Just days after announcing her partnership with Prada, Chinese public figure Jia Ling has been named the brand ambassador for Lululemon.
Over the past few years, Jia, known for her image as a comedian, has embodied the Chinese saying that a girl who loves to laugh is never unlucky. After losing 100 pounds, she has further proven that a slim girl can be even luckier, setting box office records, fitting into evening gowns, and soaring in commercial value.
This collaboration was not entirely unexpected.
Back when the Chinese comedy film YOLO was being promoted, Jia wore Lululemon products while attending roadshow events. The brand’s official Weibo account even posted about it, with some netizens suggesting that Jia should be an ambassador. In a behind-the-scenes documentary released after the movie’s theatrical run ended in April, Lululemon products such as water bottles, shoes, sports bras, jackets, and T-shirts frequently appeared in Jia’s daily exercise scenes.
Looking back, this is indeed a story that was hard to imagine. The public could associate Jia with many words: humorous, inspirational, emotionally intelligent, cute, and chubby, but definitely not Lululemon.
But even earlier, no one could have imagined that Jia would become a big star in a male-dominated comedy scene, become the highest-grossing female director in China, and lose 100 pounds.
So, what will Jia bring to Lululemon now that all these have become reality?
The perfect choice?
In Lululemon’s past marketing efforts targeting the Chinese market, having a celebrity with broad public influence like Jia as a brand ambassador was uncommon.
While Lululemon invited international actress Michelle Yeoh to star in its 2024 Lunar New Year short film, their relationship was limited to a commercial shoot. Unlike other brands that prefer to choose traffic-driving or big-name celebrities for endorsements, Lululemon has never placed much emphasis on the star status of its ambassadors.
Take Arc’teryx for example, with celebrity ambassadors including Liu Wen, Bai Jingting, and Li Xian. Recently, Prada, which has partnered with Jia, has also shown a preference for traffic-driving celebrities. In contrast, since 2017, Lululemon’s female brand ambassadors, apart from the early collaboration with Yao Chen, have included less well-known figures like Celina Jade, Wang Zixuan, and Amber Liu.
This aligns with Lululemon’s unique development strategy. In the early days, the company rarely advertised or hired celebrity endorsers, relying mainly on word-of-mouth marketing to build its influence. From Lululemon’s perspective, advertisements and endorsements only bring short-term attention, while word-of-mouth is the foundation for long-term development.
Supporting Luluelmon’s reputation are two key strategies: offline community marketing and key opinion leader (KOL) marketing through brand ambassadors. These ambassadors, through their sports experiences and insights on healthy lifestyles, attract fans and followers to build trust with Lululemon. Most of these ambassadors have a sports-related tag, such as yoga instructors, professional athletes, or fitness coaches.
Although it’s unclear when Lululemon started including celebrities among its brand ambassadors, some essential elements remain unchanged. The ambassador’s alignment with the brand spirit is paramount, which is why Lululemon refers to collaborating celebrities as brand ambassadors, not endorsers.
From the perspective of public recognition and niche, Jia is an apropos option. Brand endorsements often offer insight into the rise and fall of a star’s popularity. On the surface, it may therefore seem Lululemon has decided to make a compromise and pursue celebrity status. Yet, in reality, fame aside, Jia might be the public figure who aligns most with Lululemon’s brand spirit.
Regarding YOLO, Jia has repeatedly stated that the movie isn’t about losing weight but about learning to love oneself and focusing on one’s true self. Only by loving oneself can one cherish oneself and love life. This aligns with Lululemon’s core brand message to its middle-class users of knowing themselves and feeling better about themselves.
Jia’s transformation has made people feel that she is the most convincing sports ambassador in the entertainment industry. But if it were other sports brands like Nike, Adidas, or Anta, although equally matched, there would be less emotional resonance. This is because the values Lululemon has built its brand on over the past two decades share the same essence as Jia.
Brand value is a cultural export based on feelings and recognition, and nothing is better than embodying this spirit through a person’s life. Previously, niche brand ambassadors played this role, and now Jia, a more mainstream figure, fulfills it as well.
All brands hope their endorsers can achieve such soft-spreading effects, but more often than not, this remains an unattainable goal.
Jia Ling’s effect
Besides aligning with the brand’s core values, Jia’s fan characteristics highly overlap with Lululemon’s user profile.
Lululemon defines its users as “super girls,” aged 24–34, well-educated, independent, affluent, and fond of travel, fashion, health, organic food, and sports, with a positive attitude toward life.
According to Douyin data, nearly 27% of Jia’s followers are aged 24–30, and about 36% are aged 31–40. More than half of them are women. They show high interest in fashion, food, travel, and sports.
Additionally, in terms of geographical distribution, most of Jia’s Douyin followers are in second-, third-, and fourth-tier cities. They are affluent and leisurely, often pursuing upgraded consumption, earning the nickname “small-town socialites.” More importantly, as fans, they are highly loyal and willing to support their favorite stars by purchasing endorsed products.
Having been in mainland China for many years, Lululemon has mostly focused on Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. However, with changes in the current consumption environment, the middle class in first-tier cities is no longer enough. Brands are exploring lower-tier cities where people have stable jobs, no mortgage pressures, and spending levels comparable to first-tier cities, viewed as new growth opportunities by brands.
Lululemon is no exception. In the past year or two, it has accelerated store openings in second- and third-tier cities and started live streaming sales on Douyin. Today, Lululemon is no longer viewed as just a yoga wear brand, with its products acknowledged as casual wear on the streets. However, compared to the brand’s recognition in first-tier cities, Lululemon’s brand penetration in smaller cities is still lacking. The brand needs a well-known, relatable national star to bridge this gap. Standing on the success of her recent box office successes, Jia might help the brand meet this expectation.
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The Chinese market has become Lululemon’s driving force for growth. Targeting this important market, the brand needs to act quickly to seize the window of opportunity. This year, the brand’s CFO has repeatedly emphasized that the top priority is to increase revenue and capture new customers through brand recognition opportunities.
How many new users can Jia bring? One reference point: during the YOLO movie’s roadshow, Jia Ling’s Lululemon outfits sold out. With the company facing near-saturation in the North American market and intense competition from alternative brands, Jia alone might not immediately resolve these issues but can at least offer a good start.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by Li Xiaoxia for 36Kr.