Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 157 "Three Luxury" Artist, He's Only Been in the Industry for a Year!
Wrapping up filming doesn't mean a break; for top stars, it means even more schedules and business engagements.

Gu Jingyi simply went home and slept in late, something he hadn't done in a long time. Lin Ze arrived at his house promptly at three o'clock in the afternoon.

"Damn, Ze-ge, you came in without making a sound!"

Gu Jingyi was still fast asleep when he felt a gaze fixed on him, which was particularly terrifying.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Lin Ze standing there, which completely dispelled his drowsiness.

"Why are you making such a fuss? I'm not here to check the water meter."

Lin Ze raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile on his face.

Gu Jingyi didn't go out to have fun yesterday; it seems he's been too tired from working on set these past few days.

"..."

Gu Jingyi looked at him, speechless.

"Alright, alright, stop looking so glum, Jingyi, we have work to do!"

Lin Ze smiled and waved the schedule in his hand, "Do you still remember the title of Dior's Asian brand ambassador? It will be officially announced in two or three days."

"It's alright, I wouldn't say I'm particularly happy. Dior is really stingy with titles. They said they would shorten the observation period for the title of 'Friend of Asian Brand' based on my traffic. In the end, it was still more than four months, not much different from the usual six months."

Gu Jingyi pouted, not particularly happy.

"What are you thinking? Look at Zhao Liying and Yang Ying, those two actresses born in 85. They've been in the industry longer than you, and they've been popular for a longer time, right? Dior only gave them the stingy title of 'Brand Ambassador for China,' a hollow title that's just for fans to brag about. There aren't even any posters or promotional materials on the international websites, just a simple endorsement announcement."

Lin Ze chuckled, looking at Gu Jingyi and laughing out loud.

"You can't compare them like that. I was in the top five on all the popularity charts from December 2017 to January 2018, leading the pack every month. Do you understand the significance of being the first Jin Chao on Weibo? Do you understand the 770,000 die-hard fans who checked in on my Weibo super topic after de-specifying? I'm also number one on Baidu Index by a wide margin. I haven't been inferior to anyone in terms of popularity since 2018."

Gu Jingyi got up, leaned against the bedside table, and said with a proud expression.

"The female top influencer with the strongest data can only barely squeeze into tenth place on the male list. That's the difference; female fans have a stronger willingness to spend. Even Dior, a top-tier luxury brand, will pay for my popularity and market presence."

"Dior competes with LV and Chanel through its network of brand ambassadors. If I had been willing to wait back then, starting from the lowest title at LV and eventually becoming the Asian brand ambassador would have been just a matter of time. I should have gone to LV first. Dior is treating me like a puppet. After becoming the Asian brand ambassador, the prefix is ​​still the same, but the treatment and endorsement fee are different."

Gu Jingyi complained whenever this was mentioned.

In South Korea, luxury goods agents mostly do wholesale. Although the pay is poor, the initial pay is higher for those who are first promoted.

Why are these top luxury brands so stingy with the titles they bestow upon Greater China? Their evaluation periods are so long, even though they know China is the world's second-largest market. They have strong purchasing power, yet they show no respect for this market.

"Don't be upset, Dior has given you a side brand ambassadorship."

"Isn't it just wilderness? We officially announced it in April together with our Asian brand ambassadors."

Gu Jingyi remembers clearly that she had just emerged from "Idol Producer" with overwhelming popularity.

He enjoys immense popularity, and on April 17th, he was officially announced as Dior's Asian brand ambassador. That same month, the Sauvage fragrance line he endorses was also launched.

Within 3 minutes of its launch, Kuangye's direct sales exceeded 100 million yuan.

It set a record for the fastest stockout on Taobao, JD.com, and offline stores, and the woody scent of the Wild Wild fragrance also received positive reviews from fans.

"Although Wilderness is a strong fragrance, it doesn't smell pungent. The top notes are like sitting by a fireplace on a winter's day, smelling the aroma of burning wood. The base notes also have a unique woody scent, which is as comforting as snuggling in Jingyi's arms."

"The wilderness carries a unique hormonal scent, and Gu Jingyi is a perfect match for this fragrance."

Leveraging Gu Jingyi's popularity, Kuangye gained widespread organic popularity on Douyin (TikTok). It became the top choice for many resellers to stock up on incense, turning Kuangye into a new "electronic Moutai".

