(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Introduction
Every year, creative trends in China evolve at lightning speed. Overseas brands that anticipate and adopt these trends early gain first-mover advantage and dominate mindshare for 12–18 months. Here are the five creative directions that will define success in 2025–2026.
- AI + Human “New Species” Content
1.1 Virtual Idol + Real Product Integration Trend: 68% of Gen Z follow at least one virtual idol; brands that create or collaborate with virtual IPs see 3–5× engagement. Execution: Build consistent virtual characters that appear across short video, livestream, and private domain.
1.2 AIGC Real-Time Personalization Dynamic Creative: Generate thousands of personalized video versions based on user profile (age, city, past purchases). - Immersive “Shoppertainment” Experiences
2.1 AR Try-On + Mini Programs Conversion Boost: AR try-on increases purchase intent by 290% for beauty and fashion categories.
2.2 3D Virtual Stores Inside Livestream New Format: Viewers walk through virtual brand flagship stores during livestream—early adopters report 40% higher AOV. - Sustainability Storytelling with Chinese Characteristics
3.1 “Guochao” + Green Narrative Winning Formula: Combine national pride design elements with transparent carbon footprint data.
3.2 Blockchain-Verified Claims Trust Layer: Use blockchain certificates displayed directly in product detail pages. - Hyper-Local Creative Clusters
4.1 City-Specific Creative Teams Insight: Creative that mentions local landmarks or dialects outperforms generic national content by 150–300%.
4.2 Lower-Tier City Acceleration Opportunity: Consumption growth in tier-3 to tier-5 cities will outpace tier-1 cities in 2025–2027.
Case Study: American Functional Beverage “V” Launches Virtual Idol Campaign
In summer 2025, Brand V created virtual idol “Vita酱” targeted at post-00s consumers. The idol appeared daily on Douyin with personalized energy-boost content. Results in 3 months: • 1.8 billion topic views • 400% increase in Douyin shop followers • Sold out 500,000 limited-edition co-branded cans in 3 minutes • Became the #1 imported functional beverage on Tmall International
PLTFRM is an international brand consulting agency that works with companies such as Red, TikTok, Tmall, Baidu, and other well-known Chinese internet e-commerce platforms. We have been helping overseas brands succeed in China for over a decade with data-driven creative localization. Contact us, and we will help you find the best China e-commerce platform for you. Search PLTFRM for a free consultation!
