Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 140 Kun Kun's Defenses Are Broken

2018 January 6

OPPO posted a message on Weibo, officially announcing that Gu Jingyi has become the chief spokesperson for the R series.

[OPPO]: AI Beauty, beauty has more than one side. Join OPPO's first R series brand ambassador, @顾璟奕, and drift into a dream. #OPPO R15 Dream Edition# is now available for pre-order and will officially go on sale at 10:6 AM on June 26th.

The Gu Jingyi merchandise package, valued at over 1,000 yuan, is now available. For only 359 yuan, you can pre-order and receive four Polaroid photos signed by Gu Jingyi, a poster, a power bank, and a co-branded phone case featuring the R15 Dream Edition.

Each R15 Dream Edition will feature an unreleased advertisement by Chief Experience Officer Gu Jingyi, as well as more surprises to be unlocked.

Now, participate in the interaction and comment with the hashtag #GuJingyiOPPORSeriesChiefAmbassador#, and one lucky winner will receive a fitness tracker.

The Weibo post was quickly forwarded to her fan group by Tian Xiwei as soon as it was edited and published.

[Gu Jingyi's Donuts]: Sisters, Jingyi's R15 Dream Edition is now available for pre-order. Anyone looking to upgrade their phone can pre-order now! Remember to post a screenshot of your pre-order and add a watermark to it. Join me in the OPPO Weibo post that day to participate in the "building a thread" activity!

[Gu Jingyi's Donuts]: I've already placed my order [Screenshot: R15 Dream Purple 6+128G]
[Gu Jingyi's Donuts]: The R15 Dream Edition comes in three colors. Remember to buy the same Dream Purple color as Jingyi.

"receive"

"Okay, Sister Sweetie."

"Already bought, launch package purchased."

The replies scrolled by quickly, reaching hundreds in less than a minute.

[Gu Jingyi's Donuts]: I've already posted a screenshot of my order and the watermark. Please remember to click the link and like this post. Sisters who have already bought the phone, please join the discussion; sisters who haven't bought it yet, please like this post. Also, please click the external likes on this Weibo post and the internal likes on other sisters' order screenshots. Sisters with Weibo memberships, please also join the discussion and reply with an emoji to boost the post's ranking.

"it is good"

"The watermark was already prepared, and we were just waiting for Sister Sweetie's order to do it."

Tian Xiwei manages Gu Jingyi's largest fan group in the Southwest region. She is the group leader and also the spiritual support for the individual fans.

As the saying goes, even top-tier fans have a certain degree of fame outside of their own fan base. Tian Xiwei was worried that some "newbie fans," "casual fans," or even "casual fans" who were not in the Southwest region's Gu Jingyi fan group might not know how to operate.

She then retweeted that Weibo post: "[For those who have placed orders, please take a screenshot of your order, add the watermark, and find me under the Weibo post announcing OPPO's endorsement. Then share your order there, remembering to include the hashtag #GuJingyi // Experience the R15 Dream Purple with Gu Jingyi: ultimate beauty, ultimate efficiency, ultimate performance (order screenshot) @GuJingyi // @OPPO]"
"Okay, Sister Sweetie."

"Lu Hao's here, just in time to get a new phone after the college entrance exam. I've been torn between the OPPO R15 Dream Edition and the VIVO X23 for ages, but I'd rather buy Gu Jingyi's phone than Cai Xukun's. Emperor Jingyi is awesome, let's go!"

Tian Xiwei's fingers paused upon seeing this. Had Cai Xukun's X23 endorsement also been officially announced? She vaguely remembered that the VIVO X23 was announced in late June. Could it be that VIVO had finally decided to put up with it and was now trying to pit Cai Xukun against Gu Jingyi?

With these questions in mind, she searched for Cai Xukun's name.

I quickly clicked into VIVO's official account, and they also officially announced their new spokesperson at 10 a.m.

[@VIVO]最新发布于2018年6月20日上午10点，来自VIVO X23AI非凡摄影。

[VIVO]: He is a rising idol, a handsome and dazzling 9% boy. Shining like you, your future is bright. Welcome VIVO X23 spokesperson Cai Xukun, VIVO fashion pioneer @蔡旭昆. In the future, let's discover more beauty together #SuperWideAngleVIVOX23#
"Pshaw, I thought it was something special. He's just a spokesperson for the X23, whether it's a genuine endorsement or just a way to fleece consumers, everyone knows what I mean. My Jingyi is the first person from OPPO to be the spokesperson for a whole series."

