Chapter 480: Ad Ideas and Rising Stars

Thursday morning.

Xu Chen jotted down a simple creative plan for Red Star Erguotou on his phone during class breaks.

In the group chat, Sun Lingfeng shared an image showing the traffic graph for the official Ran Bing Sports store.

[Today’s store traffic saw a significant surge.]

[I asked the Taobao operations team, and they didn’t have any special promotions.]

[After monitoring, this wave of traffic all came from external organic searches…]

Xu Chen paused, surprised. Increased traffic for the official store was great, but there had to be a reason.

Yet, Bing Ge hadn’t competed in the last couple of days, and there were no major news stories.

Nie Fei, always on top of things, replied in the group:

[This morning, Louis Vuitton announced their spring-summer collection endorsers.]

[I bet the offline materials are already out there.]

She attached a full English news link from Louis Vuitton’s official release, featuring posters of Scarlett Johansson and Xie Bingran as dual endorsers.

Xu Chen thought to himself, “Ah, that explains it.” He hadn’t expected Louis Vuitton to move so quickly.

Bing Ge’s photo shoot involved massive post-production work, yet Paris’s art team finished it all during the Lunar New Year break.

Jiang Yuze followed up by posting several Louis Vuitton news articles in the group—all domestic media PR from that morning.

For a luxury giant like Louis Vuitton, media spending isn’t as hefty as for fast-moving consumer goods, but the buzz and attention it generates are just as powerful.

Nie Fei organized in the group:

[Jiang Yuze, keep an eye on public opinion and trends. Talk to the PR company about leveraging this traffic and buzz.]

[Got it, on it right away!]

Not long after, in a smaller group with just Bing Ge, Xu Chen, Su Rong, and Wu Feifei, Su Rong forwarded those Louis Vuitton posters and added a bunch of starry-eyed emojis:

[Bing Ge looks so handsome!]

(▽)

Wu Feifei: [Ahhh! He really does look amazing!]

Su Rong: [I’m getting Bing Ge’s exact outfit this weekend!]

Wu Feifei: [Count me in!]

Xu Chen: [Hello, you two ladies of leisure…]

Wu Feifei: [You can be our chauffeur, rich boy!]

Xu Chen: […])

…

…

Noon, in the company’s main conference room.

Nana ordered pizzas as a little perk for the team working through lunch.

The brainstorming session focused on the creative ideas for Red Star Erguotou, set to pitch next week.

Sharing ideas right now was Zhang Yuchen, a senior from the advertising major and current intern at East Morning Star Advertising.

She’d put together a proper plan, covering targets, strategies, and creatives—all straight out of the textbook.

“Here’s what we’ve come up with:

Red Star Erguotou: Live your unique self…

It resonates with young people’s rebellious spirit, shaking off the brand’s outdated image…”

This was the interns’ group effort, and Xu Chen listened with a smile, though he couldn’t help shaking his head inside.

Without real hands-on experience, their ideas just weren’t pitch-ready.

Plus, calling the brand ‘outdated’ right in the plan? If the clients saw that, they’d flip tables and kick us out.

Sun Aimi and Tang Xiaowei each suggested a few directions, two of which were actually solid.

One concept was ‘Young energy needs that kick.’

‘Kick’ captured the youthful vibe and the liquor’s bold taste—pretty clever blend.

Another was ‘Trendy liquor: Red Star Erguotou.’

Paired with a fresh, youthful bottle redesign, it modernized the classic Red Star look to appeal to younger crowds.

Essentially, giving Red Star Erguotou a trendy makeover to win over the youth.

Everyone felt the same spark with these ideas. When ‘Kick’ and ‘Trendy liquor’ hit the screen, nods went around the room.

Xu Chen couldn’t hold back his praise:

“These concepts are great—let’s include them in the plan.”

Sun Aimi and Tang Xiaowei nodded, beaming with joy.

Getting the young boss’s approval was a real win.

Then, Sun Aimi looked at Xu Chen with eager eyes.

She knew he had some ace ideas up his sleeve…

Xu Chen shared a document on the screen—a simple text file he’d typed out on his phone that morning.

As those lines appeared, everyone in the room turned, their faces lighting up with surprise and admiration.

[Swallow all unspoken words in one gulp]

[Pour the fiery years down your throat]

[Use bullets to drop enemies, Erguotou to drop your brothers]

[Youth races by, leaving your throat raw with alcohol]

…

The room fell silent for a moment.

Those words carried such emotional punch, gripping everyone instantly.

Compared to Xu Chen’s lines, the earlier ideas suddenly felt flat and weak.

The interns exchanged glances, their expressions mixed.

They’d all contributed to the project, and now seeing Xu Chen’s ‘junior’ work, the gap was clear.

As advertising students, even as newcomers, they had the judgment to see it.

Xu Chen’s slogans stood head and shoulders above the rest.

Even if they couldn’t pinpoint why, their instincts said they’d pick his.

Sun Aimi adjusted her round glasses, excitement shining in her eyes:

“This copy has so much visual impact…

Give me time, and I can make it pulse with emotion!”

Xu Chen smiled:

“Perfect—let’s go with it!

