Louis Vuitton Utilizes WeChat for Viral Nike Collab Amplification in China
SHANGHAI — The late Virgil Abloh’s Nike Air Force 1 collection for Louis Vuitton is slated to become this year’s most hyped fashion collaboration.
According to Vuitton’s website, the nine-piece sneaker collection launched online Tuesday. Fans will first have to enter a virtual waiting room, then enter a lottery to win a chance to shop.
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However, Louis Vuitton switched up the game in the mainland China market by creating a trivia game around the sneaker on the country’s most popular social media platform, WeChat, igniting instant fanfare.
On the French luxury house’s Sneakers Store WeChat Mini Program, shoppers are tested on their basic knowledge about the collaboration, such as identifying detailed pictures of the sneaker, picking the origin of production for the shoe, or answering how many pairs were shown at an exhibition celebrating the collection.
Once answered correctly, fans can select their desired colorway and size, enter a raffle and wait until July 24 to find out if they secured a slot to buy. Users can easily share their game results with friends on WeChat Moments, which adds a social component to the viral drop.
Priced from $2,750 to $3,450, the sneaker made its debut at the brand’s men’s spring 2022 show. Tuesday’s drop includes nine different colorways of Nike’s iconic style. The second drop will feature 12 more colorways, set to launch publicly at a later date.
Despite its public release, 2,900 VIP customers in mainland China have been offered a chance to secure one pair of the covetable item, according to customer feedback on Xiaohongshu, the popular social-commerce platform.
On Dewu app, China’s own StockX, resellers are peddling the shoe for 40,000 renminbi, or $5,934, to around 93,000 renminbi, or $13,797, which is at least double the retail price.
Leading up to the drop, Louis Vuitton launched a 10-day exhibition featuring 47 iterations of the shoe at the Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse in Brooklyn this May. Pop-up installations were erected throughout New York City to create broader impacts.
In China, the brand launched pop-up installations in Chengdu, Hangzhou and Shenzhen. The Chengdu version was accompanied by a 3D-LED screen advertisement at Taikoo Li, allowing shoppers and pedestrians to enjoy the exhibition virtually.
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