November saw the China debut and launch of Great British heritage brand Wedgwood’s highest-end collection — Wedgwood & Bentley. The collection pays homage to the company’s founder, Josiah Wedgwood, and businessman Thomas Bentley, who formed a partnership in 1762. Wedgwood & Bentley is a collection of decoration pieces and tableware combining classic pieces with contemporary designs using materials such as fine bone china, black jasper, gold and platinum. Each piece is handcrafted by artisans using methods developed by Josiah Wedgwood; most are limited editions signed by the artist. The collection revitalizes the unique craft that Wedgwood artisans have preserved over the last two-and-a-half centuries in response to the re-emerging class of Chinese consumers, who are looking for the true values of quality, authenticity and genuine craftsmanship.

The strategy centered upon building awareness of the Wedgwood brand as the epitome of British elegance and lifestyle, and reinforcing it as one of the world’s first luxury brands favored by royal families and aristocrats around the world. Tied-in with retail presence at the high-end Shin Kong Place store in Beijing, a teaser announcement with store images and product shots was developed and distributed prior to the main launch featuring the Wedgwood & Bentley arrival and store introduction. Multiple news angles were created to reach a variety of influencers for the high-profile launch, including British and Chinese influential figures from the government, arts and entertainment, business and finance, who are all well-recognized exemplars of elegant lifestyle. Additionally, endorsements by A-list movie star Zhang Yuqi, and Wedgwood ambassador Lord Wedgwood were also leveraged. The media plan prioritized key media targets — art and deco titles, lifestyle and fashion publications, as well as business and general news media. High-quality oneon- one and group media interviews were also secured for Lord Wedgwood and Zhang Yuqi to generate in-depth stories for the brand.

The heavily attended launch, combined with the interviews with Lord Wedgwood and Zhang Yuqi, quickly generated tremendous media impressions, highlighting Wedgwood as the ‘reference of British elegance’, the ‘icon of western art’, and the ‘brand favored by the queen of England’. So far the campaign has generated a total of 88 pieces of coverage including TV and video sharing stations, print and online coverage. Additional media coverage will continue to come out in the next two months.