"Speed" and "fashion" have always been ZARA's core competitive advantages. Over the past year, ZARA has focused on developing fashion collaborations, using designer partnerships to strengthen the brand’s original fashion capabilities and offer consumers stylish propositions with quality. In 2024, ZARA’s collaborators include a diverse lineup of fashion creatives such as former YSL creative director Stefano Pilati, A-COLD-WALL founder Samuel Ross, Japanese outdoor fashion brand and wander, legendary supermodel Kate Moss, fashion label AO YES, Nanushka, renowned stylist Harry Lambert, and the design magazine Wallpaper. By harnessing outstanding external creativity and design, ZARA has reinvigorated the value equation in the fashion industry—“design/price = value”—by delivering high-quality design at accessible prices.

At the same time, ZARA has remained committed to its strategy of small-batch production and rapid market responsiveness, allowing it to quickly capture fashion trends and transform them into products. These diverse collaborations inject high fashion appeal into its collections, maintaining freshness and desirability across its offerings and continuing to attract a broader consumer base. In the first half of 2024, ZARA’s parent company Inditex saw sales increase by 10.2%. For the first three quarters of the 2024 fiscal year, the company achieved revenue of €27.4 billion, up 7.1% year-on-year. Net profit reached €4.4 billion, an 8.5% increase year-on-year. The gross margin rose to 59.4%, up 4 basis points year-on-year. Inditex plans to expand its retail space by around 5% annually between 2024 and 2026 while continuing to optimize store operations. In addition, the company has launched a two-year logistics expansion plan, investing €900 million per year to strengthen its logistics capabilities and further support business growth.

Concept: Beauty, clarity, functionality, and sustainability
Result: Net profit in the first three quarters increased by 8.5% year-on-year; gross margin reached 59.4%
Value: Leveraging designer collaborations to comprehensively enhance original fashion strength
Overall rating: ★★★★★

In 2024, Black Myth: Wukong debuted as China’s first AAA video game, using the modern medium of video games to creatively reinterpret the mythological world of Journey to the West. On its release day, it sold over 4.5 million copies, and within a month, more than 20 related topics had trended on Weibo. In the capital market, the game significantly boosted the performance of the gaming sector, even leading to the rise of a “Black Myth” concept stock category. Its themes of identity and emotional resonance sparked enthusiasm for Chinese culture among gamers and the wider global audience, breathing new life into traditional culture once thought to be overexploited.

The game’s innovation also extended to its marketing strategy, which centered on diverse cross-industry collaborations and a decentralized promotional model. Leveraging co-branded merchandise as a key medium and empowering content creators in niche communities, Black Myth: Wukong achieved impressive conversion rates. On launch day alone, it reached a peak of 2.22 million concurrent online players. The game’s brand partnerships—with NVIDIA, Hisense, Lenovo, Zhitai, JD.com, Didi Qingju, and Luckin Coffee—resulted in co-branded “Wukong hardware” such as PCs, graphics cards, and controllers selling out instantly. The “Riding the Clouds Americano” coffee from Luckin Coffee x Black Myth: Wukong exceeded 100,000 sales on its first day, driving a 7.14% rise in Luckin’s stock price and a $400 million increase in market value. Merchandise across China sold out within seconds, with secondary market prices surging by 160%, and related topics on Douyin surpassed 200 million views.

Through multi-sector collaborations, Black Myth: Wukong successfully broke through the boundaries of the gaming world, becoming a cultural IP with long-term impact, bringing traditional Chinese literary classics into all aspects of modern life.

Concept: China’s first AAA game based on Chinese mythology
Result: Over 28 million copies sold and ¥9 billion in revenue by the end of 2024
Value: Innovative game content and marketing strategy, evolving from a game into a cultural IP
Overall rating: ★★★★★

In an era where digital entertainment dominates attention, LEGO has used collaborations as a lever to spark a renaissance of physical toys. As a pioneer in product IP development in the toy industry, LEGO continues in 2024 to develop new toy series through IP licensing, enriching the LEGO universe while deepening its "everything is LEGO" worldview in the digital realm through collaborations. Collaborations have included figures like LV Men's Creative Director Pharrell Williams, automotive brand Ferrari, Daft Punk, the F1 racing league, and various other pop culture IPs. These partnerships highlight the brand’s precise positioning in the cultural landscape — elevating plastic building blocks into cultural carriers through cross-industry narratives and building a value network spanning technology, art, and luxury goods.

