In 2024, amidst the fiercely competitive brand environment, Zuliz is gradually moving away from the traditional large-scale market promotion path, aiming for a soft landing through cultural and emotional connections.
At the end of October, the Zuliz super explosive product launch event concluded successfully. Judging from the feedback on social media, various topics related to brand development, trend analysis, and marketing insights attracted significant attention. The event brought together thousands of distributors, creating an unprecedented grand scene. Notably, the official announcement of the collaboration between the “Ping An Fu” intellectual property and Zuliz has stirred up new waves in the industry.
“Ping An Fu” is the cultural symbol chosen by Zuliz elderly shoes brand among many intellectual properties.
“Ping An Fu” was created by the renowned traditional cultural scholar and Fu culture expert, Guantong. It features a top cover with the inscription “Supreme Treasure of Peace and Safety,” symbolizing auspicious fortunes. Additionally, the characters for “Fu” have been creatively written as “Ping” and “An” using the elements “礻” and “畐,” forming the distinctive “Ping An Fu” intellectual property.
It is reported that the “Ping An Fu” created by Guantong has been engraved in various iconic cultural landscapes such as the ancient royal temple Tanze Temple in Beijing and Mount Tai, attracting numerous visitors to touch the Fu stone and seek blessings.
The choice of “Ping An Fu” as a co-branded intellectual property is closely related to the significant position of the character “Fu” in Chinese culture.
The earliest appearance of the character “Fu” can be traced back to oracle bones at the Yin ruins in Anyang during the Shang Dynasty. In terms of its structure, it can be divided into two parts. The left side features the radical “示,” representing “sacrifice,” while the right side has the character “酉,” symbolizing a “wine vessel” at that time, with a shape resembling two hands underneath, indicating support. This character conveys people’s emotions of conveying good wishes to heaven and earth through “prayer.”
As the written language evolved, the structural form of the character “Fu” gradually changed. By the Qin Dynasty, the character “畐” within “Fu” became more distinct. During this time, the character “Fu” not only retained the meanings of prayer and blessings but also added the connotation of “full of blessings.” It is evident that the character “Fu” is not just a Chinese character but also a form of emotional expression and the transmission of values.
The character “Fu” has undergone a significant historical evolution in its form and structure.
In daily life, the character “Fu” often appears in various festive decorations and auspicious items such as Spring Festival couplets, paper-cuttings, lanterns, jade ornaments, symbolizing good fortune, happiness, and fulfillment. These manifestations reflect the importance of “Fu” in the hearts of the Chinese people.
Therefore, the profoundly meaningful and creative “Ping An Fu” intellectual property is ideally suited as a marketing highlight for elderly shoe products. By integrating this symbol carrying profound cultural significance into product design, Zuliz not only enhances the cultural value of the products but also better meets the emotional needs of the target consumer group.
Under this co-branded partnership, Zuliz promptly introduced a super product category – the “Leap Month Shoes.”
According to Chinese traditional customs, during a leap year or leap month in the lunar calendar, the younger generation prepares a new pair of shoes for their elders to pray for longevity. The saying “Leap month shoes, wear them in the leap month, and elders will live a thousand years in the leap month” reflects this custom. Given that June 2025 falls on a leap month, Zuliz seized the opportunity to launch this explosive product, further promoting the realization of the dual-category strategy of “elderly shoes” + “gifts for elders.”
As the baby boomer generation gradually enters retirement life, new consumer demands are emerging. Against this backdrop, Zuliz, through the leap month shoes, aims to cleverly connect products with conveying blessings. This strategy allows consumers to naturally associate “blessings” with the brand, thereby enhancing the brand’s attractiveness. For Zuliz, this is undoubtedly one of the effective strategies for building long-term customer relationships.
From the perspective of this super explosive product launch event, Zuliz not only strives for innovation in meeting consumer demands but also combines the traditional cultural element of “Ping An Fu” with modern design concepts, introducing a series of stylish and creative elderly shoe products. Additionally, Zuliz plans to expand its product line further by launching peripheral products featuring the “Ping An Fu” intellectual property, enriching the cultural connotations and values through multi-channel marketing, allowing consumers to experience the charm of culture in their daily lives.
In the face of the industry’s fierce competition, Zuliz, moving forward steadily, can be expected to showcase more remarkable highlights in 2025. The co-branded collaboration with the “Ping An Fu” intellectual property undoubtedly sets a positive tone for the brand as it welcomes the new year.