Tian Xiwei smiled slightly, her tone full of pride.

However, despite looking down on Cai Xukun, she still honestly clicked on the data of VIVO's official Weibo post announcing Cai Xukun as the spokesperson for the X23.

Within three minutes of the official announcement, Cai Xukun's endorsement Weibo post received 11.2 likes, 3.7 comments, and 1.6 reposts.

This is indeed data that puts him at the "halfway to top-tier" level, especially considering his fans' willingness to spend money and support him. Cai Xukun's endorsement data is comparable to that of Yang Yang, the "gatekeeper" of top-tier celebrities.

Tian Xiwei glanced at it and quickly returned to OPPO.

Just three minutes after the official announcement, OPPO's Weibo post announcing Gu Jingyi as its brand ambassador had already garnered 36.3 likes, 9.6 comments, and 4.9 reposts.

"Gu Jingyi killed him instantly, easily doubling his kill count."

Tian Xiwei started by saying this phrase that has been overused in Gu Jingyi's fan circle. Previously, the "Gu Family Army" was nicknamed "Gu Stopwatch" or "Stopwatch" by their rivals because they loved to use phrases like "Gu Jingyi is amazing" and "He's so handsome that he's not on the same level as everyone else" to control comments.

The fans don't care; only those who have truly followed celebrities know how happy it is to be a fan of Gu Jingyi.

He perfectly satisfies the needs of fans of Mu Qiang, his wife, his looks, his career, and his mother; he surpasses everyone's aesthetic standards. He's also very career-oriented and avoids trouble.

Being given the derogatory nickname "stopwatch" is fine, but didn't Gu Jingyi use his strength to directly turn the previous derogatory nickname "Emperor Supreme Emperor" into "Imperial Emperor Supreme Emperor"?
It's just a "stopwatch," but Gu Jingyi's new stage won't easily be turned into a positive one.

Tian Xiwei smiled and didn't take it too seriously.

She's been a fan of Gu Jingyi for so long, and the only time she ever lost control of her emotions was when the stalker broke in last time.

While the entire internet was feeling sorry for Gu Jingyi, some rival fans directly gave him a derogatory nickname, "Brother JY."

Only a small number of extremely extreme fans in "Jingfei" continue to discuss Gu Jingyi's size, acting as if nothing is wrong and remaining in their dream world.

Other fans, and even casual observers, felt sorry for Gu Jingyi.

On the day Gu Jingyi's incident occurred, Tian Xiwei was still filming.

It might sound a bit far-fetched, but she always seemed restless during filming. She wasn't in good shape, and they had to do several takes.

Fortunately, Tian Xiwei is signed with a major company, and her agent is the top agent Gong Yuhan. The director of her debut drama is also a relatively inexperienced newcomer.

He had to give the company and Gong Yuhan some face, so he didn't say anything harsh.

New cast, new drama, all low-budget productions. The director only requires the young actors to pass muster, and doesn't demand too much.

Things like emotional outbursts and dramatic impact are things that only production crews with high production costs pay attention to.

Most directors only require actors to have effective shots and passable acting skills; overall performance is more important than anything else.

By the time Tian Xiwei finished filming, it was almost four or five o'clock.

She missed the chance to comfort Gu Jingyi immediately, and only sent a tentative message on WeChat to inquire.

Gu Jingyi didn't reply until the following evening.

Although her tone seemed normal, Tian Xiwei felt that something had subtly changed.

After she finishes filming this drama, she should confess her feelings to Gu Jingyi as soon as possible.

"Tian Mei'er, Team A is ready to film. Why are you always glued to your phone after filming lately? It can't be...?"

Gong Yuhan was speaking when she noticed her phone screen light up slightly. It happened to be on OPPO's official announcement of its brand ambassador, and the R15 Dream Edition came into view.

"Don't think too much about it. You're just starting out in the industry. Experience is built up one film at a time. I believe that one day our Xiao Tian will be able to endorse mobile phones."

It's a good thing that artists are ambitious, Gong Yuhan said with a smile, trying to comfort her.

"Well, I know."

She nodded, put down her phone, and re-entered the film set.

24 hours later, Gu Jingyi's pre-sales had reached 72 units, while Cai Xukun's had only reached 27 units.

This made Cai Xukun's fans feel embarrassed, so they kept posting long essays in the super topic urging sales.

Gu Jingyi's initial offer of a 359 yuan value-added package also achieved an astonishing sales volume of 60 units, making OPPO executives extremely happy.

