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Daxue Consulting - zhixuan's campaign - Qiu and Ling

Watch virtual idol Ling do aerial ski tricks in this Zhixuan TVC

On February 5th, 2022, in celebration of the Beijing Olympic Games, Yili’s (伊利, one of China’s dairy giants) sub-brand, Zhixuan (植选, directly translated to “Plant Select”) released a video, “Beijing’s Rhythm of the Winter Olympics” (京韵冬奥), fusing the characteristics of traditional Chinese cultures, in collaboration with Qiu Jirong (裘继戎, a famous Peking Opera artist) and Ling (翎, a Chinese AI virtual influencer).

Zhixuan_campaign_qiujirong
Source: Zhixuan Weibo. Beijing Rhythmed Olympics, Qiu Jirong
Zhixuan_campaign_ling
Source: Zhixuan Weibo. Beijing Rhythmed Olympics, Ling

The concept of integrating realism and virtual reality has been highly praised by netizens, as it is a breath of fresh air from the traditional celebrity effect, in addition to this unique alliance between Qiu and Ling due to their contrasting background.  

Daxue Consulting - zhixuan's campaign - comments from netizens
Source: Zhixuan WeChat Channel, comments from netizens

Aligning with the theme of the Beijing Olympics, Zhixuan captured the essence of novelty and winter aesthetics by obliquely echoing winter sports into shots of ancient Chinese traditions throughout the video – including Tai Chi (太极, a Chinese martial art involving slow movements and deep breaths) and chess.

Zhixuan_campaign_tai chi
Source: Zhixuan Weibo. Beijing Rhythmed Olympics, Qiu and Ling practicing Tai Chi

For example, both Tai Chi and figure skating pursue a balance between movement and silence; while playing chess and curling imply intelligence; likewise, Peking Opera and skiing both explore the extreme use of speed and skills.

Zhixuan_campaign_winters-sports
Source: Zhixuan Weibo. Beijing Rhythmed Olympics, chess and curling; Peking Opera and skiing; Tai Chi and figure skating

This contemporary synthesis of traditional oriental charm and modern athletic spirit showcased Zhixuan’s unconventional perception and passion for Chinese culture, whilst acknowledging the trending subject of the Olympics.

Alongside the surprising choice of characters, Zhixuan also released a commemorative collection of its products by embracing a Beijing Winter Olympics-themed packaging, which has been immensely adored by people.

Zhixuan_campaign_beijing_Olympics_packaging
Source: Zhixuan Weibo, Beijing Winter Olympic-themed packagings

The exclusive design is inspired by the three venues for the 2022 Olympics: Beijing, Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou (北京,延庆and张家口). It also adopted elements of Chinese calligraphy, such as thick and light; shape and spirit, to exhibit the stunning silhouettes of various winter sports by associating with ink strokes of Chines characters.

Zhixuan_campaign_chess
Source: Zhixuan Weibo, Beijing Rhythmed Olympics, Qiu and Ling playing chess together

The in-depth yet minimalistic dialogue between the historical and avant-garde aspects of the video also subtly reflects upon both Qiu and Ling’s characters – “real-life” and virtual. Moreover, the recreational facet of the campaign has portrayed the brand’s philosophy of natural and healthy living.

As a result, positive comments were gushed from all channels for its revolutionary ideas. In addition, Zhixuan enhanced its interaction with netizens by a random-gifting system on WeChat Mini Programs, which has attracted over 4 million views and tens and thousands of likes on the video.

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