Chapter 47: A Leap to the Top
[…It’s just a shampoo endorsement. Is it really necessary to make such a big deal out of it? Does Z-brand really think Xie Qingyang would care about such a brand?]
[That’s hilarious. Xie Qingyang is the global first-wear ambassador for luxury menswear and the only domestic artist invited to Paris Fashion Week. Lu Xu wanting to compete with Xie Qingyang? Let him wear haute couture first, then we’ll talk.]
[Which luxury menswear brand would be blind enough to choose Lu Xu? They’re not crazy.]
In the comment section of Z-brand’s advertisement, Lu Xu’s fans, excited about his increased exposure, almost started a war with Xie Qingyang’s fans. Xie Qingyang’s fans didn’t initially intend to argue with Lu Xu’s fans but were unwilling to believe that, between Xie Qingyang and Lu Xu, Z-brand would choose the latter.
[Is this another fake rumor trying to hype Lu Xu up?]
[Absolutely. Well, good luck with Lu Xu’s shampoo sales. Shampoo endorsements seem to be the peak of his career. What high-end brand would ever consider him?]
Although Xie Qingyang himself didn’t like this comment, his manager did. While the like was quickly removed, it didn’t escape the eyes of netizens.
Online sleuths jokingly remarked that if one wanted to succeed in Lin Ge Entertainment, mastering the “slip of the finger” technique and having a rich history of multiple account hacks each year was essential.
…
For Z-brand, the rumors spread by marketing accounts turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Initially, Z-brand’s new product wasn’t well-known. However, after the skirmish between Lu Xu and Xie Qingyang’s fans, the product’s influence began to grow.
First, the shampoo ad featuring Lu Xu trended online. The handsome man’s promotional effect was genuinely impressive. Z-brand’s advertising department quickly received data: the view and share counts of this shampoo commercial had unexpectedly made it the number one ad in the men’s shampoo category.
In the comment section of Z-brand’s official social media, many fans had changed their profile pictures to the image of Lu Xu with wet hair from the advertisement.
The first to notice the advertisement’s impact was Z-brand’s online flagship store.
The competition in online sales for personal care products was fierce. While Z-brand was a long-standing name, it wasn’t as competitive as large multinational corporations in the personal care industry. Z-brand specialized in shampoo, whereas the multinationals bundled their shampoos with other personal care products from the same brand, offering better deals that often attracted more consumers.
In Z-brand’s online store, the best-selling item was still their classic flagship shampoo—a product that had been popular for over a decade and maintained consistently high sales. Meanwhile, the new men’s shampoo was languishing near the bottom of their sales rankings.
The data, however, changed dramatically the moment the endorsement advertisement went live.
Almost simultaneously with the announcement of Lu Xu as the spokesperson, the new product received its first order of the day.
Soon after, the number of orders skyrocketed, with the shampoo sets outselling single bottles.
[Does the set come with a photo?]
[Can you help me change my order? I bought the wrong item—I meant to buy the set.]
[How many photos come with it?]
Initially, the words “Set comes with a photo” were printed very small in the product images. After being asked the same question by countless customers, the store’s graphic designer urgently updated the visuals, enlarging the font to an exaggerated size to ensure every shopper could see it.
Once the change was made, the staff noticed an even faster increase in sales.
For personal care brands, it wasn’t uncommon for sales to explode after hiring a celebrity spokesperson. Fans always brought endless purchasing enthusiasm—especially when the celebrity was in a rising career phase. Their ability to drive sales was unparalleled.
Within hours, the store’s stock of over 100,000 units of the new product sold out completely.
Z-brand initially thought that the craze would end there. However, the turning point came when the first batch of consumers received their shampoos.
Having secured Lu Xu’s photos, fans naturally began to show them off online.
[So good-looking!!! Wow, wow, wow, such a fresh and clean ‘wet puppy’ vibe!]
[Lu Xu’s modern look was limited to Yu Wei in My Baby Prince. His vibe in the ad is completely different—so stylish! I love the wet-hair photo; I could look at it a hundred times!]
[A sunny and warm, fluffy little puppy! So cute!]
[…Why is my photo different from everyone else’s?]
[I wanted the wet-hair photo, but I got the soft-haired model look!]
[…Z-brand, you’re seriously sneaky.]
As more people shared their photos, fans realized that the pictures Z-brand included with the shampoo sets were not all the same!
Each photo captured Lu Xu from a different angle, with shifting light and shadows outside the window that gave his features a variety of tones.
The wet-hair look highlighted his sexy Adam’s apple and drew attention to the defined lines of his knuckles.
The softly blown, fluffy hair paired with his star-bright eyes made him just as captivating.
[What does this mean? Are you telling me I need to buy this shampoo for the rest of my life?]
[Too sneaky, way too sneaky, unbelievably sneaky!]
[Am I the only one deeply intrigued by Lu Xu’s white shirt?]
[Same here…]
[Silently adding +1. Let me know if you uncover what brand it is.]
Once fans realized there were multiple photos, they began trading to get the ones they wanted. However, because every photo was stunning, many fans simply decided to go all in.
The problem? Z-brand’s online store was completely sold out.
Fans then shifted their attention to offline supermarkets, where products often restocked faster than online stores. Shopping in person also gave them a chance to admire the posters featuring Lu Xu plastered in the aisles.
Bolder fans went so far as to directly ask if they could take home the promotional stands with Lu Xu’s posters once the shampoo was sold out.
When given the green light, some fans gleefully carried the stands out of the store, laughing as they hurried home with their prized displays.
Spurred on by these bold actions, promotional stands in supermarkets across the city were soon wiped out by fans.