But what does all this have to do with Gu Jingyi? After all, he's just a mere Asian brand ambassador receiving a 1200 million yuan endorsement fee.

Although the Asian Brand Ambassador only receives 500 million more in endorsement fees than the Asian Brand Friends, the benefits are much better!
Take fashion shows as an example. Asian brand ambassadors can only sit on the very edge of the first row. Asian brand representatives can get Gu Jingyi to move up one or two seats, giving him a little more face.

Each brand ambassador will have their own exclusive short film released on the official website, which will be automatically pushed to all customers worldwide who visit the Dior website.

This treatment is much better than the last time when you had to click on a specific product to see just a few posters.

Most importantly, being Dior's Asian brand ambassador can help Gu Jingyi get on the cover of Vogue.

Don't be fooled by the fact that it's just a double cover; this is Vogue!

Before face masks, Vogue was the most sophisticated and aloof "fashion bible".

Even Kris, who has amazing fashion resources, had a double cover shoot with Kendall Jenner, while the situation is even worse for the prince.

The boast is about Vogue, "the second person to achieve a grand slam of the top ten magazines."

Actually, it was a photoshoot with Chris Lee, Hu Ge, Zhou Xun, and Liu Wen. It wasn't a double cover, but a group cover featuring five people.

None of this affects the fans' boasting; even casual observers would assume it's a solo endorsement.

The Vogue group cover hype was relatively mild; who would have thought that in a few years, popular celebrities would be using Vogue Me, a magazine designed to exploit consumers, to boast about their achievements?

"Your criticisms are still so precise."

Lin Ze wiped his glasses with a cleaning cloth and then shared some good news.

"Dior probably guessed that you might have some objections to the slightly delayed title upgrade."

"So, we gave you a luxury brand endorsement deal with them."

"What brand is it? Guerlain global brand ambassador? I probably can't accept that right now. I signed a one-year contract with Laneige this April."

Guerlain is also a product of LVMH, and is a skincare brand positioned as a luxury brand.

The price difference between it and mid-range products like Laneige is enormous.

It's like a huge chasm between first-tier and third-tier cities.

"You're dreaming. Your contract hasn't even expired yet and you're already eyeing Guerlain's global brand ambassadorship."

Lin Ze looked at Gu Jingyi and helplessly rubbed his forehead.

"On that day, Mowa luggage offered a one-year endorsement fee of 1700 million."

"After tax?"

Gu Jingyi's eyes lit up; foreign exchange was definitely more profitable after all.

"Before tax..."

Lin Ze laughed along, "So it's not all bad news. Let's go, we're going to shoot a magazine today. We're only three magazines away from achieving the grand slam of the top ten magazines: Vogue, Esquire, and GQ. Let's get the preliminary work done today. Dior is also promoting the cover for you in this Esquire issue."

"it is good"

Gu Jingyi nodded and said nothing more.

After shooting the cover of Esquire, the final piece of the puzzle was completed with the double issue of Vogue.

Gu Jingyi achieved a grand slam of ten magazine issues, making him the youngest person to do so, though he wasn't the first to do so.

The "Grand Slam of Ten Magazines" often mentioned in fan circles actually refers to the five major women's magazines, the three major men's magazines, and two near-top-tier magazines.

Gu Jingyi has appeared in four magazines: Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, and Harper's Bazaar. She is only one Vogue away from achieving the status of one of the five major women's magazines.

The three major men's magazines are Harper's Bazaar Men, Esquire, and GQ.

Gu Jingyi only needs one issue of "Esquire" magazine, the one they're shooting for today in September.

As for the two near-top-tier books, such as "Figaro," Gu Jingyi had already appeared on them all when "Idol Producer" had only aired the first three episodes.

He is only 19 years old now, and has already compiled "eight major works" in less than a year since his debut.

This speed is terrifying.

Calling Gu Jingyi a "fashion icon" is not enough to describe his greatness; "fashion emperor" is barely fitting.

As for Chris, he's nothing but a thing of the past.

He must be mentally prepared to be replaced by Gu Jingyi at any time, as a new generation replaces the old.

Sitting in the van on the way to the photoshoot for Esquire magazine, Gu Jingyi asked, "When will my Vogue issue be published at the earliest? It's not going to have to wait until after Ashes of Love airs, is it?"

The 2018 Vogue cover was still very valuable; only Daniel Wu appeared on the cover with Alicanial Vikander in April.

