Chapter 46: 046 New Advertisement

Chapter 46: 046 New Advertisement

C City, Ling Ge Entertainment Building.

"Did the Z brand deal not go through?" Xie Qingyang's brows furrowed into a deep frown. "Who got it instead?"

The agent hesitated, and Xie Qingyang already had an idea. "Gu Sinian, or Meng Qin?"

The agent gently shook his head. "It's Lu Xu."

Xie Qingyang's frown deepened even more.

Over the past six months, his endorsements had plummeted. On the surface, everything looked glamorous, but in reality, he was only landing short-term gigs, the kind where endorsements could rotate every three months.

Endorsements aren't just about money; they reflect a star's real popularity.

In this industry, a male star can blow up every six months on average. With each new star, Xie Qingyang's endorsements would be redistributed.

Endorsements for shampoo brands might seem mundane, and fans often don't even count them when comparing endorsements. Luxury brand collaborations are more indicative of a star's popularity and prestige.

But to some extent, a brand like Z represents national recognition.

Consumer goods endorsements might seem easy to secure, but upon closer inspection, only top-tier stars land such deals. The more established the brand, the more likely they are to invite veteran stars.

"How did Lu Xu end up with it?" As soon as Xie Qingyang said this, he realized he had spoken out of turn.

Over the past year, Lu Xu's career had taken off.

The Noble Son, The Son of Heaven, and The Supreme—all three dramas had hit record-breaking viewership numbers. Among the new generation, aside from a few with the company's full support, no one was hotter than Lu Xu.

Lu Xu had recently signed with Feiyang Entertainment. Before that, he'd been flying solo, but that didn't stop him from blowing up.

The fanbase hierarchy before Verse disbanded had been shattered. Lu Xu's current popularity had overtaken Gu Sinian's.

And even... surpassed his and Meng Qin's popularity.

Xie Qingyang didn't want to think too hard about it, because in the career plan he had mapped out for himself, Lu Xu was always the shy, low-key underdog, forever in their shadow, with no chance of rising.

But now, Lu Xu had firmly established himself in the entertainment industry.

Z brand was one Xie Qingyang had always wanted to collaborate with. Consumer goods brands are far less demanding than luxury brands, and they pay well. Unlike luxury brands, which might take years to evaluate and only give a token title in the end.

Based on earlier hints from Z brand, once this deal was sealed, they were willing to sign a three-year contract with the endorser.

"Lu Xu doesn't have any endorsements left, does he?" Xie Qingyang asked.

"Right, after leaving Ling Ge Entertainment, they all vanished," the agent recalled after a moment. "Back then, your roles overlapped."

Shortly after Verse disbanded, Lu Xu's endorsements were divided among Xie Qingyang and the others. Brands saw no hope in him and naturally preferred to bet on Xie Qingyang and the others.

Xie Qingyang had been quite proud of this.

"Positioning overlap..." Xie Qingyang repeated the phrase, savoring it.

Positioning overlap—so they had replaced Lu Xu back then. And now... although it hadn't happened yet, Xie Qingyang could almost see a future where Lu Xu would replace them.

...

For now, Lu Xu was unaware that Z brand had considered Xie Qingyang and the others. If he had known, he would have thought Z brand's choice of him was absolutely right.

The only thing he was puzzled about was why he had to pose for so many front-facing photos when it was supposed to be a shampoo advertisement.

When signing the contract, the brand did mention that they hoped Lu Xu would take a few posters for promotional purposes, as well as several sets of exclusive photos for the brand collection.

Lu Xu naturally agreed.

But he didn't expect that the photographer hired by the brand would keep shooting non-stop. Lu Xu struck one pose after another until his neck was almost stiff, yet the photographer's enthusiasm remained undiminished.

"Next, let's take a set of upper-body portraits," the photographer paused briefly before enthusiastically calling Lu Xu over.

Lu Xu: "...Does what we just did count as just one set?"

"Yes," the photographer answered so firmly that Lu Xu wanted to confirm if there was some misunderstanding about the term "one set."

But... just as Lu Xu was about to argue, the photographer had already resumed a serious demeanor, radiating professionalism.

Lu Xu felt the photographer's presence was towering, at least 1.8 meters tall, and the unyielding atmosphere made him swallow the word "one set."

He didn't dare to argue.

After another seemingly endless "one set" of photos, the photographer finally showed a satisfied expression.

Lu Xu overheard the business manager muttering, "It's a shame he didn't show more... it would have been more appealing to consumers."

The business manager was cut off mid-sentence by the photographer's sharp rebuttal: "You don't understand at all! Clothing is more alluring than nudity. That kind of subtle allure is a primal human instinct that cannot be overcome!"

At that moment, Lu Xu was sure the photographer had thoroughly intimidated the business manager.

Because he himself was also intimidated.

The photographer's thoughts seemed to have transcended earthly bounds, reaching a realm known only to renowned biologists.

Although Lu Xu couldn't help but wonder, with words like "subtle," "alluring," "clothing," and "primal" being thrown around, was this really a proper brand advertisement shoot?

Lu Xu glanced down at himself. He was wearing a white shirt, a perfectly respectable outfit... How did the photographer and the business manager take it to such extremes?