Cai Xukun's fans, however, raised questions, arguing that the high sales of Gu Jingyi's R15 Dream Purple were not solely due to fan purchases; another 12 were likely bought by casual buyers or simply because of the Dream Purple's aesthetic appeal.

Therefore, Gu Jingyi's first-day pre-order data was 60 units, not 72 units. Some of the fans who rushed to buy the first unit under the OPPO brand were doing so out of nostalgia rather than out of respect for Gu Jingyi.

This argument does sound quite reasonable, but it was quickly pointed out by rational fans.

[I'm laughing so hard! IKUN always seems to nitpick about these things, no matter where they go. Let me ask you this: why are more and more people selling Cai Xukun postcards for around twenty yuan? On the other hand, there's very little promotional material for Gu Jingyi's endorsement. Even when there is, it's mostly just phone cases and chargers for himself. All other merchandise is bundled together for 159 yuan and sold to fans. Doesn't this exchange rate demonstrate Gu Jingyi's popularity?]
[Indeed, this value retention ratio is very attractive.]
[I don't even know what's so special about comparing IKUNs. Everyone knows your company is using Orange (a Chinese e-commerce platform) to boost Cai Xukun's sales. Any casual customer who buys a VIVO X23 from the official flagship store can receive a 300 RMB trade-in subsidy from Orange by posting a screenshot of their order with Cai Xukun's tag.]
[Upstairs, those people are shameless. Cai Xukun's endorsements won't fetch high prices anymore.]
Generally speaking, when celebrities endorse products, whether it's face masks or daily necessities, fans will only buy photocards or other merchandise related to the endorsement in order to boost sales for their idols.

As for the products, they would buy a lot at once to boost their brother's sales. Some people might not be used to these products, so they would sell them on Xianyu (a second-hand marketplace) at a 6% to 7% discount.

Mobile phones are special items, with prices starting at over 2700 yuan per unit. Being digital products, their value depreciates by at least 500 yuan from the day they are received.

The phones that fans stocked up to boost Cai Xukun's sales figures are now selling for a low price on Xianyu (a second-hand marketplace).

Everyone was selling the "touch-and-go" phones at a loss of around 300, and the 300 IKUN subsidized didn't create a price advantage at all. There was even a risk of unsold inventory piling up at home, and the X23 was defined as a mid-range camera phone for young women. It wasn't suitable for fans to give to their parents as a backup plan either. In desperation, a major fan of Cai Xukun came up with the idea of ​​subsidizing the price privately.

That 300 yuan might not mean much to fans, but it has a fatal attraction for passersby and even some parents who are preparing to buy a new phone for their children who have just finished the college entrance examination.

IKUNs are trying to stir up trouble by saying that there are problems with the sales of Gu Jingyi's 359 value package and that the OPPO Dream Purple colorway has "orders from casual customers".

However, the concubines uncovered the secrets of the unauthorized subsidies, causing him to lose face beyond the Fifth Ring Road.

As competitors, the X23 and R15 Dream Edition are precisely similar in terms of appearance, positioning, and target audience.

This is also related to Cai Xukun's battle to become a "top star," and it would be too embarrassing if he wasn't left behind by Gu Jingyi, the current number one top star.

Cai Xukun can also issue press releases, praising himself as a top influencer.

Unexpectedly, the plan did not proceed as smoothly as expected. #Gu Jingyi OPPO R15 Dream Edition Breaks Record# and #Cai Xukun Fake Orders# immediately topped the Weibo hot search list.

Passersby found Cai Xukun's act of paying the bill amusing, tearing away his pretense of decency.

Other companies that had contacted Cai Xukun but were "slipped away" by him secretly helped him by hiring online trolls to stir up trouble.

Cai Xukun was immediately labeled a "fake product," with some passersby joking that "Pinduoduo has its own brand of spokespeople."

Such a big commotion naturally didn't escape OPPO's notice, and OPPO directly bought it and made it a trending topic.

They deliberately hired online trolls to stir up trouble, implying that the VIVO X23's configuration was inferior to the R15 Dream Edition because fans were boosting sales for Cai Xukun. Even Cai Xukun, a "rising star," couldn't be swayed, which is why IKUNs came up with the idea of ​​subsidizing casual viewers.

Ironically, the configuration from the green factory this time is actually better than that from the blue factory.

The R15 Dream Edition uses the Snapdragon 660, which was considered quite good in 2018.

The chip is better than the X23, and the configuration of the OPPO is indeed slightly better.

