The 15 Best Fashion O2O Marketing Campaigns in China

Radar Report #9 features insights into the 15 best Online-to-Offline Fashion industry campaigns in China and the 4 marketing trends driving their success.

Fashion brands are increasingly focusing on offline experiences to connect with Chinese consumers. Key marketing trends include engaging young urbanites with city walks, appealing to Gen Z’s healthy lifestyles, leveraging immersive exhibitions, and enhancing visibility with AR/CG digital ads.

Trend 1: City Walk

AMI Paris Paris series campaign engaged Shanghai trendsetters with a city-wide bag-hunting challenge, hiding 60 mini 3D-printed handbags with QR codes. The campaign saw over 17.9M hashtag views on social media and 1.1M views on WeChat, blending physical and digital elements for high engagement.

H&M city walk-themed clothing line, promoted through a Red campaign, engaged youth with the hashtag #慢跑玩转打卡. Participants shared outfit images for a chance to win sunglasses and tote bags, achieving over 2M views and interactions, highlighting the campaign’s success with young audiences.

KENZO “Blooming Graffiti” event in Shanghai featured begonia-themed street art and a photo wall for check-ins. The hashtag #KENZO Blooming Graffiti achieved over 4.2M engagements on Red, with participants entering a prize draw for Begonia Flower-themed journals, successfully engaging trendsetters and promoting new products.

Trend 2: Modern Lifestyle

CONVERSE and Wagas’s healthy meal package included free dopamine-colored socks or stress-relief toys. The #LightAndStylishPartner hashtag on Weibo and Red drove over 300,000 impressions, engaging Gen Z with the chance to win Wagas vouchers and CONVERSE shoes, effectively promoting their new products.

GOLDEN GOOSE Nanjing coffee shop featured a co-creation event where customers selected their mood to receive personalized cup sleeves. The #COCREATIONExperience hashtag, promoted by brand ambassador William Chan, achieved over 7.2M social media impressions, successfully engaging young audiences and highlighting the brand’s co-creation concept.

MICHAEL KORS “MK Limited-Time Bakery” in Shanghai featured a giant MK denim bag installation and special giant croissants. The campaign used the Chinese catchphrase “显眼包” (eye-catching bag) and KOLs to drive engagement, achieving over 9M social media views and effectively promoting the new bag.

BELLE “Belle Jeanne Club” café in Shanghai featured a giant BELLE Mary Jane shoe installation and exclusive drinks. The #BELLEJeanneGirls hashtag, promoted by KOL Ma Jie, drove over 650,000 social media views, successfully engaging female audiences and promoting BELLE’s new shoe products.

VALENTINO collaboration with Sleep No More for “SIREN” combined its 2024 Spring/Summer collection with immersive theater. The hashtag #Valentino2024SS achieved over 70M reads, and the event garnered 71,000 reads and 152,000 engagements, effectively blending fashion with theater to captivate audiences.

Trend 3: Exhibitions

LOEWE “Crafted World” exhibition in Shanghai featured an interactive game and limited canvas bags for shoppers. The #LOEWE Crafted World hashtag and “Loewe Pronunciation Challenge” led to over 16M views, showcasing the campaign’s success in combining storytelling with interactive events to engage a broad audience.

GENTLE MONSTER boosted brand visibility with its updated HAUS SHANGHAI exhibition, featuring installations like the “Giant Robot Face” and hidden keys, and combined it with an online AI photo synthesis activity. The #GMGiantExhibition hashtag achieved over 241M views, showcasing the campaign’s success in engaging the audience.

GUCCI held the “Gucci Ancora Red” exhibition across Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Chengdu, blending local cultural aspects with the unified Ancora Red theme. The campaign included city-specific promotional videos and a WeChat feature for custom AR photos. The hashtag #GucciAncora achieved over 1.5 billion social media views, highlighting the event’s extensive reach and engagement.

JNBY showcased its 2024 Spring/Summer collection with a Shanghai exhibition blending Miao culture, traditional fashion, and digital art. Collaborating with Olivier Kervern, the event featured installations and digital art on landmarks. The hashtags #VisitHongguanForTheExhibition and others garnered over 58.34 million reads, with 120,000 reads and 7,000 engagements.

Trend 4: Community

ZARA partnered with Xi XingLe to promote its 2024 Year of the Dragon collection, blending traditional motifs with AR ads set against Shanghai streets. The offline pop-up featured peaches, dragons, and Chinese mythology. The hashtag #ZARA “Pink Dragon Parade” and MR ads achieved over 1.6 million social media views, demonstrating strong engagement.

LOUISE VUITTON used striking virtual animal imagery and a collaboration with artist Sun Yitian to promote its 2024 Early Autumn Women’s Collection. The campaign featured a giant balloon over the Oriental Pearl Tower and AR ads, with the hashtag #LouisVuittonWomen’sVoyagerShow garnering over 260 million reads and 1.32 million reads and 1.3 million engagements overall.

NARS used surreal hot air balloon ads to build excitement for its new blush collection. The campaign included short films, a pop-up with interactive activities, and offline stores in seven cities offering exclusive gifts. The hashtag #NARSBlush achieved over 94.55 million reads, with the event generating 183,000 reads and 234,000 engagements.

Resonance is a digital / social media marketing agency based in Shanghai, China. Our service is “everything digital x social marketing”. We’ve been around since 2008 and have done great work for many of the world’s most well-known lifestyle brands. Visit us on the web or email us to find out more.

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