Especially the former. Lu Xu felt as though the photographer was conducting some mysterious ritual.

After the shoot, Lu Xu didn't dare to stay a minute longer and bolted from the scene.

...

"It's not my fault. Lu Xu is just too easy to photograph," the photographer said as he reviewed the photos one by one. "Whether posed or candid, every shot is flawless."

"Why did it take so long to get him here?"

The brand's business manager: "..."

He was at a loss for words.

But... the photographer wasn't wrong.

Lu Xu's hair in the photos was dark and soft, and the white shirt accentuated his warm and gentle aura, giving him an exceptionally fresh look.

Whether it was because Lu Xu was naturally photogenic or for some other reason, the photographer, who had collaborated with Z brand several times and shot many celebrities, seemed to excel when photographing Lu Xu. The photos turned out so beautifully that even if you weren't interested in shampoo, you'd want to take these photos home.

The photos were indeed stunning, but the photographer's obsessive behavior, as though he'd found his muse, was unbearable.

"Someone will buy them, won't they?" the business manager whispered.

"Don’t worry, it’s going to be a huge hit!"

...

Z brand moved quickly. After the advertisement and poster shooting were completed, the brand immediately announced that Lu Xu would be the spokesperson for their new product.

Products featuring Lu Xu's promotional items were quickly distributed to major supermarkets.

"A new endorsement! A new poster! Lu Xu with soft, fluffy hair, what a magnificent face."

"Great face +1, finally a brand has noticed Lu Xu."

"I've been saying, with Lu Xu's popularity and recognition this year, it's about time for some endorsements."

"During the Verse period, Lu Xu had group and individual endorsements, but for some reason, I feel that the posters he shot after becoming an actor better match his personal vibe."

"+1 +1, the soft and fluffy puppy energy is even stronger."

In the eyes of fans, the Lu Xu on the poster is like a freshly baked, soft bread-like puppy, and the moving advertisement is—

"Wow! Can’t they film more?"

"We want—more daring shots! And you show us this?"

In the footage, Lu Xu has obviously just showered, his hair is wet, with water droplets faintly visible at the ends and on his neck. The collar of his shirt is slightly open, revealing a glimpse of his Adam’s apple. The glass reflects his blurred outline, and the buttons are slowly fastened from top to bottom, leaving much to the imagination.

The scene cuts, the collar still only slightly open, but his hair is now dry, black and fluffy, not particularly smooth, but it makes you imagine how soft it would feel.

"Can we have more sexy scenes? But after drying his hair, he looks like a black Chow Chow, it’s a tough call."

"So cute! His hair looks so fluffy! Why is this a men's shampoo? Why not make it unisex?"

"I’m complaining, but I've already secretly placed an order. It's said that the set comes with posters and photos, and the set is cheaper."

"From today on, I'll be a filial daughter, I bought a whole set of shampoo for my dad."

"One word—sold!"

This shampoo advertisement has just been released, and the view count has already surpassed ten thousand views in record time.

When Qin Zhao gained some popularity, fans guessed he would have new endorsements, but they didn't expect it to take so long, even after 'The Supreme' finished airing, and the new drama 'The Path of Bones' wrapped up.

But fans also think that Lu Xu's choice to accept endorsements now is wise. Right after 'The Son of Heaven' finished airing, with Lu Xu's popularity, he probably couldn't have secured Z brand's new product.

Most importantly, the posters are absolutely stunning!

The wet hair photos are of a sexy college guy, with a hint of his physique that the shirt can't hide, but the photos after drying his hair show a soft puppy, looking gentle and fresh!

Probably to fit the role of Yu Yi, Lu Xu's body is slightly more muscular than before shooting 'The Path of Bones,' which is perfect for wearing shirts, not too skinny, but not overly muscular.

...

The product has just been launched, and although they hired Lu Xu as the new spokesperson, Z brand did not expect sales to skyrocket right away.

After all, it's a new product with a small market presence. Z brand's more popular products are still their old-line care products, which have a fixed consumer base.

Men's shampoo is just a small category, and Z brand's expansion in this category is lagging behind its competitors.

In addition, this campaign is Lu Xu's first endorsement after transitioning to an actor.

Lu Xu has yet to prove his marketability.

Although he was once part of Verse, most of Lu Xu's fans actually came after he switched careers. Before that, he was the kind of celebrity the market had given up on.

Whether this new product will be a smash hit or a total flop, no one can say.

Shortly after Z Brand announced Lu Xu as their endorser, one morning, a marketing account dropped a mysterious hint, revealing that Z Brand had reached out to Verse’s Xie Qingyang and Meng Qin, but ended up going with Lu Xu as the face of the campaign.

"?"

"? Why not compare their popularity? Lu Xu has just over 10 million Weibo followers, while Xie Qingyang has 90 million."

"No matter how you look at it, Xie Qingyang seems like the better choice. What kind of market pull does Lu Xu even have?"

"Xie Qingyang’s got plenty of deals; he doesn’t need this one. Lu Xu’s a different story—his agent probably begged for this deal for ages, poor guy."

"... Don’t Lu Xu’s fans always brag about how popular he is? If the shampoo flops, they’ll finally shut up."