Cai Xukun Photo: VCG

Chinese netizens had heated discussions about Prada's "spokesperson curse" after famous singer Cai Xukun became the third Prada spokesperson to be caught in a controversy in the last three years.

Born in 1998, Cai is one of the most famous young pop singers in China. He gained prominence in 2018 through his participation in the idol survival show Idol Producer and subsequently debuted as the central figure of the Chinese boy band Nine Percent.

After the boy band ended, he released multiple songs and albums and remained active in reality shows such as Keep Running. In the last five years, Cai has become a representative for about 40 brands including the Italian luxury brand.

Allegations against Cai have started to circulate on Chinese social media platforms since June 26, after a journalist claimed that Cai's mother hired a private investigator to monitor a woman and install a pinhole camera at her door in 2021, after the woman claimed that she had become pregnant as a consequence of a one-night stand with Cai and later had an abortion at Cai's request.

The incident makes Cai the third Chinese spokesperson of Prada to be trapped in controversy since 2021, following Chinese actress Zheng Shuang and actor Li Yifeng.

In January 2021, then Prada representative Zheng Shuang, 31, was publicly accused by her ex-husband Zhang Heng of abandoning their two surrogate babies in the US. Three months later, Zheng was accused of tax evasion.

Prada announced the end of its contract with Zheng on January 19, 2021, just eight days after choosing her for the role.

In August 2021, Zheng was ordered by the Shanghai Municipal Tax Service to pay a fine of 299 million yuan ($46 million) for tax evasion.

Then in September 2022, Beijing police announced that Chinese actor Li Yifeng, 35 - who had become a Prada spokesperson in November 2021 - had been detained for soliciting prostitution on multiple occasions.

Chinese netizens showed sympathy for Prada, joking that it was trapped in a "spokesperson curse." Related topics had been viewed more than 300 million times as of Monday night.

"Prada spokesperson has become a high-risk post. Wish the next spokesperson good luck…" one netizen commented in Weibo.

"I strongly suggest the brand should pay a visit to a temple to pray for good luck," said another.

But some others saw deeper into the issue and started to reflect on the trend in the entertainment industry in recent years of focusing excessively on internet fame.

With the increase of people's consumption level, luxury brands can no longer easily sell goods just relying on their style, so they need endorsement by famous stars to drive sales, industry observers said.

This has become an important part of brands' marketing strategies, and Prada is caught in this whirlpool, according to observers.

But having a famous spokesperson with high-internet traffic can be a double-edged sword. A suitable spokesperson can help the brand to effectively expand its voice, while an inappropriate spokesperson may have a serious impact on the brand, observers said. Some suggested that rather than focusing on internet traffic, brands should also pay attention to stars' personalities, whether they can transfer positive energy and whether they fit with the brand's philosophy.

Global Times