In 2024, LEGO collaborated with Pharrell Williams to create the autobiographical film Piece By Piece (拼出未来), entirely animated using LEGO bricks, under the direction of Oscar-winning Morgan Neville. The film metaphorically explores the ups and downs of life and the spirit of optimism. The collaboration also led to the "Over the Moon" LEGO set and extended into Pharrell's nonprofit foundation, Yellow, launching the “LEGO Builds the World” global challenge, bringing creative play to children around the globe.

Just like LEGO bricks can be freely combined and easily disassembled, in an era where consumer symbols rapidly liquefy, LEGO’s collaboration philosophy offers a model for traditional brand transformation. Through modular narratives, LEGO turns its products into cultural interfaces and continuously updates its brand core through cross-industry fusion. What we witness is not just the evolution of toys, but the wisdom of how a brand, through brick thinking, can rebuild cultural consensus in the fragmented age.
In the 2024 fiscal year, LEGO Group's revenue grew by 13% to 74.3 billion Danish Kroner (approximately 78.6 billion RMB), and operating profit increased by 10% to 18.7 billion Danish Kroner (approximately 19.7 billion RMB).

Concept: Imagination · Creativity · Fun · Learning · Caring · Quality
Result: LEGO Group's 2024 fiscal year revenue increased by 13%, reaching 74.3 billion Danish Kroner (approximately 78.5 billion RMB)
Value: Cross-industry creativity continues to enrich the brand's worldview
Overall rating: ★★★★★

In 2024, UNIQLO—long committed to strategic, long-term designer collaborations—made a bold move by appointing Clare Waight Keller as its new Creative Director. This wasn’t just a personnel change; it marked a decisive step forward in reinforcing the brand’s “LifeWear” philosophy and asserting its presence on the global fashion stage.

Clare’s appointment infused the brand with a refined high-fashion sensibility. As the former Creative Director of both Chloé and Givenchy, she brings a modern, elegant, and wearable design language that aligns seamlessly with UNIQLO’s functional foundations. Her soft yet dynamic aesthetic has already begun to reshape UNIQLO’s brand image. Strategically, her global experience positions UNIQLO to develop more targeted capsule collections that appeal to international markets, striking a harmonious balance between practicality and elevated design—challenging the conventional “fast fashion” stereotype and steering the brand toward the realm of an “elegant lifestyle label.”

This elevation in product form not only diversifies UNIQLO’s design language but also opens the door to a broader, more sophisticated customer base. The impact of this approach has already been validated through the launch of the UNIQLO:C collection, created in collaboration with Clare, which was well-received in the global market.

By moving from guest designer partnerships to appointing a globally recognized creative director, UNIQLO is leveraging Clare’s aesthetic authority and international influence to solidify its position as a force in global fashion. This transition signifies a shift—from a mass-market basics retailer to a cultural tastemaker with the capacity for soft power and creative output. In many ways, it represents a leap from being an “Asian giant” to becoming a true “global brand and cultural participant.”

For the broader fast fashion industry, UNIQLO’s transformation sends a strong signal: essentials and high-end design are no longer opposing forces, but rather the building blocks of a new dressing paradigm.

Concept: LifeWear – Simple Made Better
Result: Fast Retailing's FY2024 revenue and profit increased by 31.4% year-on-year
Value: Evolving from a retail brand to a global fashion innovation platform
Overall rating: ★★★★★

In 2024, marking the 15th anniversary of its BIOM series, ECCO launched a new capsule collaboration with Japanese brand White Mountaineering, reinterpreting its iconic outdoor DNA and drawing richly from nature for creative inspiration. This partnership not only introduced fresh iterations of BIOM footwear but also marked the debut of ECCO’s first collaborative apparel collection—bridging city and nature, inviting consumers to embrace an active journey filled with life at every step.

This move represents a pivotal moment in ECCO’s diversification as a Danish footwear and leather goods brand. Apparel, as a new frontier for expansion, offers a dynamic canvas for expressing ECCO’s core values through collaborations—enriching the brand’s asset portfolio and advancing its evolution into a broader fashion lifestyle proposition.
The collaboration brings together Nordic nature-inspired outdoor sensibilities and Tokyo’s multi-scenario urban outdoor aesthetic. The resulting collection—both stylish and functionally versatile—is a seamless blend of nature’s essence and city adaptability. White Mountaineering’s designer, Yosuke Aizawa, approached the collection through the lens of design, technology, and utility, personally leading the creation of the entire outdoor apparel line, including co-branded garments.

