Burberry announced its partnership with Tencent Games in its blockbuster online game Honour of Kings.
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As interactive digital content is increasingly becoming a source of inspiration in luxury fashion, games offer another opportunity for consumers to connect with Burberry’s products online.
Younger consumers are redefining community spaces, choosing to connect with each other and with brands in digital environments, such as sharing experiences through online games.
Chinese luxury consumers’ offline and online lives increasingly intertwine, with more demand for a seamless connection between the two. Adding virtual products into existing online games environments offers a bespoke experience that aligns with the consumer’s existing lifestyle.
In July 2020, Burberry and Tencent pioneered a new concept that redefined expectations of luxury retail. Burberry’s social retail store in Shenzhen is a place of discovery that connects and rewards customers as they explore online and in store. It marked a shift in how Burberry engages with customers and connects with its community.
Burberry launched its own first game, B Bounce, in October 2019. In December 2019, it announced its second game, Ratberry, in celebration of its 2020 Lunar New Year campaign. Burberry introduced its first multi-player game, B Surf, in July 2020 in tandem with its Thomas Burberry Summer Monogram campaign.
Both Tencent and Burberry research indicates a sustained growth in interest in online games among younger Chinese consumers. China’s fashion-forward, digital-first customer is the perfect audience to receive new advances in Burberry’s digital agenda, such as exploring virtual products through the medium of online games.
Josie Zhang, President of Burberry in China at Burberry, said “Online games are a platform on which we can tell brand stories in ways that we know really resonate with our customers in China. Introducing elements of Burberry’s house codes into one of Tencent Games’ environments allows customers to engage with the brand in more novel and freeform ways. Just like Burberry’s founder, we want to empower our community to explore their surroundings, whether it is online or offline.”
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Mars Hou, Vice President of Tencent Games, said “Working with Burberry and Mr. Tisci brought to us a lot of sparks in branding ideas and product design. The project signals a unique joint point where the East and West cultures have found a way to merge and create together. I’m sure we will surprise everyone with something really different and looking forward to the day when you can see what we’ve created in 2021.”