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How Luxury Brands Can Ride China’s Short Drama Boom in 2025
China’s short drama boom (also known as duanju, 微短劇) is transforming entertainment and presenting a compelling new opportunity for luxury brands to craft emotionally resonant narratives on China’s social media platforms.
According to The Paper, China’s short-form drama industry reached RMB 63.4 billion in market value by mid-2025, with nearly 7 million users, over 40,000 new series launched this year alone. Investment from both production houses and advertisers continue to surge1.
Beyond its current scale, the short drama market is projected to surge to a staggering RMB 100 billion (about US$ 13.78 billion) by 20272.
Once considered a low-cost format, short dramas are now a premium storytelling tool, particularly when paired with luxury branding. With their high emotional engagement and vast reach, short dramas have become a critical channel for luxury brands to capture the hearts of Chinese luxury consumers.
Why Short Dramas Resonate with Chinese Luxury Consumers
Short dramas, typically one to two minutes per episode, fit perfectly with the mobile-first lifestyle of China’s young, affluent audience. These “mini soap operas” blend dramatic narratives such as romance, ambition, or family dynamics with the vertical video format that dominate platforms like Douyin and Kuaishou.
Their appeal lies in their ability to deliver quick, emotionally charged content that aligns with the aspirations and values of China’s Gen Z and millennial luxury consumers, who prioritize authenticity and cultural relevance. By embedding luxury products into these narratives, brands can create immersive experiences that feel organic rather than overtly commercial.
Which Luxury Brands Have Taken the Stage?
- Helena Rubinstein: Launched You Shine Brighter Than the Stars (你比星光閃耀), a mini-series built around confidence and radiance, aligning with its premium skincare identity. The series boosted brand awareness from 26.1% to 79.3% during its broadcast month, significantly enhancing market recognition4.
- SK-II: Released Legally Pink (律政“粉”佳人) , a playful legal drama weaving empowerment and elegance, subtly showcasing its skincare products.The campaign’s success spined off to WeChat and Xiaohongshu stemmed from its relatable characters and aspirational tone3.
- Estée Lauder: Produced Only Love (爱有万相，唯心所向), a short drama series featuring a time-travel romance launched on Douyin during the 520 (Chinese Valentine’s Day) sales period, integrating its Slim Lipstick as a symbol of love. The campaign achieved nearly 7 million views under the #LoveHasInfiniteForms hashtag and a 5x ROI, boosting engagement among Gen Z and millennial consumers5.
Beyond luxury, other major brands are also setting benchmarks. For instance, McDonald's China debuted its first short drama in July 2024. Similarly, Haleon's sponsored short drama 'Deskmate with My Daughter' topped China's viewership rankings on Maoyan, demonstrating how synergistic content integration drives social buzz2.
But what makes these campaigns work is not just product placement— they created narratives that resonated with the daily lives and aspirations of Chinese consumers.
How Can More Luxury Brands Unlock This Opportunity? Go Beyond Product Placement!
Short dramas offer a unique canvas to deepen emotional resonance and drive cultural relevance.
To succeed, brands must prioritize authenticity over overt advertising. Key strategies include:
- Collaborate with credible scriptwriters: Partner with writers who understand Chinese cultural nuances to craft compelling, relatable stories.
- Cast talent aligned with your brand values: Choose actors or influencers who embody the brand’s ethos to enhance credibility. Casting Douyin influencers with large followings can amplify reach and trust.
- Integrate product or messaging organically: Embed products or messaging seamlessly into the storyline. For instance, a luxury watch brand could feature its timepiece as a pivotal plot element in a story about ambition, rather than a blatant ad.
- Leverage Data-Driven Insights: Use analytics from platforms like iClick’s iFans for Xiaohongshu to identify trending themes and optimize campaigns for maximum engagement.
This approach blends entertainment with storytelling, creating a richer and deeper brand experience.
Navigating Challenges in Short Drama Marketing
The short drama market is highly competitive, with 5,000 to 8,000 new series produced annually². Additionally, regulatory scrutiny has intensified, with China’s National Radio and Television Administration removing over 25,000 micro-dramas between November 2022 and February 2023 for content deemed too sexual, violent, or vulgar⁴. Brands should work with experienced partners to ensure compliance with these regulations while maintaining creative⁴.
Partner with iClick to Explore Short Drama’s Marketing Potential
At iClick, we specialize in connecting luxury brands with affluent Chinese consumers through data-driven campaigns on platforms like Douyin, Xiaohongshu and WeChat.
Our expertise in China’s fast-evolving social media landscape ensures your brand’s campaign resonates authentically and drives measurable results.
Source:
- https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_31132177
- https://www.campaignasia.com/article/short-drama-marketing-buzzword-or-blue-ocean-market-in-china/529295
- https://jingdaily.com/posts/how-luxury-brands-can-capitalize-on-china-micro-drama-boom
- https://m.sohu.com/a/838420345_121956424
- https://www.thedrum.com/awards-case-study/estee-lauder-wins-award-for-revitalizing-brand-with-viral-short-drama-strategy-during-520-sales-surge
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