In mid-September, Prada hosted a special table tennis match. The match, called “Prada Ping-pong Battle” features Ma Long (马龙), Prada’s brand ambassador and captain of China’s table tennis team during the Paris Olympics as well as veteran actress Wu Yanshu (吴彦姝), known for her performances in films such as Finding Mr. Right 2 and Love Education.
The campaign was released through a series of videos, including a teaser and 5 short-form video chapters. The clips depict Ma and Wu getting ready for the match with their Prada outfits and jewellery, making a statement for the match, studying their opponents and finally, the game. The campaign is about being opponents and friends, learning from each other and in a way, a new beginning. As Wu said on her Weibo, living youthfully is a lifelong thing.
On Weibo, China’s Twitter equivalent, Prada’s official topic, “Prada ping-pong battle” (#普拉达乒乓对决#) gained 28.29 million views but didn’t rank on the Hot Search list. Meanwhile, the news hashtag “Wu Yanshu thanks Ma Long” (#吴彦姝感谢马龙#) reached number 27 on the list with 19.91 million views. Netizens find the choice of partners admirable and feel very positive for both the veteran actress and the national team captain.
Ma Long has been a Prada brand ambassador since 2022. The brand had recently released a set of photoshoots featuring the athlete in a Prada SS25 outfit. Some speculate that with Ma implying retirement from table tennis, the move can be a signal towards joining the showbiz industry. For Prada, this is also an opportunity to leverage the interest in table tennis after the Olympics. Prada has been investing in sports people and celebrities with positive images such as the Chinese Women’s Football National Team and Jia Ling after controversies surrounding some of the brand’s past ambassadors.
