May 10, 2017

Today is 'Chinese Brands Day', because China says so

To celebrate the day, officially decreed by China's State Council, we look at some long-enduring brands you might not have heard of before.

whatsapp 0 whatsapp 0 Facebook 0 Tweet 0 linkedin 0

Wangyi Pinzhuang Pen is a Chinese pen, well, brush brand founded during the Qing dynasty in 1741. Did you know that the brand's fame rose after a 'pensmith' surnamed Wang sold one of his products to a Chinese scholar who scored in the imperial exam?

Tsingtao Beer was brewed in 1903. Did you know that the brewery was founded as the Germania-Brauerei?

Tongrentang came into being in 1669. Did you know that it was the birthchild of a senior physician at the Qing imperial court?

Shanghai Jahwa was established in 1898. Do you know it is the only century-old enterprise in China's beauty and personal care industry?

Quanjude, founded in 1864, is a restaurant chain famous for its Peking roast duck. Did you know that roast duck was originally food reserved for imperial families?

China's State Council has designated a 'Chinese Brands Day' to be held on 10 May each year, according to a statement approved on 24 April and made public last week.

Xinhua reports that the decision was made in response to a request filed by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planner.

While there was no official explanation for the selection of 10 May, we're guessing the plan was set in place after a 2014 speech made by Xi Jinping on the same date calling for China's 'products' to advance to 'brands'.

We weren't given much time to prepare, but in order to heed the propaganda summons, we decided to showcase some century-old Chinese brands you might not know about. A total of 1,128 such brands, known as "laozihao (老字号)" in Chinese, exist, according to China's Ministry Of Commerce. They average about 160 years old, with more than 60 percent engaged in pharmaceuticals and food.

Source:

Campaign China

Just Published

Is there a place for 'fake OOH' ads in the industry?

4 hours ago

Matthew Keegan

Is there a place for 'fake OOH' ads in the industry?

There's been a steep rise in 'fake ads' in the past year. With new technologies like Gen AI and CGI lowering the barrier and opening the floodgates, we explore whether fake OOH ads are inherently bad, or if they could even push marketers to create better work?

Beyoncé's country pivot and lessons in fearless marketing

5 hours ago

Max Reed

Beyoncé's country pivot and lessons in fearless ...

In the disrupt-or-die era, there is no space for marketers to fear failure. If your brand is strong, creative risks pay off. Take a cue or two from Beyoncé's masterclass in risky branding.