How Xiao Zhan became China’s ‘King of Luxury’: The Untamed actor and Mandopop star now counts 31 epic endorsements – from Gucci and Nars Cosmetics to Tod’s and Zenith
Xiao Zhan rose to fame in 2019 after starring in popular Chinese TV series The Untamed – and he remains a national icon. The former X Nine boy band singer went on to land multiple acting gigs, as well as lucrative deals from both local and international brands.
So many so that the 31-year-old singer and actor recently topped a celebrity ranking of endorsements – with some 31 brands backing him (coincidence?) according to China’s iNews. This is doubtless down to his huge influence, with a fan base of over 31 million followers on Weibo (aka the “Twitter of China”).
Chinese media service platform Morketing analysed data and interviews with brands and came to the conclusion that the purchasing power of Xiao’s fans is so strong that brand’s can earn back their investment in just five hours – and double it to equal revenue within a day.
No doubt Xiao is getting the nickname “King of Luxury” – so let’s take a look at his biggest campaigns so far.
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1. L’Oréal
One of the sweetest deals Xiao scored this year is beauty giant, L’Oréal. The French house announced that he became its latest global brand ambassador on its social media in May on Instagram, with the caption: “Bringing a unique spin to the brand identity and vision, with a clear sense of beauty and style, Xiao Zhan has elevating attitude and spirit, which makes him the perfect match.”
2. YSL Beauty
Xiao scored four endorsements in the third quarter of last year alone. The most valuable one was yet another beauty brand, YSL Beauty, according to QQ. He became the French beauty brand’s skincare ambassador for Asia and has been spotted appearing in ads for new products like the Pure Shots Night Reboot serum and Or Rouge La Crème Essentielle.
Xiao said in a video on his official YouTube fan club: “In my collaboration with YSL, I have always admired the brand for sticking to its heart. The spirit of staying true to itself fearlessly.”
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3. Nars Cosmetics
What is it with Xiao Zhan and beauty brands? Nars Cosmetics picked Xiao as its brand spokesperson earlier last year as a move to “exemplify its long-standing commitment to an audacious vision of beauty and self-expression”, the brand said.
His “effect” was immediate. On the day he partnered with Nars, sales increased by 207 times, generating 80 million yuan (over US$11 million), per iNews. It’s no surprise that a year later on February 20, Nars levelled up their collaboration: Xiao officially became its global brand spokesperson.
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4. Gucci
“I have always admired Gucci’s vibrant design aesthetic and Michele’s romantic fashion language,” said the actor.
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5. Ralph Lauren Fragrances
In the same year, Xiao was invited by Ralph Lauren Fragrances to become its new brand spokesperson, announcing, “A legendary night on the town awaits.”
His first mission was to launch the brand’s first major cologne in China. Around 40,000 bottles of Ralph’s Club were sold in only six hours, reports Jing Daily.
6. Zenith
In 2021, Swiss watchmaker Zenith welcomed Xiao to its family. The brand’s CEO, Julien Tornare said, “Undaunted by challenges, he has always pushed himself in his career, and the same can be said for Zenith. Breaking down boundaries to forge ahead, Zenith will partner with its new brand ambassador Xiao Zhan to embrace the future together with the spirit of Time To Reach Your Star.”
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Tornare told The New York Times, “When we announced him … we got 342 million views on Weibo. Then, within a few hours, we got nine million views of our video on the announcement. And we sold more watches in 24 hours than in a whole month.”
7. Tod’s
In 2021, Tod’s also tapped Xiao as its latest brand ambassador. The Italian house appreciates his unique charm and influence on the young generations in China, calling Xiao, “A true gentleman, he perfectly combines Italian style and tradition with the spirit and charm of China’s new generation, further solidifying the meeting between Italy and China.”
In June last year, they teamed up to launch the first capsule collection, the “Tod’s for XZ”, featuring bags, shoes and accessories. The new collection represents the brand’s signature T logo, inspired by keywords “together” and “tomorrow”.
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8. SAIC Audi
After impressing fans with his new image in the military series Ace Troops (2021-2022), Xiao scored one of the world’s most coveted automobile brands, Audi.
SAIC Audi, China’s largest carmaker by sales and Audi’s second Chinese partner to produce vehicles in the country, announced that Xiao became its brand spokesperson at the beginning of 2022. The announcement came with a popular promotional video and photos in which Xiao drove a new Audi A7L model in a black suit, oozing luxury and charisma.
- Actor and singer Sean Xiao Zhan is one of China’s biggest celebs, commanding over 31 million followers on Weibo – it’s no wonder that Western luxury labels are falling over themselves to sign him
- In addition to Gucci, Tod’s, Zenith and beauty brands like YSL Beauty and Nars Cosmetics, Xiao snagged a deal with luxury carmaker SAIC Audi after impressing fans with his new look in Ace Troops