
8) Italian luxury brand Giorgio Armani opened a pop-up store in Wuhan’s Wushang Mall.
9) Swiss luxury watch brand Vacheron Constantin opened a “Less’Ential” pop-up store in Shenzhen’s Luohu MixC.
10) French luxury brand Louis Vuitton opened an Art of Giving limited-time pop-up store in Hangzhou Tower.
11) French high-end footwear brand Roger Vivier opened a pop-up store in Jinan’s MixC.
12) French luxury brand Celine opened a women’s pop-up store in Beijing’s WF Central.
Ambassador Appointments
1) German luxury luggage brand RIMOWA announced singer Jay Chou as its global brand ambassador.
2) Italian luxury brand Etro announced Chinese actor Ren Jialun as its global brand ambassador.
3) Italian luxury brand Prada announced actor & singer Tan Jianci as its brand ambassador.
4) Swiss high-end watch brand HUBLOT announced renowned architect Ma Yansong as a brand friend.
| Image Credit: Provided by the brand, official brand channels, Luxe.com photography
| Editor: LeZhi
