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“In 1992 in Shanghai, some people became rich overnight, while others lost their fortunes in half a day,” says the character A Bao, played by Chinese actor Hu Ge, in film director Wong Kar-wai’s first television drama Blossoms Shanghai. The 30-episode series, which premiered on 27 December, follows the story of Bao’s journey to riches, while painting a picture of Shanghai’s evolution into a megacity throughout the ’90s.
At a time of economic uncertainty for the Chinese market, Blossoms Shanghai has gripped local audiences by tapping into a growing nostalgia for a golden era. It has also proved to be a vehicle for fashion and beauty brands looking to further establish themselves in the local landscape.
The show has proved a hit after achieving a 9.3/10 rating on streaming platform Tencent Video (based on 2.53 million reviews) and blowing up on Chinese social media. Just three days after the premiere, the number of searches for the show on Weibo reached close to 370 million, according to the platform. On Xiaohongshu, the series’s hashtag has received 200 million views. Offline, you can follow a Blossoms Shanghai filming location route created by “netizens”.
In addition to deciphering the plot, local audiences have pointed out that the series features heavy product placement. Some characters are dripping in designer names, from Pierre Cardin coats to Cartier accessories. According to Chinese state-owned news outlet Lanjinger, as many as 10 products have made the cut in a single episode, while the series also comes with sponsorships from brands such as Rémy Martin, Pepsi and Estée Lauder.
Other industries, too, are riding the wave of association. The Fairmont Peace Hotel, where Bao has his office in the drama, has renamed one of its rooms the “Blossoms Suite” — and hiked up the price per night from RMB 15,930 Yuan (£1,769) to RMB 16,888 Yuan (£1,875). Its in-house restaurant offers a Blossoms Shanghai menu, including dishes named after main characters. Fans have queued up to buy palmiers from Park Hotel Shanghai, after they were spotted in the show.
Estée Lauder entered China in 1993 — around the time Blossoms Shanghai is set — with its first Mainland sales counter in Shanghai. As such, its involvement in the series mirrors the brand’s own journey in China; it signed a product placement deal that included both makeup and skincare. In the show, a fictional boutique dubbed Linghong displays the brand’s coveted face cream, while character Minmin, played by Zeng Meihuizi, uses Estée Lauder lipsticks.
Since the premiere, the Estée Lauder Weibo account has been updated frequently with clips of products that appear in the show, paired with highlighted quotes from the characters. On 8 January, Estée Lauder announced Ma Yili, who plays Reiko in Blossoms Shanghai, as the brand’s skincare ambassador.
Regaining popularity in China is a top priority for the cosmetics giant. In ELC’s Q1 trading update, it revealed that the recovery of high-end beauty products in Mainland China had been slower than expected and declined during the quarter, ending 30 September 2023. Becoming the official sponsor of a favourite C-drama may just be the ticket.
The renaissance of Shanghai style
The 1990s was a golden period for China as it opened up to the world, with Shanghai at its centre. Under the collision of Chinese and Western cultures, cutting-edge and unique fashion trends formed. Wong Kar-wai’s cinematography, which is comparable to fashion editorials, has restored the idea of Shanghai style in audience minds, escalating opportunities for international fashion brands.
Shanghai is particularly good at mixing Chinese and Western aesthetics, says fashion editor and brand manager Veronica Zhang, and Blossoms Shanghai offers a fine example. Li Li, played by Zhilei Xin, often sports luxurious furs and exaggerated sunglasses, while Miss Wang, played by Yan Tang, wears traditionally British windbreakers and Mary Jane shoes.
In the show’s first episode, the earliest lesson taught to Bao by experienced trader Yeso is that “Shanghai people pay attention to style, gimmicks and signs when doing business.” The key thing you need to pay attention to when ordering a custom-made suit, he adds, is the fabric, which must be cut from British textiles or spun from pure wool; as Bao’s character evolves, he wears tailor-made Giorgio Armani.
Indeed, Armani was a driving force behind the transformation of Bao into an “elite businessman”. The brand also provided pieces such as black coats and velvet suits, looking to interpret the multi-faceted style of Shanghai men in the ’90s. For the premiere, the brand dressed Yan in a double-breasted velvet suit, and Armani’s presence in the series remains reminiscent of its feature in American Gigolo from the 1980s, which helped the maison break into the US market.
The varied interpretations of Shanghai style throughout the series make the characters more three-dimensional, observers note, while reminding viewers why it was once known as the “Paris of the East”. For brands, it brings an opportunity to tap into a style revival as well as the continued popularity of a hybrid aesthetic.
Experts predict that domestic sales in China will remain higher than pre-pandemic. Making an appearance in or being associated with popular dramas is one sure way to attract that repatriated spend.
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