The collaboration debuted on White Mountaineering’s Paris runway show in June, generating significant buzz. The fusion of ECCO’s premium leathers, minimalist design, and cutting-edge technology vividly showcased the brand’s spirit of exploration across diverse environments. This partnership enabled ECCO—founded in 1963 and renowned for its footwear craftsmanship—to distill over half a century of heritage into a powerful narrative and make its entrance into the apparel domain with a fashion-forward voice.

On social media, the ECCO x White Mountaineering series sparked over one million views on Xiaohongshu-related topics, contributing to ECCO’s broader ecosystem of over 40 million mentions—testament to its growing cultural relevance and audience engagement.

Concept: Active Lifestyle
Result: Related hashtags on Xiaohongshu exceeded one million views
Value: Strengthening the brand’s presence in the outdoor athletic sector and enhancing its fashion storytelling capacity
Overall rating: ★★★★★

True to its name, the Japanese hotel brand NOT A HOTEL does not consider itself a "hotel" in the traditional sense. Its founding vision was to create a new way of living—where this "home" serves as a gateway to the world for its guests, making travel experiences more exciting, inspiring, and free. The collaboration between NIGO and NOT A HOTEL, named "THE NIGO HOUSE," is located in the coastal town of Futtsu in Chiba Prefecture, integrated with the cliffside landscape.

This unique structure, from its exterior to interior design, emphasizes NIGO’s sense of style and creative ideas. Whether it’s the over 5-meter-tall KAWS COMPANION sculpture, Jean Prouvé’s chairs, the iconic HUMAN MADE duck installations in the pool, or the multifunctional spaces like the sauna room, music room, tea room, and capsule bedrooms, every element embodies NIGO’s aesthetic in tangible form.

Notably, before the hotel began accepting reservations, Pharrell Williams’ auction platform, JOOPITER, launched the "Out of This World" auction campaign for the project. The winning bidder would become the first to enter the "NIGO® World," creating a buzz and marking a textbook example of resource integration. This collaboration not only extended to the design of the hotel with NIGO, but also to its marketing, leveraging NIGO’s resources to cross boundaries again by offering priority booking rights as auctioned items.

In addition to its innovative experiential design, the standout feature of NOT A HOTEL is its rental and sales model. Each residence is divided into 12 rental periods per year, allowing guests to switch to other NOT A HOTEL residences in different locations or sell unused days. As of 2024, NOT A HOTEL raised 5.5 billion yen in Series B funding, with projections to generate 100 billion yen (approximately 6.38 billion USD) in sales within the next two years. In 2025, NOT A HOTEL Co., Ltd. announced the appointment of NIGO and Pharrell Williams as creative advisors. The two will also participate as investors in the project.

Concept: A New Way of Living
Result: Brand raised over 5.5 billion yen in Series B funding
Value: A new paradigm in tourism real estate
Overall rating: ★★★★★

While many brands entered sports marketing, On stood out by selecting long-term partners and engaging in deep collaborations, enhancing the design of their products while expanding their influence into various cultural fields. On's collaboration partners include prestigious brands such as the Spanish luxury brand LOEWE, Danish luxury audio-visual lifestyle brand Bang & Olufsen, Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer, KITH founder Ronnie Fieg, and Post Archive Faction, among others.

Federer joined On as an investor rather than a spokesperson. Together, they created the THE ROGER series of comfortable sports shoes inspired by tennis. With a clean aesthetic design and professional-level performance, this collaboration quickly gained popularity in the tennis market, expanding On’s product range and providing a new platform for its fashionable transformation and brand recognition. This was Federer’s first collaboration with the brand and On’s first collaboration with an individual athlete since its inception.
In the collaboration, On also cleverly integrated external designers and brand perspectives to strengthen the uniqueness of its footwear design and compensate for any gaps in apparel design. In the collaboration with LOEWE, the balance between luxury and sportswear was subtly showcased, with "outdoor" as the key theme. The collaboration highlighted both functional technology and fashionable aesthetics, presenting elegance and charm through the appearance of the products while ensuring performance.

