As fragrance brands in China compete for attention with high-heat celebrity endorsements, Acqua di Parma (帕尔玛之水) has taken a notably quieter route. The Italian fragrance house has named Wang Anyu (王安宇) as brand ambassador. The announcement comes not alongside a product drop or sales moment, but as the brand celebrates its 110th anniversary.
In recent years, fragrance brands in China have leant on idols of highly visible young stars to drive instant awareness. These pushes are often about scale, drawing in sales, expanding market share. This time the young-star ambassadorship feels more about tone.
Acqua di Parma’s choice of Wang Anyu puts the brand within the reach of everyday elegance, rather than aspirational spectacle. His on-screen image – controlled, understated, professional – looks more like a fragrance narrative built around mood, ritual and daily pleasure than status signalling.
The ad they dropped with the announcement also changes tack. Instead of grounding the brand in Chinese localisation, Acqua di Parma placed its star in Italy. The ad follows Wang as he visits Parma, the brand’s birthplace, where he cycles the winding city streets, looks glamourous under the Italian sun, and indulges in the little pleasures of daily life.
So while rival brands are hiring younger, flashier idols to inject rebellion into their brand storytelling, Acqua di Parma is treating fragrance as a lifestyle marker. They’re not chasing product hype, but betting on longevity. As the Chinese market matures and consumers become more lux-literate, we see this as a tactic more often. For a heritage brand celebrating its 110th anniversary, it’s a move that matches the dignity of its age.
