Thanks to BTS-like Boy Band, Louis Vuitton Garners 54 Million Men Show Streaming Views in China

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SHANGHAI — Louis Vuitton men’s spring 2023 runway show that paid tribute to the late Virgil Abloh received more than 54 million views on Weibo, thanks to a Chinese BTS-like boy band.

A day before the show, Louis Vuitton named the popular Chinese boy band TNT, or Teens in Times, as a brand ambassadors. The group’s account has more than 10 million followers on Weibo, and individual members’ accounts have a total of 124 million followers.

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A video released by the brand featuring TNT on a rooftop echoed the show’s prelude video “Strange Math,” with a beginning sequence featuring marching bands on a Parisian rooftop overlooking the Eiffel Tower.

The TNT video was also shot on a sunny rooftop, but in Chongqing for this occasion. The teaser video garnered more than 3 million views on Weibo. TNT members were dressed in the Louis Vuitton men’s pre-fall 2022 collection, Abloh’s last mid-season collection. 

Working with stars yielding huge online traffic has been a crucial part of the luxury brand’s China strategy over the last few years, as they can help brands amplify their social media presence and drive explosive sales. 

But since a slew of top Chinese celebrities got censored by the authorities last year due to various scandals, including rape allegations against Vuitton’s former ambassador Kris Wu, and tax evasion charges against the brand’s other face Fan Bingbing, Vuitton has begun to shift its strategy by tapping Winter Olympic gold medalist Eileen Gu and award-winning actress Zhou Dongyu to diversify its ambassador lineup in China. Other brands, including Prada and Dior, have adopted a similar shift to adhere to China’s crackdown on irrational celebrity culture.

But an alliance with major traffic driving stars remains crucial. For the men’s spring 2023 season, Prada’s runway show livestream received more than 40 million views on Weibo, thanks to the Italian luxury brand’s ambassador Xukun Cai. He has more than 36 million followers on the platform. 

Dior Men’s worked with boy band TFBoys member Junkai Wang and rising stars Arthur Chen, Linghe Zhang and Yi Lin to promote the collection. The LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned luxury house’s spring 2023 collection received almost 40 million views on Weibo.

But Chinese stars are not the only ones who hold sway in the market. Despite not hosting a livestreaming session on Chinese social media, Celine managed to create buzz across borders as Blackpink’s Lisa, BTS’ Kim Taehyung, aka V, and actor Park Bo-gum stepped out in sharp ensembles in front of starstruck fans on Sunday night for the brand’s men’s show in Paris.

Fans in China were just as enthusiastic. The hashtag “Park Bo-gum V Lisa at Paris Fashion Week” received more than 140 million clicks on Weibo.

RELATED:

Louis Vuitton Men’s Spring 2023

Louis Vuitton Names BTS-like Chinese Boy Band Teens in Times as Ambassador

BTS’ Kim Taehyung and Blackpink’s Lisa Cause Chaos at Celine

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