The collaboration between the two brands produced five seasons of co-branded products, and after their release, LOEWE and On’s brand search volume soared by 308%, with the shoes selling out quickly. On the Chinese social media platform Weibo, the hashtag #LOEWExOn# gained over 10 million views. According to sneaker and streetwear trading platform StockX, On’s sales soared by 15,000% after the first season of the collaboration with LOEWE. In the first half of 2024, On's net sales grew by 24.4% year-on-year to 1.0759 billion Swiss francs, and net sales in the Asia-Pacific region grew by 73.7% year-on-year to 59.2 million Swiss francs.

Concept: Dream On
Result: 73.7% year-on-year growth in net sales in the Asia-Pacific region in the first half of 2024
Value: Redefining the boundaries of sports through lifestyle aesthetics and fashion style
Overall rating: ★★★★★

In 2024, HOKA continued to implement its long-term collaboration strategy, maintaining a strong presence in the eyes of young consumers with its trendy, fashionable, and innovative image. This helped the brand attract fresh blood into its customer base, finding new growth opportunities in the footwear industry during its mature phase. HOKA's brand collaborations, which emphasize the thick cushioning midsole, are expanded to cover both sports functionality and fashion trends. Collaborations with brands like Satisfy, Junya Watanabe, Reformation, and Paria Farzaneh help the brand reach diverse audiences, establishing a unique market positioning by combining hardcore performance with a balance of trend and functionality.

HOKA and Satisfy have collaborated for three seasons, seamlessly blending HOKA's outstanding outdoor performance with Satisfy's minimalist avant-garde aesthetic. The hashtag #HOKAxSatisfy# on Instagram has accumulated over 1 million views, while on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), posts tagged with “HOKA collaboration shoes” have exceeded 5 million reads. On Weibo, the hashtag #HOKA Collaboration# has reached over 100 million views.

Additionally, the brand has focused on the development of high-performance footwear, guided by comfort and professionalism, while also achieving success in the fashion world. Celebrities like Kanye West, Britney Spears, Gwenyth Paltrow, Kylie Jenner, and Heidi Montag have all worn HOKA, driving the brand’s rapid growth in both conversation and sales.

Dave Powers, the President and CEO of HOKA’s parent company Deckers Brands, stated that HOKA's brand awareness among consumers aged 18-34 has grown the most rapidly, nearly doubling from the previous year. Since being acquired by Deckers, the parent company of UGG, in 2012, HOKA has maintained rapid growth, with a consistent growth rate of over 50% from 2020 to 2023. In FY 2024, HOKA’s revenue reached $1.807 billion, a 27.9% year-on-year increase, setting a new historical record.

Concept: Breaking Tradition, Fearlessly Innovating
Result: Brand revenue reached $1.807 billion in FY 2024, setting a historic high
Value: From "ugly strength" to the elevation of functional tools into cultural assets
Overall rating: ★★★★★

When Kusama's polka-dot pumpkin meets a bubble tea cup, this collaboration that bridges art and consumption is reshaping the boundaries of commercial storytelling. HEYTEA’s deep collaboration with the famous Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama uses pop art as a medium, creating an advanced example of artistic operation for tea brands. In 2024, HEYTEA partnered with Kusama, focusing on its flagship product, the Brown Sugar Bubble Milk series. The collaboration extracted the concept of "Bobo" from this product, tracing it back to Kusama’s signature polka-dot art, and with the theme "Add a little polka dots to the world," created an immersive art consumption scene.

Limited-edition cup designs transformed Kusama's iconic polka dots into an accessible everyday aesthetic; pop-up stores broke through the limitations of traditional dining spaces to create "drinkable art installations." Customized peripheral products extended the consumer experience’s long-tail effect. Meanwhile, Kusama's 10-meter-high giant pumpkin was installed at the outdoor area of the Shanghai North Bund Art Center. This “Pumpkin Life Chanting, Everything Is About Giving People the Greatest Love” exhibition, featuring Kusama’s largest pumpkin sculpture in Asia, was a major highlight.

According to HEYTEA's 2024 Annual Report, this collaboration generated over 230 million social media topic exposures. The 11-city offline "BOBO WORLD" pop-up event reached nearly 5 million people, and the peripheral products sold out within seconds on the first day of release.

It’s worth noting that the value exchange mechanism between the two collaborators is quite profound. Kusama reached a younger audience, while HEYTEA used the partnership to upgrade its artistic brand tone. Compared to traditional brand sponsorships or collaborations, this mutually beneficial model built a more dynamic commercial ecosystem. In 2024, HEYTEA's membership reached over 150 million, with more than 50 million new members joining throughout the year, and the brand's member repurchase rate continued to rise, setting a new historical high.

