SuperBase 3,193 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 Why China Is Fixated on Singer Lu Han (And Brands Are, Too) http://adage.com/article/agency-viewpoint/china-fixated-singer-lu-han-brands/304559/ How Advertisers Can Get the Most Out of Celebrity Endorsements in China By Jerry Clode. Published on June 21, 2016. Reprints Reprints Lu Han helped make the latest 'Star Wars' installment relevant to Chinese millennials.Lu Han helped make the latest 'Star Wars' installment relevant to Chinese millennials. Credit: Star Wars WeiboAD AGE LOOKBOOKWeekly FeatureMulticultural A-List Agency Is Mainstream SuccessLearn more Walking the streets of China's major cities, it's hard to miss the face of Lu Han. The 26-year-old singer has become the go-to brand ambassador for the younger generation, plugging international brands as diverse as "Star Wars," KFC, Lancome, L'Oreal Paris, Gap, Puma, Crest and Volkswagen, not to mention local ones like Oppo mobile phones, Baidu interactive maps and Yili milk. Mr. Lu has become a symbol and spokesman for what is known locally as the "post-90s generation" -- those born after 1990. For the inaugural issue of "Vogue Me" last month, a special edition of the magazine focused on the post-90s generation, Mr. Lu's interview was the key draw. He talked about how for his generation, "pursuing your dreams is what makes you cool." Lu's rise to fame came from his membership as a Chinese member of a Korean boy-band, EXO. The pop genre is huge among Chinese millennials, and Mr. Lu made a seamless transition to a solo career and individual idol status. His boyish looks help his status as a brand ambassador, since he's relatable to 20-somethings but also to young teenagers, the next generation of consumers in a country of 1.4 billion. For KFC, China's biggest fast-food brand, Lu was paired with the brand's new service robot, Dumi, to see if the heartthrob could distract the voice-recognition automaton away from the task of serving customers at a new concept store in Shanghai. (The diligent robot refused to be distracted.) His face is also on stickers on KFC diners' tables, reminding them to dispose of their waste -- suggesting his appeal as a role model as well. In a market where the "Star Wars" franchise is less well known, Lu was key to getting local fans excited about "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Leveraging his more than 18 million official followers on Weibo (a local microblog service similar to Twitter), Lu created his own "Star Wars"song and shared his personal fascination with the story behind the light saber. Using celebs wiselyRelated Stories Chinese Social Media Marketing Explained, Through One Super-Viral SelfieHow Coca-Cola Adapted Its Olympics Campaign for ChinaInside Tencent and L'Oreal's Zany Branded Content Experiment in China Lu Han is not alone in terms of his heavy schedule of brand endorsements. Liu Wen, a former Victoria's Secret catwalk model, has emerged as everyone's favorite "girl next door," since fans have connected with her humor and approachability in her recent role as a TV host. As a result, she has racked up a similar range of representations, including Louis Vuitton, Coach, Tory Burch, Oreo, H&M, Tiffany & Co. and Estee Lauder.AD AGE RESOURCESSponsor ContentLive Your Brand From the Inside Out: Why Employee Brand Culture Matters so MuchmediumLearn more Brought to you by: MOOCompared to mature markets, Chinese media culture is still developing, meaning there are less bona fide celebrities. In this void, the power of celebrities is more concentrated, and their success encapsulates ordinary people's wider lifestyle aspirations and dreams. In this context, Mr. Lu has become far more than a "Chinese Justin Bieber" -- he symbolizes the dream of becoming a modern, international individual, and even breaking from Chinese tradition.Still, brands need to think carefully about how to unlock the potential of China's mega-celebrities. While they will create a short-term hit in terms of followers, their heavy use means genuine engagement can be more elusive. Some brands still think of an endorser as someone to hold up a product and smile for the cameras; instead, they should look at how "Star Wars" collaborated with Mr. Lu.For "Star Wars," he was not used as a spokesperson but as a passionate advocate of the franchise. He sang, played out characters, hugged R2D2 and wrote about his enjoyment of the films. Fans saw an unknown side of his personality, creating the desire to join in on the international buzz around "Star Wars." The numbers told the story, with Mr. Lu's Weibo posts on "Star Wars" receiving half a million hits.That's something for advertisers to remember: While Chinese consumers show less sensitivity about stars having many endorsement deals, that does not equate to a lower level of expectation on content. Brands that connect their own stories with the unique attributes of China's mega-celebrities will ensure they get the most out of their investment. Jerry Clode Jerry Clode is head of digital and social insights at Shanghai-based agency Resonance China. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only 1 U Need Connoisseur 6,671 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 Isn't it crazy.. he has only been solo for about a year.. his popularity is insane. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene Is Life 922 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 EXO should've never kicked him out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowdjinn 5,655 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 i think it also helps that LuHan is on "Hurry Up, Brother" , the Chinese Version of Running Man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
