This year’s Qixi Festival, celebrated on August 29, went beyond its traditional role as China’s Valentine’s Day, becoming a cultural mirror that reflects a profound shift in how love is understood and expressed, especially by Gen Z. Drawing from Tiffany and Prada’s Qixi campaigns, valuable insights and marketing strategies emerge for brands seeking to build authentic, lasting connections with their Chinese audience.
Qixi, the traditional Chinese festival rooted in love, remains a pivotal moment in the Chinese calendar for brands seeking to forge meaningful connections with their audience in this market. Among the various celebrations dedicated to love, Qixi stands out as the most emotionally resonant for Chinese consumers. With origins tracing back to the Han dynasty, the festival is steeped in mythology and cultural heritage, making it a powerful vehicle for storytelling and brand engagement.
For international brands, Qixi presents a tangible opportunity to build authentic relationships with Chinese consumers. By incorporating culturally relevant elements into their communication strategies, brands can bridge the gap between global identity and local resonance. This approach is especially effective in the context of the growing Guochao trend, a cultural movement that celebrates national pride and traditional aesthetics.
This year’s Qixi Festival marked a shift from traditional romance to deeper cultural storytelling, reflecting changing values, especially among Gen Z. Campaigns by Tiffany and Prada showcased how brands can connect meaningfully by blending emotional depth, myth reinterpretation, and localized narratives. These examples underline a key marketing truth: success in China hinges on cultural fluency, emotional relevance, and strategic adaptability.
Value China, società esperta nello sviluppo di soluzioni digitali e consulenza per il mercato cinese, è primo partner ufficiale di Tencent, ByteDance e Little Red Book in Italia.
Vuoi espandere il tuo business in Cina? Contattaci per avere più informazioni info@valuechina.net
Localization as emotional resonance: beyond cultural symbols
Tiffany Case: the introspective narrative
Tiffany chose to stand out by embracing a bold and introspective narrative. The campaign, titled “I Am the Subject of Love”, shifted the focus from traditional romantic relationships to a celebration of individuality.
According to the 2025 China Jewelry and Watch Trend Insights White Paper, Chinese consumers now purchase luxury jewelry not just to express affection, but to affirm their identity and fulfill inner needs. Tiffany embraced this shift, redefining luxury as a pathway to self-realization.
In this way, the brand is able to resonate with a new generation of Chinese consumers, those increasingly attuned to personal growth, authenticity, and self-fulfillment as forms of empowerment.
Prada Case: local bridges as emotional resonance
Prada’s Qixi campaign stands out not only for its visual sophistication but for its deeply localized storytelling, which anchors the brand within the cultural and emotional landscape of China. By mapping the ancient legend of star-crossed lovers onto real bridges in Shanghai — including Zhejiang Road, Shanxi Road, Fujian Road, Wuzhen Road, Xizang Road, Waibaidu, and Yangpu — Prada transforms urban infrastructure into symbolic touchpoints of connection, memory, and emotion.
The choice of bridges is far from incidental. In Chinese culture, bridges are more than architectural elements; they represent thresholds, reunions, and emotional passageways. Their recurring presence in literature and cinema enriches the campaign’s narrative, turning each crossing into a cinematic metaphor for intimacy within the pulse of the city. This strategic localization not only deepens cultural resonance but also positions Prada as a brand that listens, understands, and integrates itself meaningfully into the fabric of local identity.
Value China, società esperta nello sviluppo di soluzioni digitali e consulenza per il mercato cinese, è primo partner ufficiale di Tencent, ByteDance e Little Red Book in Italia.
Vuoi espandere il tuo business in Cina? Contattaci per avere più informazioni info@valuechina.net
New forms of storytelling: short drama
Tiffany Case
Tiffany & Co. launched a special short series for Qixi 2025 titled “I, the Subject of Love”, partnering with five influential Chinese podcasts. Each episode offered a distinct lens on love. By embedding its brand message within authentic, locally resonant conversations, it shifted Qixi from a transactional gifting moment into a cultural dialogue about love, self-worth, and emotional agency.
But the campaign didn’t stop at audio. Tiffany also released a series of short films starring Chinese celebrities Tang Yan, Zhang Ruoyun, and Zhong Chuxi. Each mini-film echoed the podcast’s themes, portraying love not as a grand romantic gesture, but as a journey of self-discovery and empowerment. The actors wore pieces from the Tiffany HardWear collection, which became visual metaphors for strength, individuality, and emotional clarity.