Concept: Add a little polka dots to the world
Result: Topic exposure reached 230 million, pop-up events reached nearly 5 million people
Value: An advanced example of artistic operation in the tea brand industry
Overall rating: ★★★★★

In October 2023, adidas Originals announced a global partnership with Edison Chen to create the adidas Originals by Edison Chen collection. By 2025, the collaboration has launched multiple series, including the CLOT x NEIGHBORHOOD x adidas Originals triple collaboration sneakers and capsule apparel collection, the CLOT Superstar by Edison Chen brown limited edition inspired by traditional Hong Kong milk tea, the CLOT Dress Superstar showcasing Italian leather for an elegant Superstar silhouette, the CLOT LNY Chinese New Year collection celebrating the Year of the Snake, the Superstar II project with the concept of "Classics First, Yet Daring" and the CLOT Silk Gazelle series, among others.

Additionally, the collaboration has led to creative events such as the "Frozen Ice Room" tea restaurant pop-up in Shanghai and the "Earn Your Stripes" public creative call, which highlighted the strategic, cultural, and market value of this long-term partnership for adidas. Edison Chen, a cultural icon in China’s streetwear scene, and his brand CLOT, which has deeply engaged with Chinese youth culture over the years, have helped adidas establish streetwear leadership and cultural resonance, especially in the Greater China region.

From a commercial perspective, the collaboration has sparked frenzied demand, with several sneaker models becoming one of the year’s hottest investment pieces. The classic Superstar model has also been elevated through this collaboration, becoming a key trend-driven item for the brand, alongside Samba. This not only boosted sales but also activated secondary market reselling and increased brand attention.

The long-term partnership between adidas Originals and Edison Chen has allowed the brand to integrate into local streetwear culture, successfully penetrating the young consumer market, and demonstrating adidas' global strategic execution by embracing multiculturalism and local creativity.

Concept: adidas Originals by Edison Chen
Result: Several collaboration series sold out immediately upon release
Value: Strategic execution of multiculturalism and local creativity
Overall rating: ★★★★★
 

McDonald's China captures the childhood memories of post-90s consumers. During the 2024 Children's Day, the brand collaborated with renowned British graffiti artist Mr. Doodle to launch the “One McNugget, One More Joy!” series, blending DoodleLand's "endless joy" with McDonald's mission to "bring happiness to the world." The collaboration offered a fun and whimsical experience for both children and adults.

Presented through a graffiti style that combines fashion and childlike fun, McDonald's iconic McNuggets once again connected with the new generation of young consumers. The graffiti collaboration with the artist created a visual memory that took the lead in dominating the Children's Day marketing battle. Mr. Doodle, using graffiti as a "universal language," shared the miracle, happiness, and love of his work with everyone.

The artist created original graffiti art based on McDonald's products and brand elements, which were extended onto packaging and a variety of fun, trendy items, including walkie-talkies, canvas bags, phone cases, T-shirts, and socks. This allowed Mr. Doodle's art to enter the lives of a wider consumer base through different carriers, giving everyone the opportunity to enjoy art.

Additionally, the collaboration included an offline pop-up event where Mr. Doodle created live graffiti, giving the artist, known for his live creation ability, the chance to share the charm of his art with even more people. On launch day, the collaboration garnered over 5 billion views across social media, trending in the top 10 on Weibo. The collaboration’s "McDoodle Walkie-Talkie" had a resale price increase of over 1150% in the second-hand market.

Concept: "One McNugget, one more joy!"
Result: First-day online exposure exceeded 5 billion, trending in the top 10 on social media
Value: Democratization of art, capturing marketing with visual memory
Overall rating: ★★★★★

In 2024, British premium plush toy brand jELLYCAT experienced a surge in popularity by tapping into the rising trend of emotional consumption. Compared to legacy players like Disney, jELLYCAT lacks a first-mover advantage—teddy bears belong to film, and Miffy to picture books—but jELLYCAT’s Bashful Bears and Bunnies have carved out a niche on social media through anthropomorphic storytelling and the playful transformation of everyday items into plush characters. These strategies helped the brand win hearts and create a viral “underdog” moment in the digital space.

jELLYCAT’s success also stems from its sharp understanding of public sentiment. On September 21, 2024, to mark its 25th anniversary, the brand launched its first themed pop-up café in Asia—jELLYCAT CAFÉ—at Jing’an Kerry Centre in Shanghai. Inspired by Shanghai’s relaxed café culture and the city’s emblematic magnolia flower, the café introduced five exclusive local items. It also featured a unique “take-out” experience where staff role-played a live-action kitchen, treating plush toys as freshly baked goods—complete with imaginative preparation and packaging. This immersive performance, filled with sincere conviction, captivated visitors and led to admission tickets being scalped for over 400 RMB. On Xiaohongshu, hashtags such as #jellycatShanghai and #jellycatShanghaiLimited amassed more than 36 million views.

