Selected by the Luxe.CO Jury, the following four brands’ marketing cases have been included in the 23rd issue of the 2023 [Luxe.CO Biweekly Ranking] Top Cases List:
- Italian luxury brand Prada
- French luxury brand Hermès
- Swiss luxury watch brand Blancpain
- German high-end luggage brand Rimowa
From December 1, 2023, to December 15, 2023, the [Luxe.CO Biweekly Ranking] recorded 37 updates from 24 luxury brands in the Chinese market. This includes marketing dynamics (10), store expansions (13), pop-up store openings (11), and endorsement appointments (3).
—— Recommended Cases ——
1) Italian Luxury Brand Prada
Case: Pradasphere II Exhibition
Prada hosted the “Pradasphere II” exhibition at the Shanghai Stellar Art Museum, open to the public for free until January 21, 2024.
Curated by Miuccia Prada and co-creative director Raf Simons, the exhibition selected nearly 200 fashion styles, some of which were publicly displayed for the first time in 30 years. It featured over 400 pieces, encompassing Prada’s collaborations in art, architecture, culture, and sports, presenting a rich cross-section of the brand’s 110-year history to the Chinese audience.
Key figures from the Prada Group attended the exhibition opening in Shanghai, including Miuccia Prada, the third-generation leader of the Prada family; her husband Patrizio Bertelli; their eldest son and heir apparent to the Prada Group, Lorenzo Bertelli; co-creative director Raf Simons; and Prada brand CEO Gianfranco D’Attis, among others.
The presence of so many prominent figures signifies the exhibition’s importance to the brand and highlights Prada management’s focus on the Chinese market.
2) French Luxury Brand Hermès
Case: “On the Wings of Hermès” Fantasy Theater
Following performances in Tokyo, Paris, Taipei, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong, Hermès presented “On the Wings of Hermès” fantasy theater at the West Bund Art Center in Shanghai. This show, directed by Belgian Jaco Van Dormael and choreographed by Michèle Anne De Mey in collaboration with the Astragales dance troupe, used “lightness” as the theme to weave a dreamy realm.
In a vast, studio-like space, seven scenes unfolded in sequence, narrating the story of the mythical winged horse Pegasus and seven foals. The performance, integrating dance, object theatre, music, and film elements, offered audiences a delightful and fantastical audio-visual feast.
This event took place from December 9 to December 19, 2023. According to observations made by Luxeplace.com, reservations for the performance on the “On the Wings of Hermès” mini-program were fully booked as early as the evening of December 8.
3) Swiss Luxury Watch Brand Blancpain
Case: Fifty Fathoms “Pioneer and Legend” 70th Anniversary Celebration
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms, the progenitor of modern mechanical diving watches, Blancpain held its 70th anniversary celebration at West Bund, Shanghai. The event showcased vintage masterpieces from the brand’s historical archives and unveiled new legendary models from 2023.
Marking a new milestone in the development of the Fifty Fathoms series in 2023, Blancpain released three commemorative pieces: the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 1 Limited Edition Watch 5010B, the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 2 Tech Gombessa Watch 5019, and the Fifty Fathoms 70th Anniversary Act 3 Limited Edition Watch 5901.
The evolution and growth of the Fifty Fathoms series demonstrate Blancpain’s long-standing accumulation and continuous innovation in watchmaking. For modern consumers, a watch is more than a timekeeping tool; it’s about the stories and innovations behind it. Blancpain’s long-termism has amassed a rich cultural heritage, establishing an unshakable spiritual domain for the brand.
4) German High-End Luggage Brand Rimowa
Case: SEIT 1898 – 125th Anniversary Global Touring Exhibition
Rimowa hosted the SEIT 1898 – 125th Anniversary Global Touring Exhibition at the Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art. The exhibition displayed over 100 precious items from the brand’s archives and celebrity friends, and the iconic Rimowa luggage man sculpture, Richard, made its debut at the tour. The exhibition is open to the public for free until January 3, 2024.
This is Rimowa’s first major exhibition in China this year. The exhibition revisits the brand’s century-long history and showcases its long-term innovation in fashion and art. This helps establish a deeper cultural foundation for the brand in the Chinese market and strengthens its spiritual resonance with Chinese consumers.
—— Marketing Dynamics ——
5) Italian luxury brand Tod’s opened limited-time artisan workshops in its Beijing SKP store, Shanghai Grand Gateway 66 store, Hangzhou Tower, and Shenyang MixC World store. Artisans from Italy were present in the stores, offering hot stamping and customization services.
6) French luxury brand Louis Vuitton placed giant LV Speedy bag art installations at locations including the Shanghai Huangpu River, Zhang Garden, and the Louis Vuitton Maison in Chengdu Taikoo Li.
