More popular than China’s biggest actors and pop stars, China’s most famous blogger Han Han is something of a renaissance man. This novelist, magazine publisher, singer and race car driver, mocks high profile public figures, rages against official incompetence and is seen by many as a mouthpiece for China’s youth. He has a select number of brand ambassador deals from domestic brands like the online fashion outlet VANCL (for whom he spearheads outdoor and subway advertising) and for blockbuster global brands such as Johnnie Walker.
His latest digitally led ‘Sentiment Road’ campaign for Johnnie Walker (developed by Ogilvy & Mather) aims to reinforce the whiskey brand’s sophisticated position in China. A branded entertainment-style initiative based in the film space, the campaign targets young adult affluent and aspirational Chinese through original creativity and expression.
Launched on both owned and bought online media (including the brand’s own site, Sina’s social media channels and the Chinese creative community Douban), the campaign is an introspective, and expressive collaboration with Jia Zhangke and other six innovative movie directors to document the collective dreams of China’s youth.
Comment:
Whilst musicians and stars of the screen can seem somehow detached and distant, with daily digital engagement online celebrities are developing a level of sharing and intimacy with Chinese youth that is catapulting them into the sponsorship stratosphere. Han Han, one of Time Magazine’s most influential people in 2009/10, built on his growing influence as a tastemaker and trend leader via his blogs 400m plus hits. The stats for his blogs and his books sales make him possibly the world’s most read writer and this is what has seen sponsors come calling.
It’s his youth appeal that is key for sponsorship and he has rapidly become, like David Beckham, a brand in himself. But even sponsoring stars like Han Han are not without risk. After all, he is widely accepted to be closely watched by the Chinese authorities who reportedly used censorship legislation to force the closure of his ‘Party’ magazine.
http://johnniewalker.blog.sina.com.cn/bbs.php
http://johnniewalker.tudou.com/yulujihua
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