The immense popularity of jELLYCAT CAFÉ reveals that emotional consumption is not a fleeting trend, but a powerful tool for brands to convey values and foster lasting loyalty. Between January and May 2024, jELLYCAT’s online sales reached ¥446 million, a year-on-year growth of 126.7%. During the Double 11 shopping festival, the brand’s total transactions on Tmall and Taobao surpassed ¥100 million. On Xiaohongshu, the brand’s topic views have exceeded 1.79 billion, with over 308,000 related posts and 52.41 million interactions.

Concept: Soft and healing, heartwarming and whimsical
Result: Over 36 million views on related Xiaohongshu topics
Value: A tangible expression of emotional value
Overall rating: ★★★★★

Amid a generally sluggish luxury market (with revenue declines at LVMH and Kering), Miu Miu saw an explosive growth rate of 93.2% in retail sales, contributing 25.3% to Prada Group's overall performance. The brand’s phenomenal rise can be attributed to its "rebellious heiress aesthetics," blending traditional aristocratic styles with Y2K and intellectual influences. Through signature pieces like low-rise skirts and ballet flats, Miu Miu creates a visual language that is both sweet and cool while being disruptive.

The turning point came in 2021, with a collaboration with former Balenciaga stylist Lotta Volkova. Together, Miuccia Prada and Volkova shaped Miu Miu’s designs and runway styling, giving the brand an inherent advantage in capturing and translating emerging trends. Controversial designs like wearing lingerie as outerwear and diamanté briefs sparked conversation, helping to define Miu Miu’s unique popularity. At the same time, the brand's long-term collaboration with New Balance infused its classic items with a modern, rebellious energy, achieving a balance between rebellion and elegance.

From a marketing perspective, Miu Miu has mastered the logic of fan economies, working with top influencers like Hailey Bieber and Zhang Yuanying to boost sales in different markets. Through cross-generational runway shows, the brand has built diverse representations of femininity. Additionally, with events such as the “Women’s Story” short film screening in March and the global “Summer Reads” pop-up later in the year, Miu Miu established a deeper connection with consumers by promoting an image of the female intellectual, fostering a sense of community culture.

Miu Miu’s rise validates the shifting logic of luxury consumption: moving from “logo worship” to the “social currency” of style, and from a monopoly on single categories (like handbags) to a style-driven ready-to-wear ecosystem. With its continued success surpassing market expectations, Miu Miu is not just reviving its brand but paving the way for the emergence of another luxury brand.

Concept: Rebellious Heiress Aesthetics
Result: In 2024, the brand’s retail sales net revenue grew by 93.2% year-on-year
Value: Breaking the "one-size-fits-all" luxury aesthetic with a unique style
Overall rating: ★★★★★

In 2024, Gentle Monster continued to delve deeper into high fashion and trend culture, collaborating with fashion houses renowned for haute couture and popular influencers among young consumers. These collaborations created new, avant-garde, and romantic styles that gave sunglasses a more profound means of expression. The four collaboration series—created with Maison Margiela, JENNIE, TEKKEN 8, and Mugler—were all immensely popular online. The products, combined with their innovative and rapidly evolving offline retail experiences, drove foot traffic to Gentle Monster stores, marking a new retail phenomenon in an otherwise sluggish market.

The 17 Maison Margiela x Gentle Monster sunglasses released in the spring and summer, their second collaboration, featured hand-stitched white corner seams on the frames, sparking another wave of buying frenzy. The collaboration with Korean singer JENNIE focused on creating a romantic and playful image of a fashionable young woman. The “JENTLE SALON” series, with just two promotional videos from JENNIE, garnered over 10.4 million views on Instagram, making it one of the most talked-about and commercially successful collaborations of Gentle Monster in 2024. The partnership with TEKKEN 8 helped the brand break into the gaming community, expanding its audience. The collaboration with Mugler built on Thierry Mugler’s iconic "Fourmis" collection, integrating natural beauty with industrial elements, creating a forward-thinking new aesthetic.

