Kris Wu is Burberry’s first Chinese brand ambassador, commanding a social media following of over 25 million which has made the actor, singer and model an effective communication channel for brands looking to break into Asia. Wu closed Burberry’s Autumn/Winter 2016 menswear show.
Of his appointment as brand ambassador, Burberry chief creative officer Christopher Bailey said, “Kris is a modern day artist who works seamlessly across all these different worlds from music, to fashion to film, which really resonates with us as a brand and which inspired me to want to work together.”
Launching his career in 2012 as a one of K-Pop group EXO’s 12 members, Wu left in 2014 to pursue a solo music and film career. In 2016, he landed a role in China’s top grossing movie of all time, The Mermaid.
Wu was also the first male celebrity on the cover of Vogue China, shot in 2015 by Mario Testino and featuring Kendall Jenner . In the same year, he attended the Met Gala, and according to InStyle was the fourth most tweeted-about celebrity in attendance, behind Beyonce, Rihanna and Justin Bieber.
With over 5 million followers on Instagram and 25 million on Chinese social media platform Weibo, the 26-year-old is a popular collaborator for brands looking to expand into the Asian market. In March, Wu was announced as the Bulgari brand ambassador for Baselworld 2017.
In 2017, Wu was included in the Forbes “30 Under 30 Asia” list.