7) French luxury brand Dior opened its first café in China, CAFÉ DIOR, at Shanghai Qiantan Taikoo Li. The café features artistic masterpieces from French artist GUY LIMONE, cleverly echoing Dior’s Avenue Montaigne No. 30, continuing the eternal dialogue between Dior and art.
8) Italian luxury menswear brand Canali opened the world’s first Caffè CANALI at the Beijing Finance Street Shopping Center.
9) To celebrate the launch of its Skiwear collection, French Luxury Brand Balenciaga introduced an online interactive mini-game. The collection offers players two sets of brand ski suits, skiing equipment, and accessories, providing an immersive skiing atmosphere through tactile interaction. The game’s goal is to maintain the longest possible ski run on the slopes, with rewards including exclusive brand wallpapers and stickers. Players also have the chance to win a brand ski board anti-theft lock.
10) Swiss high-end watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre presented a holiday art installation at Shanghai Plaza 66, designed by digital floral sculptor Brendi Wedinger. Drawing inspiration from the diverse natural flora of the Ru Valley, the installation combines hard metal materials with flexible natural forms, creating a scene of blossoming flowers.
—— Store Expansion ——
1) Italian luxury menswear brand Brioni opened a boutique in Nanjing Deji Plaza. The store showcases a series of Italian marbles, Italian vintage furniture from the 1950s, and two exclusive carpets and tapestries designed by the renowned Genoa carpet manufacturer M.I.T.A. One tapestry, named “Pesci” (Fish), specially selected for the new Nanjing store, draws inspiration from traditional Chinese paintings of fish, paying homage to Nanjing’s mother river, the Qinhuai River.
2) American luxury jewelry brand Tiffany & Co. opened a new boutique in Shanghai Qiantan Taikoo Li.
3) German high-end luggage brand Rimowa opened a new store in Shanghai Xingye Taikoo Hui.
4) French modern jewelry brand FRED opened a new store in Shanghai Xingye Taikoo Hui.
5) Italian luxury menswear brand Canali opened a new store in Beijing Finance Street Shopping Center.
6) Italian luxury menswear brand Canali opened its first boutique in South China in Shenzhen MixC World.
7) Swiss luxury watch brand OMEGA opened a new flagship store on Queen’s Road, Hong Kong.
8) Swiss luxury watch brand OMEGA opened a new flagship store in Hong Kong’s K11 Musea.
9) Italian high-end fashion brand GIADA opened a new store in Changzhou Shopping Center.
10) High-end Chinese jewelry brand Qeelin opened a new store in Changzhou Shopping Center.
11) Swiss Independent Watchmaker Breitling (百年灵) opened a boutique in Lanzhou MixC World.
12) Italian luxury brand Loro Piana opened a new store in Shenzhen Bay MixC World.
13) French luxury brand Maison Margiela opened a new boutique in Guangzhou Taikoo Hui.
—— Pop-Up Dynamics ——
1) French luxury brand Dior opened a temporary boutique at Jilin Songhua Lake.
2) Italian luxury brand Giorgio Armani set up an interactive experience space for the Neve 2023 Fall/Winter Collection at the Beijing China World Trade Center.
3) British luxury brand Burberry opened a temporary boutique in Hefei Yintai Centre.
4) Swiss luxury watch brand Vacheron Constantin presented a “Less’Ential” temporary exhibition in Zhengzhou’s David Plaza.
5) Italian luxury jewelry brand BVLGARI held a 75th Anniversary of the SERPENTI Collection limited-time exhibition in Chengdu Taikoo Li.
6) Swiss high-end watchmaker Longines opened a “Christmas Winter Wonderland” themed pop-up store in Chengdu MixC, featuring a limited-edition Christmas snow tree.
7) French luxury brand Louis Vuitton opened a temporary jewelry and watch store in Chengdu IFS.
8) Italian luxury jewelry brand BVLGARI opened a temporary boutique in Shanghai Grand Gateway 66.
9) French luxury brand Louis Vuitton opened a pop-up store on Bridges Street, Hong Kong.
10) Italian luxury brand Tod’s opened “The Art of Craftsmanship” temporary store in Shenyang MixC.
11) Swiss high-end watchmaker Longines held a “The Longines Spirit Journey” aviation-themed watch exhibition in Hangzhou MixC.
—— Endorsement Appointments ——
1) French luxury brand Dior officially announced singer Jay Chou as a global brand ambassador.
2) French luxury brand Dior officially announced actor Deng Wei as a brand ambassador for China.
3) American luxury jewelry brand Tiffany & Co. officially announced actor Greg Hsu as a brand ambassador.
| Image Credit: Provided by brands, Official Weibo & WeChat of brands
丨Reporter：You Jia
| Editor: LeZhi