It is indeed more difficult for male celebrities to appear in women's magazines, but the prestige of women's magazines is higher than that of the three major men's magazines mentioned above.

"We'll definitely be shooting for the September issue in August, the peak season for fashion. This October, Zhou Xun will be on the cover of Vogue, and her drama 'Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace' is currently airing. The fashion industry follows the stars, there's nothing we can do about it. Even if we wanted to jump the queue, it's impossible for us to shoot a double issue with her."

Lin Ze waved his hand helplessly. If Huace really managed to turn Jin Jiu's solo issue into a duo issue...

Having a leading actress play a supporting role to Gu Jingyi would not only offend Zhou Xun but also invite ridicule for "the leading actress carrying the sedan chair."

It's possible, but unnecessary; it's better to work with other people to film.

At this time, Zhou Xun still had a good reputation and was well-liked by the general public; she wasn't as "big" as she was then.

When Zhou Xun is mentioned, the impression of her is that she is a talented actress with a high status.

Gu Jingyi had no reason to do something that would damage his public image for the sake of a two-person magazine. Of course, if his achievements were even better, and Huace could produce a solo magazine, Gu Jingyi wouldn't mind offending "Daru".

Zhou Xun hasn't had any outstanding film or television works since then, so she's done offending them.

The benefits that operating a solo Vogue issue in September would bring to Gu Jingyi far outweigh any other advantages.

The fashion status reflected in magazines can translate into higher endorsement fees while maintaining one's own style.

However, since "Ashes of Love" and "Go Go Squid!" haven't aired yet, Gu Jingyi has absolutely no need to do such a thing.

"Could you help me with the October issue featuring two people? It just so happens that 'Take My Brother Away' will be airing during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Film and television works combined with real achievements can produce a '1+1>2' effect."

Gu Jingyi quickly took a step back, thinking of "Silver Ten".

If he can be featured in the October issue of Vogue as a duo, he could outshine Chris.

Chris's appearance in Vogue was in July 2015, which is not as prestigious as the "Silver October" issue.

"I should be able to, Jingyi, you can leave it to me without worry."

"How are Cai Xukun's negotiations with Prada going? When is the official announcement expected?"

"In May 2019, I asked a friend in the fashion industry for information."

Lin Ze quickly gave an answer, and he had been following up on this progress.

"..."

Gu Jingyi dried his silence; Dior's highest title, "Global Brand Ambassador," had never been given to an Asian.

If we're talking about the transition from "Friend of Asian Brands" to "Ambassador of Asian Brands," his rise will be like a rocket launch.

Such a global title is certainly not subject to such lenient scrutiny.

When claiming a brand ambassador on an external website, the prefix "Global" is always added.

Not being a regional brand ambassador means Gu Jingyi faces a much tougher challenge.

He needs to break down prejudices step by step with his work to become the first "Dior Global Ambassador".

Dior is divided into several lines, including clothing, handbags, fragrances, makeup, and skincare, with ready-to-wear being the most prestigious. Endorsements for ready-to-wear usually also involve promoting makeup products.

When Gu Jingyi officially announced her status as an "Asian Brand Ambassador," she was promoting the fragrance "Wilderness."

Park Jimin received the highest treatment as a Dior global brand ambassador; when he was officially announced, Dior directly released advertisements for both ready-to-wear and fragrance lines.

Gu Jingyi's official announcement will also include clothing advertisements and on-the-ground promotions.

However, the screening of the ready-to-wear short film was limited to Dior's physical stores in Asia.

No wonder the usually stingy Dior suddenly became so generous, securing a Rimowa luggage endorsement deal for Gu Jingyi.

"That Guerlain one is a skincare product. Could I try to get one from their makeup line too?"

Gu Jingyi tidied his stray hairs and suddenly spoke.

"You mean Givenchy?"

"Yes, makeup is more important than skincare. As a Dior global ambassador, it's not unreasonable for her to endorse two or three luxury products under the LVMH group."

Gu Jingyi smiled and flicked his fingertip.

"After all, I rejected Versace and Prada multiple times for the global Dior title. I even tolerated being hyped up by Kun Kun as the number one global ambassador for those born after 95."

Don't be fooled by Prada's current decline; to the average person, it's still a top-tier luxury brand. The value is the same; whoever came first is the more prestigious.

Cai Xukun's hype about being the "first post-95s global ambassador for a top luxury brand" might actually make the public think more highly of him.

However... his high profile will also attract Chris's attention.

