FILA Re-creates the "Myth" of Growth and Officially Announces Jackson Yee as the Global Brand Ambassador.

On December 5, the Italian fashion and sports brand FILA officially announced that the all-round artist Jackson Yee has become its global brand ambassador. This news has attracted widespread attention from all walks of life.

To some extent, Jackson Yee's elegant temperament and textured screen performance are in line with the "Italian classic aesthetics" advocated by FILA. This collaboration between the two sides will also jointly interpret FILA's new definition of "classical Italian aesthetics" and inject new vitality into this century-old Italian classic brand.

01  Why Jackson Yee?

 "Jackson Yee is a representative of the Generation Z artists and has a high international reputation. As an enthusiast of retro clothing, his style also coincides with FILA's direction of exploring the retro sports track."

When talking about this cooperation with Jackson Yee, Shi Rui, the Vice President of Marketing in the Greater China region of FILA, expressed this to 36Kr.

In his perception, Jackson Yee has a strong recognition among consumers of all age groups, which can not only help FILA break through different circles but also better help the brand reach Generation Z consumers.

It is worth noting that in FILA's continuously advancing global spokesperson strategy, Jackson Yee is the first representative of the "Asian male face". Looking back at FILA's previous spokespersons, it is not difficult to find that each FILA spokesperson has a leading position in a professional sub-field. Among them, Han So-hee is the spokesperson for fashionable and elegant sports; Hailey Bieber is even more the representative of FILA's deep cultivation in women's sports and internationalization.

"In the process of selecting a spokesperson, FILA will focus on whether they have absolute appeal in a certain field, whether they have a distinct style or icon attribute, and we will also pay attention to whether this spokesperson has the willingness to grow together with the FILA brand."

Shi Rui also emphasized that FILA always compares with first-line luxury brands in the selection of spokespersons. "We will only sign the pioneers with the most cultural labels of this era."

On the contrary, FILA particularly values Jackson Yee's unique cultural temperament. Whether it is "The Longest Day in Chang'an", "Better Days" or "Full River Red", Jackson Yee's interpretation and in-depth portrayal of the characters have brought the audience a rather profound screen experience. Jackson Yee's personality trait of "adhering to the original intention and improving himself" also conforms to the brand spirit of FILA.

At the same time as this official announcement, Jackson Yee also specially wore and demonstrated the Settanta Jacket (Set retro jacket) item newly released by FILA.

In more official materials, the Settanta Jacket is the most representative item of FILA and has played an extremely important role in the development history of FILA.

It is introduced that the Settanta Jacket was born in the 1970s, and its design inspiration comes from the armband of the British Royal Guards. The ergonomic curve segmentation fully demonstrates elegance and dynamics.

In 1979, the Settanta Jacket became famous along with Björn Borg's victory at Wimbledon and has become an enduring style. Since then, FILA has continuously injected new inspiration and the creativity of exquisite aesthetics to make it vibrant in more occasions and different eras. The spiritual significance of the Settanta Jacket has gradually evolved into "Write the past, Set the future", that is, "adhering to the classics while being brave in change".

02 Leading the Italian Retro Trend

 "The Settanta Jacket is the key entry point for FILA to reproduce the Italian classic aesthetics."

In Shi Rui's introduction, the Settanta Jacket worn by Jackson Yee not only retains the tough and simple silhouette of the past but also incorporates the new and trendy color matching. In the future, FILA will make a deep layout around the Settanta Jacket to interpret more new styles.

Then, what exactly is Italian aesthetics? Why did this retro trend arise? Why can FILA become the leader of Italian retro aesthetics?

For the general public, the "Italian style" is a generalization of the traditional style of ancient Greek and Roman. It not only has the expressive tension of bright and large color blocks and the simple and modern design characteristics of Milan but also does not lose the magnificence and elegance of the authentic classical culture of Europe.

In the field where fashion and sports blend, FILA, which has a history of a hundred years, is undoubtedly a representative of Italian aesthetics.

In 1911, FILA was founded by two brothers in the small town of Biella, Italy. In the 1970s, FILA decisively turned to the field of sports apparel and fully devoted itself to expanding mid-to-high-end sports such as tennis, golf, skiing, mountaineering, basketball, and baseball. It perfectly combines Italian elegance with sports vitality.

