Brands team up with Mandopop king Chou

From French luxury brand Dior to German luggage name Rimowa and Estee Lauder's high-end La Mer skincare products from the United States, a single thread now binds these luxury brands — the appointment of Jay Chou, singer and actor, as their global ambassador.

Chou, renowned for his work in music, cinema and television, boasts global album sales of over 30 million and commands an audience topping 50 million on Kuaishou, a popular social platform in China.

Chou is recognized internationally for his roles in Hollywood productions like The Green Hornet.

Amid a landscape in which brands often enlist Gen-Z pop sensations in their marketing strategies, Chou's seasoned career — spanning over two decades — offers a bridge to a broader group of consumers, most importantly, one with the purchasing power to indulge in luxury shopping, said an industry insider.

According to Dior, Chou "embodies the spirit and singularity of Dior style, a modernity with a timeless signature".

For Rimowa, it is a historic collaboration with a Chinese artist. Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert, CEO of Rimowa, said, "Jay Chou not only embodies these values, but also commands global admiration for his artistic impact."

Despite his global and domestic influence, Chou's ties to the luxury realm have been relatively modest.

While he served as the face of Tudor and visited the shows of Chanel and Balenciaga, further collaborations have been scarce.

The turning point began in 2022, when the music video for his latest single, filmed at La Samaritaine department store — owned by LVMH — captivated global audiences, signaling a potential deepening of his connection to the luxury industry.

What impressed luxury brands more was that after the COVID-19 pandemic, China's live concert ticket sales have experienced a rebound, fueled by the surge in demand for experience-driven entertainment.

In 2023, the concert market in China reached a peak, soaring to a staggering 73.9 billion yuan ($10.2 billion), said the China Association of Performing Arts.

Chou's tour emerged as a standout, capturing the hearts of audiences with its nostalgic style and enduring fan loyalty spanning generations. Chou's recent tour in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, featured four concerts between April 18-21, drawing record audiences of 200,000 fans and generating associated spending totaling 1.31 billion yuan.

Yao Yao, a sportswear store operator in her late 30s based in Beijing, learned of Chou's concert in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, and purchased two tickets totaling 6,600 yuan.

Accompanied by her husband, they took a train to Taiyuan.

Yao recalled: "My husband thought I overpaid the ticket dealer." However, upon arriving at the concert venue, they were astonished that a couple standing nearby had paid double the price of their tickets.

Yao spent the remainder of the year hoping to secure tickets for Chou's concerts nationwide, yet failed.

"I am still waiting for another chance to attend his concert this year," she said.

Analysts have observed that Chou's fan base predominantly comprises those aged 25 to 44, who have the most consumption power. This was evident when Chou's concert ticket prices soared to over 30,000 yuan, yet fans continued to look for tickets.

In the face of ongoing challenges within the luxury industry, brands like Dior, La Mer and Rimowa are redefining their strategies, emphasizing inclusivity and selecting spokespersons who resonate with a broader audience, thereby optimizing their investments for long-term success, said an industry insider.

Mia Kong, a fashion editor and global influencer based in Shanghai, said luxury brands often opt for major celebrities to maintain consistent branding and storytelling.

"Luxury brands have grown weary of engaging with what we once called 'young heartthrobs' with large fan bases, as some of these collaborations have proven difficult to sustain," Kong said.

The long-term collaboration and sustainable reputation between celebrities and brands have become more crucial as luxury brands in the first quarter of this year posted very polarizing results.

LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton recorded revenue of 20.7 billion euros ($22.2 billion) in the first quarter, a rise of 3 percent year-on-year. The group said the rest of Asia reflected the strong growth in spending by Chinese customers in Europe and Japan. Kering, which owns luxury brands including Gucci and Bottega Veneta, saw its first quarter revenue down 11 percent to 4.5 billion euros.

The big picture of the luxury sector in the Chinese market is still promising. According to a Bain &Co report in 2023, while China's long-term fundamentals for luxury consumption remain robust, there are near-term uncertainties. It is projected that China's luxury market will experience mid-single-digit growth in 2024, said the report.

Chou has tapped into his star power by collaborating with sportswear brands. His fashion label, Phantaci, has worked with Nike to release its limited edition Air Max 1"Grand Piano" series in April.

Influencer Kong said that Chou's fan base has shown an enduring commitment to supporting his music and the image he embodies.

Speaking during an encounter with Chou at a Balenciaga after-party event, Kong vividly recalled, "When my agent inquired about Chou's status in Chinese showbiz, I likened him to the Michael Jackson of our world."