Breaking in September, the print campaign for the Sung dynasty-themed fall/winter collection is the brand's first in 13 years and accompanies a series of new product and expansion initiatives to raise awareness of the brand, that has been overshadowed in recent years by brasher younger rival Shanghai Tang.
Shot in China's Chang Bai Shan district, famed for its snow-capped mountains near the North Korean border, the campaign will run in Hong Kong, the US and China. The campaign follows the opening of the retailer's first US store on Fifth Avenue, the relocation of its Hong Kong store to the upscale Landmark site and a move to bigger premises in Beijing. "We haven't done anything like this before. The campaign is really driven by our international expansion," said general manager Vivianne Lau. "New York is a very different market from Hong Kong, where we can rely on word-of-mouth. You have to be out there for New York."
The expansion has also prompted the introduction of a younger, casual, martial arts-inspired line Bleau de Chine next year, to cater to younger customers, particularly in New York. "Our customers in New York are about 10 years younger than Hong Kong," said Lau, who estimated that 80 per cent of its sales came from ready-to-wear, and the rest from its couture service.
The print push was preceded by the launch of a website this month, both created by independent shop oneby- zero, headed by MD and creative director Ernest Haosjoe.
In keeping with the brand's positioning as serene, quiet and cultured, Haosjoe adopted a water colour concept for the website. When clicked on, blurred images come into focus. The brand will also distribute postcards in August, using images from the print campaign, to announce its relocation to Landmark.