This time, Lan Chang couldn't sit still any longer and made a phone call, giving Cai Xukun's side a good scolding. The implication was that Giegie should discipline her fans and not provoke Gu Jingyi.

Cai Xukun is now feeling wronged. He didn't ask his fans to use such tactics to boost sales. Why should the production company criticize him? Must idols always be held accountable for their fans' actions?
Moreover, Cai Xukun was mentally prepared for the X23's poor sales from the beginning.

When Cai Xukun learned that Gu Jingyi was the spokesperson for the R15 Dream Edition, he lost much interest in the X23.

These mid-range camera phones are almost always replaced twice a year.

Knowing that this was a battle he was destined to lose, Cai Xukun focused his energy on his single in August.

After witnessing the success of Gu Jingyi's new album, Cai Xukun also became interested in releasing a single.

His first single, "Wait Wait Wait," will be released in August.

I was just discussing song production in my studio when my manager came back looking livid after being scolded.

"Kun Kun, there's something I have to tell you."

The agent hesitated for a moment, then told Cai Xukun the truth about what had happened that day. Even the 300 yuan fan subsidy given to the X23 owner couldn't compare to Gu Jingyi's efforts.

After Blue Factory learned that it was trending on social media, it urgently spent public relations fees to withdraw its investment.

Feeling that this move made her position seem low-class, she called and gave Cai Xukun a good scolding.

Cai Xukun was speechless after hearing this; idols would never scold their fans. Idols don't have any works to their name; their popularity depends entirely on their fans.

But he was very resentful that VIVO had scolded him for this reason.

"The X23 was originally scheduled for release in July, but they dragged me down by trying to create hype and compete with the R15 Dream Edition. And for that, they still dare to criticize me?"

"Forget it, Kun Kun. Blue Factory should be launching the S series next year too. There's no need for us to pick up the old issues now. Signing the endorsement deal is the most important thing. You don't want to get knocked out by Gu Jingyi every time, do you?"

"Blue Factory will be focusing on the S series next year, and if we do some public relations, we should be able to secure the S series spokesperson position. There's no need to compete with Blue Factory right now; let's focus on making music first. Things will be better next year."

Cai Xukun lowered his head, his expression shifting for a moment before he nodded.

Several days passed quickly, and the day of the two phone launch arrived in no time.

Both the X23 Standard Edition and the R15 Dream Edition have a starting price of 2999, and the advertisement shot by Gu Jingyi for the R15 Dream Edition has also been released by the official website.

As if in a competition, Blue Factory also released an advertisement featuring Cai Xukun for the X23.

Lin Yue is a recent high school graduate who did quite well on her exams. Her parents plan to buy her a new phone as a reward.

Apple's camera resolution is not as good as domestic products, so she has been waiting for new products from Oppo and Vivo.

After the two mobile phone manufacturers finished their press conferences, they each posted a message on Weibo.

She clicked on it with some curiosity, starting with OPPO, which Lin Yue was more interested in.

A melodious tune began to play, and a gentle male voice softly sang, "Baby, just hug me, hug me, every time my heart flutters, it's because of you."

This opening alone was enough to amaze Lin Yue.

Soon, a handsome face that caught her eye appeared in front of her.

Gu Jingyi held his phone, leaning against the bedside.

The camera zoomed in on the phone, saying, "This shade of purple is the Milky Way spilling its goodnight message on my pillow."

His clear voice rang out, instantly capturing everyone's attention.

Seemingly tired from watching videos, Gu Jingyi placed his phone next to his pillow.

A new line rang out, "When I'm dreaming, you are my wake-up call."

After Gu Jingyi got up, "Hug Me" began its instrumental accompaniment.

"Stealing a fleeting shooting star between reality and illusion."

After a transition with a gradient color effect, Gu Jingyi reappeared on the stage.

Meanwhile, in the audience, fans, blurred out by the photographer, were taking pictures of Gu Jingyi with their phones.

"The moment fingertips touch," Gu Jingyi, standing on the stage giving a concert, touches her fingertips and separates from the phone holding the selfie stick.

"The warmth spread through my palm," Gu Jingyi said, taking the phone with the selfie stick attached to it to take a photo with the fan. After turning around and taking another photo with the fan, he handed it back to her.

The phone still seemed to retain the warmth of Gu Jingyi's touch, and the fans shyly put the phone away.

"Hug Me" is a track from Gu Jingyi's previous mini-album "Like the Wind," which he used in the advertisement. The ambiguous and tender melody, combined with Gu Jingyi's performance in the endorsement, made girls' hearts flutter.