We’ll prepare three plans for the pitch: the ‘Kick,’ ‘Trendy liquor,’ and this one.

Let the clients choose.”

Sun Aimi looked a bit embarrassed:

“Boss, maybe just yours.

Ours feel so basic next to it.”

Tang Xiaowei laughed:

“We can include ours too—that way, the clients will really see how strong yours is!”

Xu Chen grabbed a slice of pizza and dug in, feeling content.

Zhang Yuchen raised her hand, like a student in class:

“Can I ask a question?”

Xu Chen: “Go ahead, senior.”

Zhang Yuchen thought for a second:

“This set is brilliant—these lines alone pack a punch.

But how did you come up with it?

It feels totally different from the other directions.

Sorry if I’m not clear—it’s like the answer’s there, but I can’t trace back the thought process…”

Xu Chen felt a bit stumped inside.

Explaining to newcomers was always tough—it could turn into a long chat.

He kept it simple, hitting the key points:

“Red Star Erguotou’s core audience is middle-aged men—that’s their base.

This ad targets youth, but we can’t alienate the old crowd.

Otherwise, we might lose young users and drive away the loyal ones.”

He paused:

“Stuff like ‘Trendy liquor’ or ‘Be different’ has risks.

It could turn off the older drinkers.

They might think, ‘This is too kid-oriented for my Red Star.’

Middle-aged folks are conservative—they might even look down on youth trends.

Changing the brand’s feel too much could backfire, and we can’t control who sees the ads.”

The room went thoughtful.

No one had considered that before.

Xu Chen pointed to the screen:

“This approach is smarter—it uses nostalgia and youth memories.

It can resonate with young people or remind older ones of their past.

The line’s blurred, so it won’t offend the base.

That’s why phrases like ‘fiery years’ and ‘Erguotou drops brothers’ work…”

He broke it down briefly without going too deep.

The young team caught on to the strategy.

Zhang Yuchen pondered:

“Won’t this feel too nostalgic? Might not be trendy enough for youth?”

Xu Chen smiled:

“Nostalgia is trendy.

Lots of young people love retro vibes and sentimental stuff.

‘Red Star’ started in ’49, so for youth, it’s got that built-in vintage charm from their parents’ era.”

“That makes sense…”

Another senior from the advertising class raised his hand:

“I have a question.”

Xu Chen: “Go ahead.”

“The ‘Kick’ and ‘Trendy liquor’ ideas are upbeat and positive.

But this one feels melancholic, even heavy—why?”

Xu Chen chuckled: “It’s cheap Erguotou we’re talking about.

Who drinks it and when?

For this youth push, picture this: College grads hitting a barbecue joint, each with a half-bottle of Red Star.

They’re broke students, so it’s affordable.

Facing goodbyes, they get drunk on memories and loss.

What do they talk about? Guys get sentimental with booze—tears and all.

‘Swallow all unspoken words’ is the core—it’s all in the drink.”

The seniors, especially the guys nearing graduation, got the feeling right away.

“Yeah, that hits home…”

Xu Chen glanced at the time:

“I need to head back to class. Let’s lock in the plan.

Aimi, assign the tasks—get everything ready before the trip next week!”

Sun Aimi: “You got it, boss!”

Xu Chen grinned, pizza in hand, and left the room.

…

“Young Xu is seriously impressive!”

“Totally! His insights make so much sense once he explains them.”

“‘Swallow all unspoken words in one gulp’—perfect for Erguotou moments.

How does he think of this stuff?”

“And ‘Youth races by, leaving your throat raw’—I love that line.

It could be an ad classic!”

As the young team marveled, Sun Aimi adjusted her glasses and said casually:

“The boss is just that good. You’ll see after a few more meetings.”

…

…

Weekend arrived in a flash.

These past two days, Xu Chen stayed in his cozy spot in Tonghai New Village.

It was perfect for relaxing—quieter than the school dorm or office, with a bathroom right in the room for ultimate convenience.

Xie Bingran’s thoughtfulness made him feel truly happy.

The whole place was now fresh and inviting, with all the new furniture delivered and set up into a warm little nest.

Xu Chen replaced the mirror above the sink and glanced at the toothbrushes, wishing Xie Bingran was there to share the weekend.

They could’ve just cozied up together…

The living room and dining area had a whole new vibe with the fresh sofa and chairs.

No TV yet, but Xu Chen didn’t mind—he rarely watched anyway.

Wandering around, he felt like he’d really settled in Shanghai.

Having his own place made a big difference.

Bing Ge’s birthday gift was both lavish and heartfelt.

Bai Miao had helped with the house purchase, so he needed to thank her soon.

…

As Xu Chen headed out, he got a message from Su Rong:

[We’re together now, waiting for you to pick us up!]

Today, the two ladies were hitting Louis Vuitton for shopping and wanted Xu Chen as their driver.

He was more than happy to go—rumor had it there were massive Bing Ge posters on Huaihai Road and Nanjing Road, and he wanted to check them out.

Bing Ge’s Louis Vuitton shots were top-notch; on big billboards, they’d surely turn heads.