From the perspective of design style, FILA not only absorbs the art and culture of Italy but also skillfully integrates modern fashion into it. Whether it is the dad shoes, the classic tennis shirt or the Settanta Jacket, one can see FILA's attention to details and the continuation of the Italian style.

"Modernity is fluid."

The British sociologist Bauman believes that because society is developing so fast and everything is fleeting, the hazy feeling of the past makes people cherish it even more. When time enters the "information explosion" era of the 21st century, the complex social environment has made the "retro trend" rise globally.

In Shi Rui's view, the outbreak of the retro wave is an embodiment of Generation Z's desire to control their own lives and regain their right to independent expression. He believes that the admiration and nostalgia for the classics is that in the current environment where uncertainty is increasing, young people are increasingly eager to find certainty.

Market data supports Shi Rui's judgment.

The "Outdoor Sports Industry Trend White Paper" released by CBN Data shows that among the mainstream style trend words in 2023, the "Old Money Style, College Style, and American Retro Style" related to retro sports are not weaker than the popular "Mountain Style" in terms of the number of notes and interaction volume on Xiaohongshu.

Qiangua Data also shows that from September to November 2024, the number of notes about retro sports style on Xiaohongshu almost catches up with outdoor sports.

 03 Dual-wheel Drive, Embracing the Future

 "Classics will never go out of style. The reason why many brands rise rapidly and disappear quickly is that they have not precipitated the true brand characteristics and culture."

In Shi Rui's perception, the current FILA needs to reshape the brand foundation with the help of the retro trend and continuously integrate modern popular elements to gain more growth vitality. However, Shi Rui also emphasizes that the classic elements of FILA will not change.

Take the Settanta Jacket as an example, the classic color matching of "red, blue, and white" and the broad and straight silhouette will not be missing. In addition, the MILANO series will also accelerate its development in 2025. It is introduced that FILA established a new studio in Milan in 2022, and the MILANO series was born there.

It is believed that in the future, FILA will bring more Italian aesthetic experiences to Chinese consumers.

In fact, since the Anta Group acquired FILA in 2009, this fashion and sports brand from Italy has deeply participated in and shared the rapid development of China's consumer economy for more than ten years, and has now become a bright spot in the fashion and sports life of Chinese consumers.

In 2021, FILA increased by 25.1% year-on-year to 21.822 billion yuan, setting a new record for the brand. However, when the trend of the consumer market changes and "consumer stratification" becomes a major trend, sports brands including FILA are facing a critical juncture of stable development and seeking transformation.

It is at this time that FILA proposed the lighthouse plan of "dual-wheel drive", that is, "leading fashion + elite sports".

Among them, elite sports mainly focus on tennis, golf, and running. Leading fashion is "leading the combination of art and sports, leading the top channels, leading by spokespersons, and leading in shoe innovation". At the same time, FILA also continuously strengthens the high-end brand power, continuously expands and consolidates high-end stores, and initiates the large-store strategy to go through the development cycle and achieve sustainable growth.

The success of FILA's transformation can also be seen from the financial report performance since entering 2024.

In the first half of this year, FILA achieved a revenue of 13.06 billion yuan, an increase of 6.8% year-on-year. The shoe category increased by more than 20%, and the apparel and sports category achieved double-digit growth.

At the earnings conference, Wu Yonghua, the Co-Chief Executive Officer of the Anta Group, disclosed that the main FILA brand, which accounts for more than 60%, still maintained double-digit growth in the first half of the year, with shoes growing by more than 20%, the apparel and sports line growing by more than double digits, and online growth also exceeding 20%.

According to Shi Rui, FILA's annual revenue in 2024 may exceed the 30 billion mark. At this time, the official announcement of Jackson Yee as the global brand ambassador can be seen to have a significant impact on revenue and product sales.

In the upcoming 2025, the "retro trend" will definitely be an important footnote in the "leading fashion" of FILA's dual-wheel drive.

Shi Rui also told 36Kr that FILA will also continue to exert efforts in elite sports to lead the trend of light outdoor. In the channel side, FILA will also continuously open more large stores.

It is certain that the classics do not stay in the past but should move more actively towards and embrace the future.

It is believed that in the near future, FILA, which changes with the times, can truly drive the field of sports fashion, the resurgence of Italian retro aesthetics, and be closer to Generation Z, continuously rejuvenating the century-old brand.