Chen Xuedong

While most brands tread very carefully as they develop their partnerships with celebrities, others are more willing to go out on a limb.

The award-winning actress Shu Qi is the female figurehead and voice of the Italian jewelry brand Bulgari, and the singer and actor Kris Wu is the male counterpart.

Rather than directly targeting sales, the brand looks at it in what it regards as a more sustainable way.

"We chose him because his personality and style fit our brand," says Farrel Yi, communications manager of Bulgari China. "So we can have our conversation with the young generation.

"As a luxury brand we are always expanding our customer base and trying to get consumers to know us better. We didn't choose Kris because we expect him to directly boost sales. That would be unfair to him and unhealthy for the brand. After all, it's luxury we're dealing with here, not snacks."

Yi says that as Bulgari went about selecting a man, Wu stood out because of his strong personality, his international background, his artistic talent and his ambition.

"In addition, as the world's second-largest economy, China should have its own international face," Yi says.