Gucci and Tencent join forces

Gucci is teaming up with the tech giant Tencent to expand its digital offering.

The luxury Italian fashion brand and the Chinese conglomerate known for social networks such as QQ and WeChat are partnering on a native content project, WWD reports.

Together, the duo will "establish a framework that will stimulate innovation and leadership in digital strategies spanning the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Smart Retail, Content Generation and Digital Thought Leadership," WWD has learned, with Martin Lau, president of Tencent, saying: "Through this collaboration with Gucci, we will jointly build exceptional experiences for Gucci's community, conveying Gucci's fashion sensibility and contemporary aesthetics to Chinese consumers."

In October, the companies launched a series of short films titled ‘Gucci Inspiration Map' that featured multiple international stars and Gucci ambassadors, ranging from the Chinese actress and singer Chris Lee and the actor Wu Lei to Lady Laura Burlington, Countess of Burlington. According to WWD, the series has racked up over 64 million views on Tencent video and Gucci platforms in China so far.

Other luxury brands such as Burberry, Longchamp and Michael Kors have also invested heavily in Chinese social media platform experiences such as WeChat mini-programs over recent years.