On 11 May, the Kering-owned Hong Kong-based luxury jewellery brand Qeelin announced its latest brand ambassador, table tennis athlete Wang Chuqin. Coincidentally, 11 May was also Wang’s 25th birthday. The brand stated that Wang’s “unique and left-handed style” embodies “Qeelin’s pioneering spirit in breaking traditional boundaries in the fine jewelry [sic] industry”, and his “fresh interpretation” of the traditional Chinese culture-inspired Wulu model jewellery, brings an “athletic energy” to the iconic collection.
On Weibo, China’s Twitter equivalent, the topic “Qeelin brand ambassador Wang Chuqin” (#Qeelin品牌代言人王楚钦#) garnered 53.35 million views. This is mostly because Wang, being a gold medallist at the Paris Olympics for mixed doubles, as well as winning the 2025 WTT Champions Chongqing, is currently one of the hottest athletic stars in China. He has bagged several brand ambassadorships since his win at Paris last year, including another luxury brand, Louis Vuitton.
Formed in 2004, Qeelin has been known to incorporate Chinese cultural elements in both its designs and marketing. Its now-iconic designs, such as the Yu Yi and the Wulu, both take inspiration from Chinese auspicious symbols. Its Year of the Dragon campaign, with brand ambassador, Chinese actress Liu Shishi (刘诗诗), on a train of “gold dragon” rafts in Guanxi, perfectly combined the brand with local culture. On the topic of brand ambassadors, naming Wang Chuqin marks a departure for the brand, whose current roster mainly features showbiz celebs like EXO singer Lay Zhang (张艺兴), Liu Shishi and actor Liu Haoran (刘昊然).
Brands, especially global ones, are diversifying their cast of representatives in China. The most prominent ones being star athletes such as Wang Chuqin, his mixed doubles partner Sun Yingsha and tennis gold medallist Zheng Qinwen. This is partly due to the liabilities and controversies surrounding entertainment celebrities, while the positive and youthful image of athletes in general better aligns with brand values. We are likely to see similar ambassadors, and more of Wang Chuqin in future.
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