Chris isn't anything special, but his team's tactics are truly impressive.

Poor Kun Kun, just wait to be bullied by Chris.

Gu Jingyi did nothing; he didn't even have his team smear Cai Xukun in the press releases.

As for those smear articles about Gu Jingyi, it's unclear whether Cai Xukun suffered any consequences...

There are advantages to delaying by four months, including directly adding two top-tier luxury cosmetics and skincare titles.

With the addition of Rimowa luggage, Gu Jingyi will become the only "five-luxury brand ambassador" in the Chinese entertainment industry.

"Guerlain should be fine, and Yi Yangqianxi has been following up with Givenchy. However, his conditions are far inferior to yours, and his popularity and influence are also not as good."

"If you can have two hit movies next year, I think Givenchy should be able to secure the role."

Lin Ze adjusted his glasses and gave his answer.

It's generally accepted in the industry that top celebrities lack acting skills and substantial works.

With two hit shows airing one after the other, even an ordinary person could be hailed as a "second-best."

It would be perfectly normal for Dior to relent and submit an application to the LVMH Group on behalf of Gu Jingyi.

"I don't think there should be no problem, I think there definitely won't be any problem."

Gu Jingyi raised an eyebrow and glanced at Lin Ze, the young man exuding an air of nonchalance.

"It's good to be confident, so get ready for today's Esquire photoshoot."

"I will try my best to make the October issue of Vogue a reality, and you will be shooting a double cover with Brother Hu then."

Lin Ze offered a word of encouragement, then opened his laptop and began working on official business.

The photoshoot for Esquire magazine was even less challenging. Gu Jingyi changed into over a dozen outfits and stood under the spotlight, following the photographer's instructions. The various presentations, aside from being a bit tedious, weren't particularly difficult.

The success of a fashion shoot hinges entirely on the face; these top-tier magazine photoshoots almost always feature a cold, unyielding expression. Photographers use various angles to get close and take pictures of the face.

Gu Jingyi's strikingly handsome face is perfect for this kind of photoshoot.

From the cover to the inner pages, and then to the short interview segment that lasts about ten minutes.

Gu Jingyi filmed from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m., after several hours of hard work.

Performance +1!

He's now just one Vogue issue away from achieving his "ten-issue perfection".

The frequency with which an artist appears on magazine covers can also indicate their status. The higher an artist's status in the fashion industry, the more prestigious the endorsements they receive will be.

Gu Jingyi has never been interested in magazine appearances for the money.

Moreover, it serves as a platform to showcase one's best self and become a better version of oneself.

On August 19th, Gu Jingyi filmed an advertisement for Rimowa luggage.

On August 20th, Gu Jingyi attended the 2019 Dior Early Spring Fashion Show.

As the closing model, he walked the entire runway with a cool expression, wearing the newest design. This was met with screams and chants of "Gu Jingyi" from the audience.

On August 23, Gu Jingyi went to Dior to shoot a new advertising short film.

He wore a black silk Dior haute couture suit and completed the advertisement outdoors in the sunlight alongside the season's new products.

Starting from August 16th, fans noticed that Rimowa suitcases appeared multiple times during Gu Jingyi's airport fashion show.

Speculation about the brother endorsing Rimowa has also spread among fans.

Rimowa's official account always acknowledges the presence of a Rimowa Hybirsd, stating, "@顾璟奕, attended the airport with a Rimowa Hybirsd."

"@Gu Jingyi, wearing Rimowa Classic Silver at the airport"

This further enhances the credibility of the endorsement.

On August 25th, Rimowa's long-dormant official account announced its brand ambassador at 10 AM.

[@Rimowa]: Traveling light, embarking on a new journey together. Rimowa and its global brand ambassador @GuJingyi travel freely, accompanying each journey.

[Attached image]: Gu Jingyi's profile as he holds his suitcase.

The Weibo post was immediately flooded with comments.

#Gu Jingyi Rimowa Luggage# and #Gu Jingyi Walking Luxury# instantly occupied the top three spots on Weibo.

Fans are pushing for sales, with some wealthy fans even collecting the entire Classic Flight series in all colors, priced over 2 yuan. They arranged the pieces on the ground to form the letters "GJY" and then publicly expressed their love for Gu Jingyi in the comments section of Rimowa's official Weibo account.

Rimowa's stock price also surged following the official announcement of Gu Jingyi's endorsement.

(End of this chapter)