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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nInside the 80-square-meter gift shop of the Pudong Art Museum, shoppers crowd in and staff rush to restock. \u201cSince June, the Van Gogh plush dolls have been flying off the shelves. The limited-edition Olympic gift sets sell out daily,\u201d said cashier Mr. Liu. Designer Chen Jieni shared the story behind the hit products: \u201cThe plush toy went through three iterations. We initially used short plush, but were inspired by Van Gogh\u2019s struggles with mental illness, and how today\u2019s youth often feel stressed out, so we changed it to curly plush to enhance emotional resonance and improve the tactile feel.\u201d The matching plush chair is inspired by The Bedroom in Arles<\/em>. \u201cInstead of just printing paintings on products, we extract design elements from the artwork, allowing customers to interact and combine items creatively,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the museum, over 200 cultural-creative items were launched for the Olympic Art Exhibition, generating over 10 million yuan in sales. Design teams brainstormed months in advance and collaborated with external creators and brands. Paris-based illustrator Mengmeng Sun illustrated everyday life in Paris, while \u201cCat’s Sky City\u201d co-developed a color palette fridge magnet. A canvas tote bag inspired by The Bedroom in Arles<\/em> and co-branded with Manner Caf\u00e9 became a hit with online fans. To inject more creative ideas into their cultural-creative line, the museum also launched a \u201cCurator Recommender\u201d program this year, with over 20 individuals\u2014including two offering original product design ideas\u2014joining the initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Visitors to museums often favor cultural-creative products that reflect unique artistic and cultural values. For instance, the \u201cCambridge University: Magical Nature\u201d exhibition at the East Building of the Shanghai Library became a social media sensation for its British aesthetic. Co-curator Hao Li shared that some exclusive items aren\u2019t even available at Cambridge itself\u2014like the Turing Bear T-shirt. \u201cTuring used to practice speeches with his bear, Porgy, so the bear represents companionship and courage.\u201d Hao emphasized their aim is to use the exhibition as a springboard to tell emotional stories through products, creating a deep resonance with visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cultural Communication & City Memory: Landmarks Redefine Souvenirs<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike museums that draw inspiration from rich art exhibitions, some long-established cultural landmarks take a different approach. They fuse architecture, urban culture, and tourism experiences to develop highly distinctive products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the Oriental Pearl Tower souvenir shop, a 468ml \u201cbuilding height\u201d bottled water and a matching tower-shaped ice cream top the sales chart. Assistant Manager Li Linyi explained: \u201cWe turned the 468-meter height of the tower into a symbolic volume of water, making it a \u2018portable memory of the city.\u2019 The ice cream doubles as a photo prop.\u201d At the Tower Time boutique watch store, the landmark motif gets a luxury upgrade. German tourist Annika and her boyfriend chose a mother-of-pearl women\u2019s watch. \u201cThe pearl sheen echoes the ‘Pearl’ in the tower\u2019s name. The back of the watch even includes its geographic coordinates\u2014wearing it brings back memories of Shanghai,\u201d she said. Sales staff recalled a foreign tour group once bought over 100 watches as souvenirs\u2014turning landmark memories into ticking timepieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blending Shanghai\u2019s cultural elements with today\u2019s trends gives these heritage landmarks new vitality. Plush Oriental Pearl dolls and contrast-colored tumblers are prominently displayed. \u201cThese soft and cute designs break the rigid impression of the Pearl Tower and align with young people\u2019s aesthetics,\u201d Li said. Nearby, a newly launched blind box series creatively integrates intangible cultural heritage, qipaos, and xiaolongbao into the tower\u2019s shape\u2014presenting local culture through trendy collectibles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taking cultural creation to the next level, the Oriental Pearl Tower has partnered with time-honored Shanghai brands and emerging labels to form synergistic collaborations. Highlights include the pearl-carved capsule by Lei Yun Shang, oriental-scented hand cream by Qingzhi, and blue-and-white porcelain toothpaste by Maxam. Behind these co-branded successes are creative reinterpretations of landmark elements and city symbols, fusing traditional craftsmanship with iconic architecture. \u201cOur cultural-creative team actively seeks new partners to bring more Shanghai-centric products to life\u2014so visitors can truly bring a piece of the city home,\u201d said Li. The iconic landmark is evolving from a site of cultural display to a platform of cultural innovation, injecting new life into Shanghai\u2019s urban branding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strengthening Synergies: Building a Holistic Cultural-Creative Industry Chain<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The development of the cultural-creative industry can’t rely solely on individual institutions. Pudong is promoting both policy and ecosystem-driven growth. Recently, 12 museums signed contracts with 12 renowned designers to join Pudong\u2019s cultural-creative product upgrade plan, aiming to co-develop high-quality products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pudong holds three key levers: IP development, industry integration, and commercialization. It offers a comprehensive policy package including general, special, and park-specific support. This spans film, digital creativity, and art trade, and provides funding for IP development and settlement of related businesses in cultural parks. New business models such as cultural trade, IP derivatives, and immersive experiences are encouraged to cluster in Zhangjiang and resort zones, with operating subsidies available. It also continues to fund high-quality projects with special cultural funds, while offering policy support in talent recruitment, IP protection, and legal services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2024, Yuewen\u2019s derivative product GMV exceeded 500 million yuan for the first time, with card collectibles alone accounting for 200 million yuan. Titles such as The King\u2019s Avatar<\/em>, Joy of Life<\/em>, and Under One Person<\/em> set new sales records. Yuewen is expanding its direct sales channels with over 10 live-streaming studios and 8 flagship stores, supplemented by its presence on Tmall, Taobao, and more than 3,000 online resellers and 6,000 offline retailers\u2014creating a comprehensive omni-channel strategy. The company also secured exclusive rights to distribute Nezha 2<\/em> merchandise from FunCrazy. Notably, its high-end collectible cards co-launched with Hitcard for Joy of Life<\/em> generated 20 million yuan in GMV even before the release of Season 2\u2014making it the most successful drama-themed collectible card line in history. Hitcard is a brand under Shanghai Qixing Network Technology Co., registered in Pudong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a key part of the industrial ecosystem, platforms also play a major role. The IP Operation Center under Shanghai Free Trade Zone Cultural Investment integrates top-tier cultural and artistic resources\u2014including the National Museum of China and Wu Changshuo\u2019s works\u2014into a full-service chain of IP discovery, product development, channel operation, and tourism integration. Sales have surpassed 500 million yuan. According to product head Wu Di, their team covers IP planning, product design, supply chain management, and sales operations. They\u2019ve developed over 50 product lines and built a responsive supply chain across the Yangtze River Delta and beyond. Their presence spans major e-commerce platforms and dozens of scenic and cultural venues\u2014establishing a comprehensive retail matrix. \u201cOur goal is to become a one-stop cultural and tourism creative platform integrating product development, channel management, IP operations, and cultural tourism services,\u201d said Wu Di.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Declaration: This article comes from The Paper.If copyright issues are involved, please contact us to delete.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" While the Olympic Art Exhibition is in full swing, the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-645","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-stationery-trade-news"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.stationerytrade.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/image-1.png\")
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