Endorsements and commercial influence
Over the course of his career, Xiao has consistently ranked among China's most influential public figures in brand value, driven by continuous commercial demand from both domestic and international consumer markets.
In 2018, Xiao was appointed as a brand spokesperson for South Korean beauty brands Hera and AHC. After the success of The Untamed, he became one of the most sought-after endorsers, collaborating with 19 brands between 2019 and 2020, including mass-market consumer goods and luxury fashion and beauty houses like Lay's, Olay, McVitie's, Braun, Vidal Sassoon, Crest, Luckin Tea, Zwilling J. A. Henckels, Budweiser, Oppo Reno3 Pro, Qeelin, Roseonly, and Piaget. Following his appointment as spokesperson for Estée Lauder's fragrance and beauty line, the brand topped sales rankings during the 11:11 and Black Friday shopping events. In December 2019, he became the brand spokesperson for New Smiling Proud Wanderer, a Perfect World Games' MMORPG, starring as the protagonist Linghu Chong in its concept promotional film.
In 2021, Xiao secured endorsements with 28 domestic and international brands such as Zenith, Molsion, Liushen, Liuliumei, Li-Ning, Tod’s, Gucci, Breo, Mendate, Ocak. Notably, following state-backed boycotts of Western brands due to forced labor allegations in the Xinjiang cotton industry, The Business of Fashion reported that his partnership with Li-Ning significantly amplified the guochao (national trend) movement, contributing to a 56.1% revenue increase for the sportswear giant that year.
In 2022, Xiao expanded his commercial portfolio with 14 new endorsements, including Dove, Darlie, Anessa, Rio, and Maison Margiela. His appointments as brand spokesperson consistently drove significant revenue spikes; the New Year's Day announcement naming him SAIC Audi's face drove over ¥200 million in monthly sales, while his February partnership with NARS Cosmetics generated ¥80 million on its first day. Similar surges followed the April announcement of his ambassadorship for Pepsi, which surpassed ¥100 million in sales by month's end, and mid-year campaigns for L'Oréal PRO and Yves Saint Laurent, which generated ