This director is vindictive.

Chapter 545 The most luxurious dishcloth we've ever used, worth 399!

To be honest, Chen Mo initially thought that the luxury goods alliance would continue to act aloof and arrogant this time.

After all, this is their old trick—the more they ignore people, the more sophisticated they seem.

While this might upset ordinary netizens, at least the lucky few who win can flaunt their limited-edition gifts: "Look, this was a gift from XX brand!"

Scarcity makes things valuable.

However, Chen Mo did not expect the other party to have such great ambitions, but his mindset seemed to have not kept up.

He still maintained an air of superiority.

Yes, they control the discourse and pricing power of luxury goods, but the problem is that this event was just too outrageous.

On the contrary, it pleases neither side.

Rich people think this tattered scarf lowers the brand's prestige, while ordinary people realize they've been made a fool of.

A silk scarf priced at 399! This is actually quite normal considering the usual pricing style of luxury goods.

Because that's how they've always operated; even the simplest silk scarf is marketed as a high-end item.

It highlights its uniqueness and its inhuman extravagance.

It highlights a kind of happiness that the rich can't imagine; ordinary people don't understand it.

But this time, it backfired.

For the general public, people originally thought that since a luxury goods alliance earns so much profit from China every year, it's perfectly reasonable for them to give back to the community.

A billion-dollar gift is actually quite impressive.

But no one expected that the figure of one billion was so ridiculously inflated.

What's even more unexpected is that, faced with widespread online criticism and ridicule, the other party's public relations strategy was actually...
After the luxury goods alliance's "billion-dollar gift" backfired, the official statement was urgently issued in an attempt to quell the controversy:
To our valued consumers:
The commemorative silk scarf for this grand fashion show themed around Chinese elements was meticulously crafted by an Italian design team. It uses special techniques to interpret Eastern aesthetics, and its pricing strictly adheres to the brand's value system.

We have noticed some consumers' misunderstanding of the value of gifts, and we deeply regret this. The core of luxury goods lies in their artistic value, not cost accounting. We hope everyone will view this rationally.

Chen Mo also saw the statement.

Then he was speechless.

Good heavens, this is really good heavens, isn't it bizarre?

But you know what, this style is really luxurious!

This statement aligns perfectly with their consistent philosophy: the designs were created by their renowned designers and manufactured using special techniques.

This price is just right! You disagree? Who do you think you are?

That's how they used to operate; as long as they associated themselves with a famous designer, they could immediately add an astronomical value to a product.

However, this statement, or rather this arrogant statement and attitude, only added fuel to the fire.

Netizens originally thought that as an international luxury brand and an alliance member, the other party should be more generous and have a better perspective, but unexpectedly, they still acted arrogantly.

The mockery escalated instantly!

"So, the Italian designer registered for a membership card at the Yiwu Small Commodities Market overnight, right?"

"Special process = mass-produced inkjet printing in wholesale markets? Artistic value = printing a logo bigger than a mosquito coil?"

"One billion ÷ 1 million = 10 yuan/item, and you call this a luxury item? (Attached is a screenshot of the Excel formula) I suggest that the CFO and the micro-business owner switch positions."

"The cost of the silk scarf that costs 399 is 9.9, and the remaining 389.1 is the tuition fee for 'teaching you to recognize capitalism' (the invoice template is ready)."

"Wow, this is incredible! The cost is only a few dollars, but once your brand logo is printed on it, the value skyrockets fortyfold! Think about it, think about it carefully, so this is how the rich spend their money!"

"Previously: Buy a silk scarf and get a free Hermes gift box; Now: Buy a gift box and get a free Yiwu silk scarf (nine-grid comparison image)"

"This wave of Eastern aesthetics translates to: Eastern leeks are especially easy to harvest (Image: a silk scarf pattern photoshopped into a sickle for harvesting leeks)."

This PR campaign can be described as the opposite of what was intended.

More and more people are receiving gifts online.

The problem is that, frankly speaking, scarves aren't really that practical.

It used to have the reputation of being a luxury brand, but now, it's as if they're openly throwing everyone's intelligence to the ground and trampling on it.

Although this is their usual practice, such as the water washing incident, most businesses would have backed down long ago, but how did they do it?

This directly led to the buyer being ridiculed and humiliated across the entire internet.

They are practically identical.

Netizens were thoroughly enraged by the luxury goods alliance's "billion-dollar gift," and launched a mocking campaign, turning the commemorative scarves they received into all sorts of creative "performance art," instantly flooding social media with various parody images.

A netizen posted a comparison photo of wiping a range hood with a silk scarf, with the caption: "The cleaning power of the 399 one is indeed stronger than that of the 9.9 one (not really).

Some netizens even tied a silk scarf around their dogs' necks, making the dogs look utterly hopeless, with the caption: "Even dogs hate (Luxury Alliance Limited Edition Dog Leash)."

Even more outrageous, some people used it directly to blow their noses, then unfolded the silk scarf for a close-up, tagging it with #OrientalAestheticsBlowingNoseArt#, with comments adding: "The absorbency of this embroidery is not as good as a two-dollar tissue."

Even Chinese middle-aged women have joined in! A group of brightly dressed women, all wearing silk scarves, danced to "The Most Dazzling Ethnic Trend," with the video edited to include background music showcasing luxury goods! One video even featured a mop cloth as a prop, captioned: "A mop with a billion-dollar budget, even mopping the floor exudes aristocratic elegance!"
The rice dumplings were tied into the shape of zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and captioned: "Dragon Boat Festival Limited Edition: 'LV knotting craftsmanship, the value of glutinous rice skyrockets!'"
What's even more interesting is that the live-streaming e-commerce bloggers have started giving away freebies for just 0.1 yuan, and the freebie is a commemorative silk scarf that is the same as the one worn by a certain league.

Over 10,000 silk scarves were given away that day, with the message being that you could grab a silk scarf worth 398 yuan for just 0.1 yuan. The host was there to make friends with everyone, and this kind of giveaway was comparable to a luxury goods alliance! How generous is that?
What's even more outrageous is that netizens who received this 0.1 yuan perk compared it with the commemorative genuine silk scarf, and wow, wow, there was practically no difference between them.

This immediately caused a huge surge in trending topics.

#TenBillionSilkScarvesLiteraryContest#
#On the Luxury Packaging of Cleaning Cloths#
#Chen Mo: I really didn't teach this move#
Amid the uproar in public opinion, the luxury goods alliance is also facing some difficulties.

The effect, you know what, was really exciting and explosive, but clearly, this excitement was somewhat different from what they expected. What were their expectations?
After receiving the silk scarf worth 399, shouldn't everyone post pictures of Versailles?

These men, used to being high and mighty, were caught off guard by the sudden attack.

However, before they could deal with this crisis, Chen Mo and Hua Yun took advantage of their misfortune once again.

Well, actually it's not really accurate to say that; it's more like we just happened to be there at the right time.

The "Wear Chinese-style clothing and watch free movies" event that Chen Mo and Gao Yuanyuan had previously proposed has been officially announced.

Huayun's official Weibo account made a major announcement:

#Wear traditional Chinese clothing and watch "The Grand Wedding in a Cheongsam" for free#
To thank fans for their support of the Huayun Wedding Attire series, a limited-time offer is available nationwide from now until the film's theatrical run ends:

1. Wear any Huayun clothing (including co-branded items) to the movie, take a photo with your ticket stub, upload it to our official Weibo account, and you will receive a full refund of your ticket price!

2. Share a couple photo of yourself and your partner in traditional Chinese wedding attire, and 1000 couples will be randomly selected to receive a custom-made wedding dress (valued at 8888 yuan)!

This campaign may seem simple, but in reality, it's an incredibly large-scale operation.

Because there's no limit!

In Chen Mo's words, it was like giving out wedding candy to everyone.

In fact, this event really made netizens, who were already blown away by the luxury alliance's billion-dollar giveaway, unable to contain themselves any longer.

"Is it still possible to buy Huayun products now? I need an answer urgently!" (Attached is a screenshot of my Taobao order: I placed the order at 3 AM and paid extra for same-city express delivery.)
"I suggest setting up a Huayun rental stall at the entrance of the cinema; 20 yuan for an hour of wear would be a huge profit!"

"What does it mean to be magnanimous? What does it mean to have a broad vision? Chen Mo is taking this opportunity to hand out wedding candy to everyone!"

"Just won a luxury silk scarf, reporting in! This is basically exchanging a 399 yuan rag for an 8888 yuan wedding dress (calculator.jpg)."

In fact, the scale of this campaign far exceeded everyone's expectations.

Because the entry barrier is too low.

The higher the movie's box office, the more money Chen Mo spends. Naturally, the publicity and effect for Huayun Clothing is very exciting and explosive.

However, netizens are not opposed to spending money on publicity.

Instead, they all shouted that Chen Mo was magnanimous and had a broad vision!

The most important thing is that there is no harm without comparison.

On one hand, there are real financial rewards; on the other hand, there is intellectual friction caused by deceptive practices.

The difference is obvious when comparing the two!
The results of the event proved that, at Chen Mo's level, every time he throws money around, it may seem like he's incredibly generous, but in reality, the effect far exceeds expectations.

While it's inevitable that you'll be taken advantage of, and the amount won't be small, it certainly won't be too much.

Because, in essence, there are still costs involved.

Even if it's a rental, there are still costs involved.

Therefore, Chen Mo didn't care about those few coins at all.

As soon as the event was launched, Huayun's sales surged by 300% on the same day, and long queues formed at the fitting rooms of offline stores.

Most people would actually prefer to buy an outfit, since Huayun has clothing of all price ranges and the prices are not expensive, and they are all from well-known brands.

For many couples, this is a way to create a strong sense of ritual.

Meanwhile, the pre-sale box office of "The Wedding in a Qipao" also began to rise. Although much of this money may have to be returned, its influence has grown rapidly.

Most importantly, did Chen Mo suffer a loss?

He really won't lose a single penny.

This is due to the surge in various data, such as the surge in pre-sale box office revenue and the surge in Huayun's sales revenue, as well as other positive news.

The related stocks immediately hit their daily limit up.

Chen Mo may have spent hundreds of millions, but he immediately made several times that amount back from the financial market.

Ironically, this is a win-win situation for all parties involved.

Ordinary viewers benefited, truly benefited, while Huayun Clothing gained huge exposure and publicity, and "The Grand Wedding in Qipao" achieved higher box office returns.

Chen Mo had already recouped his investment and even made a profit many times over before he even spent the money.

The industry couldn't help but marvel: "Truly a top marketing master! It's the same marketing—some people give you 'Eastern aesthetics' for 9.9 yuan, while others teach you what the real 'top Chinese influencer' is!"

(End of this chapter)