By crafting highly interactive and unique offline retail spaces, Gentle Monster achieved a "break the circle" effect, driving traffic back into their stores. Whether through multi-season or single-season collaborations, these partnerships consistently delivered fresh, engaging content that helped build brand loyalty among consumers.

Concept: High-end Experimentation
Result: Over 300 people queued live at the Mugler collaboration pop-up store
Value: Safeguarding the uniqueness of offline retail experience through diverse collaborations
Overall rating: ★★★★★

The sixth season of Moncler Genius - Genius City took place in Shanghai, delivering an unprecedented immersive sensory feast through cross-industry collaboration. The Moncler Genius project has gradually evolved from a collaboration initiative into a creative co-creation platform that blends diverse cultures and artistic expressions. As the first luxury brand to establish the position of Chief Chinese Affairs Officer, Moncler’s choice of Shanghai as the venue for this event and the investment of hundreds of millions in creating a large-scale offline experiential marketing platform not only reflects the brand’s appreciation for Shanghai’s cultural heritage but also signifies the group's long-term confidence and commitment to the Chinese market’s growth.

On the evening of October 19, 2024, the China Shipbuilding Pavilion, spanning 30,000 square meters, featured a designer district crafted by creative pioneers from fashion, music, entertainment, art, technology, and design. The star-studded lineup included Edward Enninful, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Donald Glover, Lulu Li, Mercedes-Benz by Nigo, Palm Angels, A$AP Rocky, Willow Smith, with special appearances by Rick Owens and Jil Sander, all presenting ten extraordinary Moncler fashion collections with unique aesthetic visions. Beyond fashion, a large number of installation artworks, visual effects, and digital performances elevated this season’s Genius City, transforming it into a major event that merged art, music, entertainment, trends, sports, and technology.

Internationally influential celebrities such as Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, and Shu Qi were present, and the celebrity effect helped the event quickly go viral, dominating major topic lists. The live broadcast of the event on digital platforms garnered over 57 million views, making it a global "big event" that took the internet by storm. According to the latest financial report from the group, overall revenue for the first three quarters of 2024 grew by 6% to €1.87 billion, with core brand Moncler’s revenue rising by 8% to €1.57 billion. Despite the challenges faced by the luxury industry, Moncler’s performance surged, and the growth potential cultivated by Moncler Genius, along with the group’s strategic focus on the Asian market, played a crucial role in this success.

Concept: enius City
Result: The live stream of the event garnered over 57 million views
Value: From collaboration to a creative co-creation platform
Overall rating: ★★★★★

According to related platforms, the overall number of collaborations in the tea and coffee industry in 2024 remained consistent with 2023. However, there was a clear differentiation in strategies among brands. BaWangChaJi, as a representative of the “accelerated collaboration track,” increased its number of partnerships by approximately 50% compared to 2023, demonstrating strong brand momentum and growth ambition. In addition to continuing collaborations with well-known museums, heritage tea artisans, and National Geographic to reinforce its “Eastern tea” identity, BaWangChaJi’s collaboration strategy shifted from focusing solely on "cultural empowerment" to a three-pronged approach that integrates culture, health, and fashion.

In the sports sector, BaWangChaJi teamed up with sports stars such as Zheng Qinwen and Liu Xiang during the Paris Olympics for sports marketing. Subsequently, collaborations with the China Open Tennis Tournament, SALOMON, and other professional sports and outdoor brands further solidified the brand's position in combining Eastern tea with sports spirit, leading the tea industry with a "healthy" image.
In the fashion sector, during Shanghai Fashion Week, BaWangChaJi partnered with Chinese avant-garde designer Angel Chen for a co-branded collection at her 10th anniversary show under her brand ANGEL CHEN. The theme, "The Fire of Praise," saw Angel Chen use modern fashion language with distinct brand elements to tell compelling stories about folklore, craftsmanship, and local culture. This collaboration helped BaWangChaJi make a strong foray into the fashion realm, and the co-branded products quickly sold out in stores. Some merchandise even saw a premium of over 268% on secondary markets. This collaboration with ANGEL CHEN marked BaWangChaJi's first foray into a fashion-related collaboration at a fashion show, further deepening the association with fashion labels. It allowed the brand to move beyond the “tea beverage brand” competitive market and into a symbol of trendy culture.