night vale. 8,071 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 He's been doing extremely well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Don't Cry 5,451 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 I'm glad he's doing so well! EXO should've never kicked him out Wrong group lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBase 3,193 Posted June 21, 2016 Author Share Posted June 21, 2016 i think it also helps that LuHan is on "Hurry Up, Brother" , the Chinese Version of Running Man. he got most of his endorsement before hurry up, brother...but sure this VS help him to get more public recognition EXO should've never kicked him out no they didn't Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene Is Life 922 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 I'm glad he's doing so well! Wrong group lol He's not from EXO?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ddeona Oneul Bame 61,630 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 SLEI BBY!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adda 9,200 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 EXO should've never kicked him out exo didn't kick him out, he had issues with sm's management. all those who left were discontent with sm and their lack of support to develop as individual artists as well. sm didn't support those who left, at contrary, they kept denying opportunities for them, although exo-m was supposed to promote in China, have activities there. Sm offered no support only exploitation. In an interview last year SM's CEO said that Lay having individual activities in China is what was originally planned for EXO-M members. But SM didn't support all their Chinese artists, only one received their support. I'm glad Luhan is doing well in China and he can fulfill his potential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Don't Cry 5,451 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 He's not from EXO?? He was from Exo. Are you new to Kpop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lugoose 11,398 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 Wrong group lol i'm crying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nini Bear 3,530 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 Isn't it crazy.. he has only been solo for about a year.. his popularity is insane. I think he was already pretty popular in China as an EXO member and becoming solo there has been the last bit to make it explode. but then again, my brain is pretty empty over 5 hours ago, so I might've forgotten what it was like back when he was in EXO lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xiaolulu 1,299 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 it's a really interesting article! I particularly like this line: Mr. Lu has become far more than a "Chinese Justin Bieber" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xiaolulu 1,299 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 Why China Is Fixated on Singer Lu Han (And Brands Are, Too) also OP you left in ads from the original site in the text of the article, could you delete them? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene Is Life 922 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 He was from Exo. Are you new to Kpop? No... you said wrong group. Like were the Exo stans suppoed to attack me or Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ddeona Oneul Bame 61,630 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 No... you said wrong group. Like were the Exo stans suppoed to attack me or Wrong group as in the group generally known as the group who kicked out a member was SNSD, LOL~ It's not really an argument that Kris, Luhan, and Tao all left on their own~ No one forced them out~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oli London 1,762 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 Ew, "Chinese Justin Bieber". Don't compare Lu Han to Bieber. The only similarity is their extreme popularity. But YASSSS LU HAN get that recognition!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddythedog 1,497 Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 No... you said wrong group. Like were the Exo stans suppoed to attack me or LOL nice trolling... But save yourself some time tbh. I can tell you don't like Luhan why waste your time here? Go to read the threads that make you happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hallyuhan 0 Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 King of China! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geometry 21 Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 It's honestly scary how many advertisements he's done all at once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_lu 728 Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 I think Hurry Up Brothers and Luhan's Reloaded Concert are the most important reasons for his popularity and the love he receives in China. I know K-pop is popular in the world but in China, a lot a lot of people hate Kpop. I still remember the pre-Hurry Up Brothers period, Luhan got so many negative comments. And now, after 2 seasons of Hurry Up Brothers, Chinese people know how good of a person he is. I think you can call him "National Little Brother" of China. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicki1990 4,276 Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 King of endorsements! Even before he went solo, numerous brands were already actively seeking him out! I remember the time when some company weibos would use his pictures whenever there were pictures of Luhan with their products....remember McDonald's, Baskin Robbins, Shin Ramyun etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShuShu 12 Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 Congrats to luhan! Had no idea who he is until I saw him as the new cast member on hurry up brother. He's very enjoyable on the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene Is Life 922 Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 LOL nice trolling... But save yourself some time tbh. I can tell you don't like Luhan why waste your time here? Go to read the threads that make you happy. LUHAN was my favorite in the group wyd... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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