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Erratic Mentholatum Returns To Familiar Territory With Celebrity Endorsements
Jeremy Lin, 29, is the well-known Taiwanese-American point guard for the Toronto Raptors, idolised by Chinese and Taiwanese basketball fans. His endorsing counterpart is 26-year-old Elvis Hand Dongjun, who has become a youth icon thanks to his screen presence in major television series such as The Secret of Three Kingdoms and Never Gone. He is also a car racer, having received professional certification from the Federation of Automobile Sports of the People’s Republic of China.
The youthful pair will promote Mentholatum men’s products, targetting a Chinese millennial segment which identifies with sports and entertainment. The partnerships both feature the tagline “Best Of Me”, attempting to make Mentholatum as part of young Chinese males’ daily skincare regime.
According to ASN data, Mentholatum is the third largest sponsor in its category (4.6%, ~US$1.9m) since Q316. However, its spending pattern is erratic: since 2017, its investments have nosedived by over 75%, from US$997k to a mere US$247k in 2018. This came on the back of a spate of high-profile withdrawals in South Korea, namely celebrity endorsements with leading idols Kim Jae Kyung and Rain as well as a deal with the Seoul International Marathon. Its latest endorsements with Jeremy Lin and Elvis Han Dongjun are a clear return to its tried-and-tested formula of short-term, celebrity endorsements to boost sales.
