Shaun Rein on "The Key to Successful Branding in China"

The mistake that Clarins has made is to use models for their advertising campaigns to whom the typical Chinese male cannot relate. Already nervous that caring about their appearance means that they are not manly, Chinese males have been put off by Clarins' advertising campaigns. To advertise male grooming products, Clarins chose ethnically diverse, metrosexual models that presented an image most Chinese men could not identifiy with. When viewing ads, potential buyers were confused as to why and how they would want to look like the models using Clarins products.
L'Oréal has been much more successful recently through its choice of Korean movie stars for its male cosmetic brand, Biotherm. These Korean stars exhibit a look, style, and personality that Chinese men aspire to and that Chinese women wish their boyfriends would exhibit. Clarins is not alone in portraying its brand in an odd light to Chinese consumers. Too many brands launch advertising campaigns centered around preppie blond models lounging on sailboats. In a country where sailboats and the Hamptons are not in the popular imagination this advertising tack does not work.Link: The Key to Successful Branding in China.