Key takeaways:
- Canadian yoga wear brand Lululemon staged a live music party at the new music culture landmark in the emerging music hotbed Chengdu.
- Tapping into the rising live music fever, the festival was joined by five musical talents including two of the brands’ ambassadors.
- An experiential event followed, involving over 800 local fitness lovers, creating a synergy between the workout sensation and growing music fad.
The Canadian athleisure apparel brand Lululemon struck a note with China’s Gen Z demographics by staging a live music show at Dongshan Art Gallery (also known as RE◦SET) in Chengdu, capital of the southwestern province of Sichuan that is synonymous with a laid-back lifestyle and is an emerging scene for creative music. The former music park got a new lease of life this February having been refashioned into a cultural tourism landmark. Situated in Dong Jiao Ji Yi, dubbed “China’s West End”, the space delivers an integration of “fashion design and musical art”.
The show unfolded in a multi-dimensional space with the brand’s iconic red hue intertwined with diverse lighting.
Get into the showcase
Under the tagline “Wear Align to Focus”, the campaign is dedicated to the brand’s classic range Align, which is part of the Tmall Super Brand Day, an initiative by the e-commerce giant Tmall where brands introduce special promotions and exclusive offers, which is also known as brands’ own Double 11 Shopping Festival. The campaign kicked off on 7 April with a live music party that saw a strong musician line-up, including its brand ambassadors Chinese actress Wang Zixuan and American singer and rapper Amber Liu, as well as three Gen Z singers from 88rising (an American music company).
The show unfolded in a multi-dimensional space with the brand’s iconic red hue intertwined with diverse lighting, enhancing the visual experience while creating an immersive ambiance. The physical showcase was accompanied by a livestream on Tmall, leveraging the digital marketing powerhouse to further spread the campaign voice.
A range of Align designs were presented by invited idols and some of the products’ key functionalities such as flexibility and a seamless user experience were showcased through a performance of enthusiastic dance movements. Action-packed rhythms are a demonstration of the pursuit of freedom and individualism, which is part of the brand’s attitude and is highly valued amongst the post-90s and post-00s.
Leveraging the rising music capital
By doing so, Lululemon is able to win over shrewd music listeners. The yoga activewear expert timely jumped onto the live house music sensation while strategically tapping into the city that is regarded as an “incubator” for musical talent. Not only has Chengdu been the birthplace for some of the most well-known Chinese singers, but the city is strongly associated with pub music and independent grassroots musicians who enrich the music scene, which has become a subculture that mainly draws in Gen Z and Millennials followers.
Lululemon timely jumped onto the live house music sensation while strategically tapping into the city that is regarded as an “incubator” for musical talent.
Chengdu’s existing fame in music has been further enhanced by the local authority doubling down efforts in building its musical assets. With an ambition to become China’s International Music Capital, it became the first Chinese city to introduce policies that support the development of the music industry back in 2016. Following the revelation of RE◦SET in February, another installation known as Chengdu●X Live also came to life in April.
Being the first product curated by CPAA Theatres, the new facility is a three-storey building covered with contemporary art and local elements such as a panda featured in a combination of vibrant colours, which is largely aimed at appealing to the young generations. The debut of this new establishment is expected to boost Chengdu’s profile as a music hub.
Unleashing the synergy of fitness and music
Although the curtain has rung down for the live music show, Lululemon continued to strike while the iron was hot by bringing an experiential event at Dong Jiao Ji Yi on 8 April.
Led by local outlets including stores in Taikoo Li, Joy City, The Mixc, Chengdu SKP and Renhe Town, the physical event revived the buzz from the music party. By inviting more than 800 local fitness enthusiasts to experience the joy of yoga, hip-pop dancing and everything in between, Lululemon could capitalise on the synergy of the continued workout craze and growing appetite for music while smartly strengthening its community-building endeavour.
The comprehensive campaign effort came to fruition with the campaign hashtag garnering over 18 million views as of 9 April on China’s largest microblogging site Weibo. This once again proves the potential that live music bears as a powerful marketing tool, which could not only bring out impactful campaigns but also allow brands to enhance the relationship with their target audience.
