LayarHijau — Zhao Lusi once again proves she is one of China’s stars with the highest commercial value. After achieving massive popularity last year thanks to the drama Love’s Ambition (許我耀眼), her position in the eyes of the luxury brand Bulgari has become increasingly solid, even surpassing her senior.
Zhao Lusi, who has been a Bulgari ambassador for five years, was recently chosen as the closing star (final act) for Bulgari’s major Chinese New Year campaign. This decision was surprising, as she surpassed Liu Yifei, who holds the status of Global Brand Ambassador.
In the order of the New Year promotional photo releases, Bulgari featured Zhang Linghe, Jolin Tsai, Wu Lei, and Liu Yifei, before finally concluding with Zhao Lusi. This positioning sparked heated speculation, as Liu Yifei, with the title of Global Ambassador, should have been in the top position.
Zhao Lusi’s value to the brand is increasingly clear. Recently, Bulgari held a ‘New Year Homecoming Party’ exclusively for the actress in Shanghai, even reportedly closing the flagship store just for her, as a form of appreciation after she successfully returned to the entertainment world following a brief break due due to health issues.
During the event, Zhao Lusi wore a limited-edition diamond watch, of which only 188 units were produced. The watch was priced at CNY 93,000 (approximately $13,000) per piece. Immediately after photos of Zhao Lusi wearing the timepiece spread, all units were sold out. The total sales generated from her presence’s impact were reportedly close to CNY 76 million (nearly $10.5 million), demonstrating her enormous commercial appeal.
Bulgari showed extraordinary loyalty to Zhao Lusi, even when the actress—previously popular through the dramas Who Rules the World (且試天下) and Love Like the Galaxy (星漢燦爛)—went on hiatus and barely attended public events throughout 2023. Bulgari continued to support her, even helping her secure prestigious magazine covers such as ELLE’s August edition and the year-end edition of Shang Cheng Shi (上城士) last December.
Seeing the full support from brand executives—including the CEO who frequently posts her photos on Instagram—as well as her fantastic ability to generate sales, the public speculates that Zhao Lusi is highly likely to be soon promoted to Bulgari Global Ambassador status, equal to Liu Yifei.
