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May 18 2021
By Manuel Charr
On May 18, International Museum Day, Chinese short-video platform Kuaishou and Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), co-launched a shoppable livestream event to virtually explore MFA’s collection of paintings by Claude Monet (1840–1926). Themed “Rendezvous with Claude Monet: Bring Beauty to Life”, the 4-hour livestream session received nearly 8 million views.
The livestreaming session showcases the development of Monet’s incomparable vision and revolutionary techniques in Monet’s painting. Wang Yuheng, China’s TV star in Super Brain 3 with extraordinary memory and 4 million followers on Weibo, and Ms Mi, one of Kuaishou’s anchor user that stroke the bell to announce Kuaishou’s official listing, co-hosted the session with MFA narrators online.
During the interactive tutorial, viewers were be able to shop from an amazing assortment of exclusive art collaborations, including MFA’s Monet Art Tees and aroma sets, Bestore’s probiotic nuts, and Genuine Namir’s yeast facial treatment. The session allowed an all-round sensual gratification for viewers to feel the development of Monet’s incomparable vision, while bringing art and culture into their home.
Beyond the entertainment and education, viewers also found a seamless shopping experience. Besides from voting to decide the presentation order, viewers got a chance to win the lottery by commenting or sharing the livestream on social media. The session also gave out money-off coupons. With the tap on any product pin, viewers could add items to their carts while watching and checked out during or after the event.
What is Kuaishou?
Kuaishou is a short-form video platform similar to TikTok. it’s the second most popular video app in China with more than 300 million users. Popular in China’s rural areas and second tier cities the app has expanded into longer form videos and live streaming since 2019.
The MFA partnership is the latest example of western museums reaching out to Chinese audiences. This makes sense not only in terms of marketing to future tourists from China, but also to attract Chinese communities living in North America and Europe.
About the author – Manuel Charr
Manuel Charr is a journalist working in the arts and cultural sectors. With a background in marketing, Manuel is drawn to arts organizations which are prepared to try inventive ways to reach new audiences.
