Burberry Signs Up Chinese Starlet Zhang Jingyi As A Brand Ambassador

British heritage label Burberry has inked a deal with Chinese starlet Zhang Jingyi as its latest global brand ambassador.

The 25-year-old actor known for her roles in Chinese TV series such as “Run for Young,” “Lighter and Princess” and “Blossoms in Adversity,” as well as in box office hits like “Love Will Tear Us Apart” and “I Miss You” is a natural fit to attract Gen Z and Alpha consumers as her social media game is strong.  Zhang has over 6 million followers on Weibo and her name has 2.4 billion mentions on Xiaohongshu.

“I have many fond memories of Burberry. The heritage and innovation of the brand has such a unique British charm. I am honoured to become a part of the family and I look forward to interpreting the timeless classics with Burberry,” said Zhang.

Daniel Lee, Burberry’s Chief Creative Officer, added, “We think she captures the spirit of Burberry perfectly and we are looking forward to working with her,” added Lee.

Before joining Burberry’s global family, alongside Chinese actors Tang Wei and Chen Kun, Zhang was the face of Celine and still serves a similar role for Lancome in China.

According to ASN data, Burberry has invested US$1.8m+, making up a mere 0.6% of spends for its category in the Asian sponsorship market since Q122, with a quarterly average investment of almost US$169k during this period. While the brand’s spends hit a mere US$138k for the first half of 2024, things are poised to turn rosier with our forecast tipping it to hit US$284k, almost 1.7 x of the usual average. 

As for the markets; it tends to focus on South Korea (70.4%) and China (29.6%). The deals also tend to be celebrity endorsements between the US$250k and US$536k, including deals with Chinese actor Chen Kun and South Korean and Spurs captain Son Heung Min.