Burberry and Tencent are bringing luxury fashion to Honor of Kings

The flirtation between high fashion and gaming is blossoming into a full-on romance.

British luxury house Burberry has announced a partnership with Tencent Games through their massively popular title Honor of Kings (王者榮耀), the multiplayer battle arena blockbuster that plays host to over 100 million active players each day.

The brands indicate that it will feature "interactive digital content" and an "opportunity for consumers to connect with Burberry's products online." Whether this means shoppable in-game "skins" or even a full-blown Burberry runway show is yet to be revealed.

What is certain is that it's a smart move for any retailer looking to get more eyes on their brand. Marketers need to be where the market is, and in this year of global lockdown, that increasingly appears to be world of online gaming — especially in China, where, as of 2019, it's reported that over 640 million members of the population play video games, according to the China Gaming Industry Report. (Also worth nothing: 300 million of those gamers are female.) 

It continues a trend that has seen Valentino, Marc Jacobs and Anna Sui releasing looks on Nintendo's quarantine hit Animal Crossing, while Gucci's front row at Milan Fashion Week AW20 played host to members of Fnatic, a top organisation in the eSports world. And it's not just fashion that's getting involved: Fortnite has become a stage for artists like Travis Scott and J. Balvin to bring virtual concerts to new audiences all over the globe, while even American politicians have utilised online gaming, like the massively popular Among Us, to get out messages ahead of the 2020 election.

“Online games are a platform on which we can tell brand stories in ways that we know really resonate with our customers in China," said Josie Zhang, president of Burberry China.

"Introducing elements of Burberry’s house codes into one of Tencent Games’ environments allows customers to engage with the brand in more novel and freeform ways. Just like Burberry’s founder, we want to empower our community to explore their surroundings, whether it is online or offline."

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