"OPPO R15 Dream Edition, experience your natural and refreshing beauty."

At the end of the advertisement, Gu Jingyi takes out her phone and pretends to take a selfie.

He unlocked his phone with his fingerprint in just 1.2 seconds, then switched to the camera and took a picture of himself.

It's somewhat similar to the "mirror photoshoot" in K-pop, but Gu Jingyi's is more natural and refreshing.

After watching the advertisement, Lin Yue was still somewhat unsatisfied.

She then opened Cai Xukun's endorsement video for X23.

Upon seeing it, she frowned and walked out.

Cai Xukun, the spokesperson, looks incredibly handsome in the film, sporting his bangs and kicking his legs in various scenes.

But Lin Yue felt something was off; she watched Gu Jingyi's version before watching Cai Xukun's.

The latter is simply unbearable to look at, it's just...

"2400 million possibilities, discover your ultra-wide-angle lens"

This was the only comprehensible highlight from Lin Yue, but its insertion felt too abrupt. Furthermore, it overemphasized specifications, failing to resonate emotionally with consumers.

Lin Yue felt it was empty after reading it; "Gu Jingyi's is still better."

Why do you think Gu Jingyi's is better?

"Because it resonates more. It's like watching a short film. Every line introducing the phone is perfectly fitting. And the song itself is gentle and fits the atmosphere of the song very well."

"It's like a subtle product placement; it's very comfortable to watch. I only learned about the product's features after watching the video."

After making her decision, Lin Yue went straight for the R15 Dream Edition, endorsed by Gu Jingyi.

There are many consumers like Lin Yue who are buying things for Gu Jingyi.

Some of them didn't even know Gu Jingyi, but they were moved by this OPPO advertisement created by Gu Jingyi. They liked the warm feeling and chose the R15 Dream Edition.

On its first day of sales, the OPPO R15 Dream Purple sold over 280,000 units in just 30 minutes after going on sale on Tmall, JD.com, and the official website, generating over 100 million yuan in sales revenue.

Cai Xukun's vivo X23 sold 193,000 units across all platforms within one hour of its launch.

Gu Jingyi's half-hour effort surpassed Cai Xukun's one-hour effort.

In terms of efficiency, Gu Jingyi's is higher.

Ultimately, Gu Jingyi's sales on its first day of sales reached 153.7 million units.

Cai Xukun's sales were only 76.7.

JD.com, Taobao, and even the official website have all removed the R15 Dream Purple from their shelves.

Fans who missed out asked customer service why the phones were taken off the shelves. Customer service said that all R15 Dream Purple models had been sold out.

I was thinking of buying it, but I'll have to wait for the next batch to be released in early July.

Some of Gu Jingyi's fans even went offline to buy Gu Jingyi's R15 Dream Purple because they couldn't get it on Taobao and JD.com.

Multiple OPPO offline stores were packed with people, and life-size standees of Gu Jingyi, the brand ambassador for the R15 Dream Edition, were displayed at the store entrances. Fans took photos and checked in, constantly trying to get Gu Jingyi's face on display.

OPPO executives were all smiles, confirming that signing Gu Jingyi was indeed a wise decision.

Green Factory has another blockbuster product this year, so they don't need to worry about their performance this year.

However, the atmosphere at the Blue Factory was extremely gloomy.

"Why didn't you agree to give Gu Jingyi the title of spokesperson for the X series before? What were you thinking?"

On the desk of the CEO of Blue Factory, cigarette butts were piled up densely in the ashtray.

Suppressing his anger, he questioned the department head of Lan Factory responsible for liaising with Gu Jingyi.

"Because at that time he was just an ordinary top-tier celebrity, and Blue Factory never made an exception for any celebrity to start from a minor title."

The minister held his head high and delivered a passionate speech.

The CEO of Blue Factory had a very interesting expression on his face. He picked up an ashtray and threw it at the minister's feet.

The ashtray shattered on the floor, and even the executive who had initially been defiant backed down.

Gu Jingyi, however, didn't care about the Blue Factory's activities at all. He had been attending Green Factory events during his breaks from filming these past few days.

We have already held meetings in several provinces, including Shanghai, Tianjin, and Shandong, in order to boost sales.

Even after half a month, Gu Jingyi's R15 Dream Edition still had a significant lead in sales.

As for Cai Xukun? Let's not even mention him. His X23 sales are about one-third of Gu Jingyi's, so it'll probably be difficult for him to get any more mobile phone endorsements in the future.

(End of this chapter)