Here be dragons

Forget fruit baskets and hongbao: nothing says 'Chinese New Year' like a limited edition Shanghai Tang/ Nespresso dragon coffee set. Got a spare million or so? Then consider an even more exclusive Blancpain "Chinese Dragon" watch – be quick, though; the Swiss brand produced just 50 of these luxury babies...



This year more than ever, foreign high-end brands across the board have been seizing the unique possibility Spring Festival presents to engage an increasingly lucrative market with products customized especially for China with, you guessed it, dragons. Whilst culturally and geographically specific goods and campaigns are nothing new–Christmas being the most obvious–Chinese New Year is perhaps the newest opportunity eyed by global marketers and says much about the middle kingdom's rising purchasing power when it comes to luxury goods.

This past year has seen a slew of foreign brands really get to grips with engaging Chinese consumers, from Diane von Furstenberg's Weibo account through to the likes of Bottega Veneta and Armani launching China-specific e-commerce sites. And adapt they must. The world of retail is a notoriously ruthless one, and if you can get China on your side, well, that's a good start.

As this year's bevy of dragon-adorned goodies demonstrate, though, bending to the Chinese market now means going beyond social media alone. "Customized" has long equated to "luxurious," and for increasingly discerning Chinese consumers it would seem that this has never been truer, as Rolls Royce's recent successes testify.



Now German-owned, the brand's car division still has connotations of a very British sort of aristocratic prestige, which, combined with the cars' exorbitant price tags and relatively low production, make them very, very luxurious here in China. Indeed, they recently revealed that last year for the first time ever, China overtook the US to clinch title of biggest market, helped along the way, perhaps, by their newest limited edition, simply entitled 'Year of the Dragon' and introduced last year.

Featuring hand-painted dragons in gold on the exterior, inside cushions and leather headrests are beautifully hand-embroidered with the legendary creature. Elsewhere, tread plates on each door sill boast an LED-illuminated 'Year of the Dragon', as well as customized inlays in each passenger panel.



Producing for its biggest market makes sense, but is such a move in danger of diluting the brand's strong cultural identity--presumably what earned its China prestige in the first place? Justin Xu, a Rolls Royce Account Manager at ImpactAsia doesn't think so, insisting that if anything, this latest edition reinforces the bespoke elements of the famous cars:

"The introduction of this symbol to Rolls-Royce cars doesn't affect its core identity but only helps strengthen its brand image. Every Rolls-Royce car is produced in its Goodwood factory in the UK by the world's best team and then delivered to its customer after rounds of tests. Famous for its bespoke service and hand craftsmanship, the dragon symbols are either hand painted or manually sewed, which is in line with its hand craftsmanship promise. One of the core identities of Rolls-Royce is the bespoke service--it does not limit its customers choices".

The dragon phenomenon extends beyond cars, with luxury fashion brands also incorporating the scaly creatures into their 2012 products. Versace, for example, have released a typically bling handbag (31,800rmb), whilst elsewhere, American label Coach has collaborated with Chinese tattoo artist Zhang Lan, facilitated by local creative agency, NeochaEDGE. Co-founder Sean Leow explains:

"Coach called us after reading the New York Times feature on our agency. The brand wanted to create a special men's line of products for the Year of the Dragon and wanted us to create the graphic treatment for this product. We then worked with them to figure out what style worked best, and the creative approach we wanted to take... Zhang Lan was definitely a well thought-out choice for the collaboration. We wanted to work with someone who deeply understood the history and meaning of the dragon, while at the same time, could bring a fresh, modern, and masculine style to the graphic. Zhang Lan's understanding of Chinese history along with a street art and tattoo aesthetic was a perfect fit".





Familiar with big brand collaborations, they're clear on the advantages of luxury labels tailoring products to a Chinese audience: "It first shows a commitment to the local market and the unique tastes of China's consumers. Rather than just importing ideas from foreign markets, brands like Coach recognize that local knowledge and creative talent can be a great way to differentiate themselves while retaining the history and tradition of their brand".



The list goes on: British brand Vertu, they of the utterly ostentatious gem-encrusted cellphones have produced a luxury dragon-themed mobile especially for 2012. Choose from stainless steel with emeralds; black steel with rubies; or gold with diamonds, all backed by a handcrafted dragon (one scale reputedly takes eight hours to engrave)–yours for around the 131,00rmb mark.



What undoubtedly makes these particularly pricey dragons irresistible to some is, of course, their status-upping qualities: being sufficiently affluent to afford designer wares is one thing, but customized, limited editions is quite another, their very exclusivity making them all the more desirable – and ultimately collectible. In any case, there's lots out there, and if your pockets are deep enough, they might well make great Spring Festival gifts. Whatever you choose, xin nian kuai le, happy Year of the Dragon.