For some time, licensors ranging from luxury and sportswear labels to owners of character and sports IP have been developing their brands in China. Many have started to see some success there. In fact, a growing number identify the territory as one of their fastest rising in terms of merchandise sales.
As a result, an increasing pool of marketers are putting together China-exclusive limited-edition collaborations involving licensed properties. This sampling of recent initiatives shows that the technique crosses property types, product categories, distribution channels, and geographic origins of the players:
- Earlier this month, telecommunications company OnePlus released a Cyberpunk 2077 version of its OnePlus 8T phone. Based on the interactive action-adventure game developed and published by CD Projekt, the product debuted slightly before the game’s delayed market introduction. The device’s Cyberpunk-inspired style elements include a speckled black design with yellow accents and the game’s logo.
- In late October, Moncler launched its China-exclusive Moncler Young Icons collection involving three Gen Z stars: model Yang Yingge, actor Shi Pengyuan, and dancer Su Lianya. The products were supported by social media and an immersive pop-up installation in Shanghai, created by multimedia artist Reif Anadol of Los Angeles. While their follower numbers are smaller than those of some other influencers, the three celebrities at the center of the campaign all have very loyal fan bases. The collection consists of luxury puffer jackets and other outerwear.
- Also in October, Nike and NBA star LeBron James introduced 600 pairs of a new collaborative design, the LeBron 8 Retro, as part of a “Beijing Pack” that was exclusive to China. The pack also included the LeBron 18 in a jade color; that shoe debuted in China in September. The limited-edition LeBron 8 had a distressed, ancient-looking red finish, gold contrasts, a lion embossed on the tongue, and a glow-in-the-dark jade-colored outsole.
- In June, Burberry and influencer Mr. Bags introduced a limited edition of 100 pocket bags, the latest in a number of collaborations since 2017 between the luxury brand and Mr. Bags (real name Tao Liang). Mr. Bags has also been involved with numerous other labels, from Longchamp and Dunhill to Tod’s and Givenchy, with the collaborations often exclusive to China. The latest Burberry bag, in beige and red, was sold exclusively on Mr. Bags’ WeChat account.
- Last December, Iconix’s Ed Hardy label paired with Anti Social Social Club for hoodies and t-shirts with ornate and bejeweled illustrations of dragons and tigers combined with the ASSC logo. The collection debuted exclusively on ASSC’s Chinese website just before New Year’s Day in late December 2019.
- Earlier in 2019, Sunrise, the owner of the anime franchise Gundam, which was celebrating its 40th anniversary, partnered with Casio and its G-Shock brand for a limited-edition collection of four Gundam-inspired watches with storage boxes. The collection was sold through Casio’s ecommerce store on Taobao.
Aside from the early months of the pandemic, the pace of such deals has not slowed this year, and in fact seems to be picking up. That is due in part to China being one of the first countries to come out of lockdown and start getting back to normal, at least to a degree, earlier this fall. In addition, with the challenges facing the licensing community in a difficult global economic landscape, companies are doubling down on strategies that are working. For many global brands, that means China.
The latest edition of Raugust Communications’ monthly e-newsletter comes out tomorrow, November 17, 2020. The Licensing Topic of the Month examines brand management companies purchasing distressed retail and other brands during the pandemic; the Datapoint research spotlight takes a look at the licensing agency landscape for artists. If you are not a subscriber to this free publication, please sign up here.
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