While some critics quietly disapproved of the frenzy, calling it wasteful and labeling Z-brand’s marketing tactics as cheap, fans had their own rebuttal:
[…Coming from the fanbase of someone who sells a single photocard for dozens of bucks, you’re criticizing a shampoo brand that sells a bottle for a few dozen bucks, with buy-one-get-one deals and flawless photos included?]
[I’ll always use shampoo, thank you very much.]
[Even if this is buying photos with shampoo as a freebie, at least we’re getting shampoo! And it’s Z-brand—what more could you want?]
In short, the restocked Z-brand shampoos continued to sell out within moments.
But Z-brand wasn’t the only brand benefiting from this wave of enthusiasm. Lu Xu’s white shirt from the ad also caused a frenzy.
Fans quickly discovered the shirt was from G-brand, an Italian menswear label.
The shirt wasn’t part of Lu Xu’s personal wardrobe but was selected by the designer during the ad shoot preparation. Provided by Z-brand, the shirt was deemed a perfect fit after Lu Xu tried it on and was used for filming.
Within 24 hours of the ad’s release, the exact white shirt sold out entirely.
Unable to buy the original, fans turned to other white shirts from the same brand, clearing out stock after stock.
[Because it really does look amazing!]
[Put on a white shirt and become a sexy hot guy.]
[A sexy guy who belts his trousers over his dress pants?]
[Ahhhhhh, stop it! Don’t say that out loud!]
In short, without even being aware of it, Lu Xu significantly boosted the sales of a luxury menswear brand’s shirt collection.
Then, one morning, Lu Xu’s Weibo account was unexpectedly mentioned in a repost by G-brand.
[Actor Lu Xu wearing the brand’s 202X Autumn/Winter Collection for an advertisement shoot. The elegant tailoring showcases a versatile style.]
[Is this a sign of a bigger collaboration? Could it be?]
[It fits perfectly. Honestly, among young male stars, Lu Xu is definitely the best at bringing out the essence of G-brand’s menswear.]
[I can see it happening!]
[The menswear line needs more dashing men like him. Let’s make it official already!]
…
Meanwhile, Xie Qingyang, who saw the repost, was left speechless: “…”
He had been following G-brand’s Weibo for over a year.
Luxury menswear brands were notoriously selective with giving titles or collaborations to idols. Even at the peak of Verse’s fame, G-brand never sponsored the group—not as a band nor as individuals.
After Verse disbanded, Xie Qingyang had been persistently working through Lin Ge Entertainment, hoping to secure some form of collaboration with G-brand. Even a secondary ambassador title would have been enough for him.
But G-brand had remained cold and indifferent, even after what he considered an adequate “trial period.” The brand continued to ignore him.
He had assumed that G-brand’s aloof attitude was consistent across all members of Verse. Not only him, but Meng Qin, who remained active in the fashion industry, had also been treated rather indifferently by the brand.
However, seeing G-brand’s enthusiastic repost of Lu Xu’s ad left Xie Qingyang simmering with frustration.
Just for an ad? And G-brand eagerly reposted it?
Was it because Lu Xu had the advantage of being an actor?
Or simply because Lu Xu looked better in a white shirt?
Of course, Xie Qingyang didn’t want to admit the last possibility—that Lu Xu simply looked better in a white shirt. He would rather believe it was Lu Xu’s status as an actor that earned him preferential treatment.
Previously, Xie Qingyang’s fans had been mocking Lu Xu, claiming his shampoo endorsement wouldn’t sell. However, once they realized that Z-brand’s new product had completely sold out, they fell silent.
Xie Qingyang had also endorsed shampoo before—a unisex product.
But even back when he was enjoying a wave of pity fans after Verse disbanded, his sales couldn’t surpass Lu Xu’s.
While Xie Qingyang could reluctantly accept that Lu Xu had a better ability to drive sales—mocking Lu Xu’s fans for being naïve and free-spending was enough consolation—what he couldn’t tolerate was G-brand actively tagging Lu Xu.
Lu Xu had only acted in Son of Heaven and Supreme, and that was enough for the brand to grovel?
Then, that afternoon, Xie Qingyang finally learned the real reason behind G-brand’s tag of Lu Xu.
Xie Qingyang had always kept an eye on G-brand’s activity, and any brand movement on social media immediately caught his attention.
The mention of Lu Xu on G-brand’s homepage was so prominent that it overshadowed the day’s top trending topic: “Nominees for the Stellar Awards Announced.”
Or perhaps he had noticed it but chose not to click on it.
The Stellar Awards were the most prestigious honors in the domestic television industry, with an exceptionally high nomination bar. Typically, they only favored acting heavyweights with recognized talent.
As someone from the entertainment industry, Xie Qingyang was well aware of how far removed idols like himself—whose careers were built around variety shows—were from the elite actors in the television industry. The Stellar Awards weren’t something he needed to concern himself with.
But this year, the Stellar Awards unexpectedly became relevant to him.
His manager messaged him on WeChat:
[Lu Xu got a Stellar Award nomination.]
Few simple words. Such a brief description, yet Xie Qingyang reread the message at least five times. It was only after a long pause that he managed to reply with difficulty:
[Best Supporting Actor?]
[Yes.]
No wonder. Lu Xu hadn’t attended any of G-brand’s events, the shirt wasn’t even worn for G-brand—it was for an ad shoot with another brand, yet G-brand had eagerly latched onto him anyway.
Everyone in the industry knew the weight of the Stellar Awards.
Lu Xu was about to rise to the top in one leap.
Meanwhile, the top comment on Xie Qingyang’s Weibo post was still that mocking remark:
[What crazy luxury brand would ever choose Lu Xu?]
Well, G-brand was officially crazy.