Concept: Eastern tea, connecting the world through tea
Result: By 2025, BaWangChaJi becomes the "first new tea drink company listed on the US stock market"
Value: "Culture + Health + Fashion," empowering the tea brand to leap into a cultural symbol of trends
Overall rating: ★★★★★

 In 2020, Antwerp's deconstructionist genius designer Glenn Martens took the reins as the Creative Director of DIESEL. Under Martens' leadership, he successfully transformed this nearly marginalized denim brand into a phenomenon that blends subcultural rebellious spirit with avant-garde aesthetics. Martens continued his deconstructionist legacy by combining destructive techniques—such as laser burning and acid washing—with DIESEL’s denim DNA. This resulted in items like distressed fringe jeans and optical illusion print jackets, which not only resonate with the Y2K trend but also create a visually striking, post-apocalyptic aesthetic.

At the same time, he redefined sustainability with the “DIESEL LIBRARY” evergreen collection. Using recycled cotton, waterless dyeing technologies, and even 14.8 tons of denim waste to create a runway installation for the Spring/Summer 2025 collection, Martens turned environmental consciousness into wearable art.

In terms of collaboration strategy, DIESEL has partnered with a range of creative partners including HOSHI from SEVENTEEN, Rihanna (founder of SAVAGE x FENTY), Budweiser, and more, creating quirky collections and items. The brand has also launched its own IP, DIESEL LOVES, which focuses on capsule collections made from leftover stock or materials provided by iconic brands, even including competitors. This sustainable approach, driven by the vision for a better future, aligns with DIESEL’s deconstructionist and sustainability-focused breakthrough path.

Furthermore, Martens is adept at understanding Gen Z’s communication logic and uses bizarre visuals to create buzz. In the 2022 Autumn/Winter collection, a 7-meter-high inflatable figure in Shanghai sparked a viral online discussion. The 2023 Autumn/Winter runway installation featured a hill made of 200,000 Durex boxes, while the 2024 Autumn/Winter show took it further by revealing backstage operations through a 72-hour live stream, enhancing interactive transparency and participation. Through these cutting-edge digital expressions, DIESEL has successfully engaged new-generation consumers, further cementing its image of freedom, boldness, and rebellion.
 

Concept: For Successful Living
Result: 3.2% year-on-year sales growth in 2024
Value: A dual breakthrough of deconstructionism and sustainability
Overall rating: ★★★★★

Beats x Kim Kardashian’s two collaborations in 2024 followed the same strategy—using highly entertaining and interactive creative mini-series to market and promote the products, successfully expanding their global presence and enhancing both commercial results and brand image. After the success of their first collaboration in 2022, Kim Kardashian and Beats launched two more collaborative series in 2024.

In August, before the official release of the new Beats Studio Pro collaboration, Beats released a creative mini-series titled "Kim vs Jim," in which Kim Kardashian and the popular American talk-show host Jimmy Fallon competed fiercely for the rights to design the headphones, incorporating their own preferences into the design. Kardashian’s fashionable, minimalist image contrasted sharply with Fallon’s comedic and humorous style. The celebrity effect drove the video to over 22.3 million views on Instagram. Beats also engaged with the public by opening a voting channel on social media, turning the event into an internet "big event." Furthermore, the brand innovatively chose to officially release the collaborative series on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, a well-known national program aired during prime time, which quickly spread the news of the new product globally. Jimmy Fallon and his show helped rapidly increase the brand’s exposure and discussion, adding a touch of warmth and humor to the brand’s image.

In November, when the Beats Pill collaboration was released, the same strategy was used. Kim Kardashian teamed up with comedian Ben Marshall to star in the commercial "Kim’s Pill Assistant," which garnered over 14.06 million views on Instagram. The collaboration product quickly sold out after its release. Beats and Kim Kardashian both appeal to a young, fashionable consumer base that values quality of life and personalization. The two rounds of collaboration marketing in 2024 not only successfully reached their shared target audience but also attracted new consumers through the collaborations with The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Ben Marshall, expanding market share.

Concept: "Kim vs Jim" / "Kim’s Pill Assistant"
Result: Single advertisement video garnered tens of millions of views on Instagram
Value: Creative mini-series boosts product creativity and global reach
Overall rating: ★★★★★