This multi-platform approach, blending audio intimacy with visual storytelling allowed Tiffany to speak directly to the evolving values of Chinese consumers. In line with the Guochao trend and the rise of self-love narratives, the brand positioned itself not just as a purveyor of luxury, but as a thoughtful participant in China’s cultural transformation.
Prada Case
Prada’s Qixi campaign offers another compelling example of how short-form drama is gaining traction as a storytelling vehicle in China marketing. The brand released a cinematic short film starring ambassador Li Xian (李现) and actress Chen Haoyu (陈昊宇), set against the evocative backdrop of urban bridges. The narrative delicately blends romantic emotion with the rhythm of everyday city life, creating a quietly poetic tribute to the emotional depth of the traditional Chinese festival.
To extend the story beyond the screen, Prada launched an interactive experience on Xiaohongshu using the hashtag #QixiMeetsTheBridge. Users were invited to explore iconic bridges in their own cities and immerse themselves in the film’s mood. Those who completed the online challenge received a redemption code for a limited-edition Qixi postcard set, available at six select Prada boutiques across China, seamlessly merging digital engagement with offline ritual.
This campaign illustrates how short drama not only captivates audiences emotionally but also serves as a springboard for immersive, multi-platform brand experiences. It’s a format that resonates deeply with younger consumers seeking authenticity, aesthetic depth, and cultural relevance.
Xiaohongshu and the power of UGC: Building community through emotion
Tiffany’s Qixi Festival campaign achieved remarkable resonance on Xiaohongshu (REDnote), China’s leading lifestyle and social commerce platform, where the brand quickly became a viral focal point. The phonetic coincidence of “Tiffany” sounding like “踢翻你” (tī fān nǐ – “kick you”) in Chinese added a layer of playful mystique, transforming the brand name into a meme-worthy phrase that users embraced with humor and affection. This linguistic twist didn’t dilute the brand’s prestige: it enhanced it, giving Tiffany an unexpected cultural edge.
Prada also placed strong emphasis on interaction and the creation of a seamless online-offline immersive experience. Prada invited users into a poetic, interactive experience centered around the symbolism of bridges. By following the page and sharing personal stories tied to local bridges using the hashtag #七夕与桥相遇 (Qīxīyǔqiáoxiāngyù – The Qixi Festival meets the bridge) participants can unlock exclusive digital backgrounds, redeem limited-edition postcards in select boutiques, and compete for a personalized 3D paper sculpture album signed by Prada’s ambassadors. This approach demonstrates how immersive brand experiences can thoughtfully connect digital engagement with emotional storytelling, fostering a more meaningful relationship between the brand and its audience.
The power of spontaneous KOL content in the Qixi’s Tiffany Campaign
Tiffany campaign’s emotional momentum was supercharged by the famous Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung, newly arrived on Xiaohongshu and casually showcased Tiffany jewelry in a spontaneous vlog that instantly resonated with users. Her understated endorsement sparked a wave of organic engagement, with users racing to identify and purchase the exact pieces she wore.
This led to the emergence of “hidden guides” on Xiaohongshu, UGC-driven posts that decoded her look. This phenomenon underscores Tiffany’s strategic embrace of user-generated content and emotional storytelling.
Maggie Cheung’s case exemplifies how spontaneous content created by celebrities and influencers can play a key role in amplifying a brand’s message.
On a platform like Xiaohongshu, where influence is built through credibility and emotional connection, luxury is no longer defined by exclusivity, but by identity, resonance, and shared experience. According to the platform’s “grass-planting” model (zhongcao), user-generated content, especially from spontaneous KOLs and KOCs, not only inspires but drives purchasing decisions more effectively than traditional campaigns.
Key takeaways from Qixi 2025: How to rewrite future emotional campaign?
In conclusion, Qixi is no longer just a seasonal celebration, it’s a strategic gateway into the hearts and minds of a new generation of Chinese consumers.
The most impactful campaigns are those that move beyond surface-level romance and embrace deeper emotional storytelling, cultural relevance, and personal resonance.
By anchoring brand narratives in immersive experiences, everyday rituals of self-care, and products with symbolic meaning, marketers can foster genuine connections that extend far beyond the holiday itself.
Prioritizing quality, authenticity, and emotional continuity over fleeting promotions allows brands to transform Qixi from a moment of transaction into a lasting relationship built on shared values and aspirations.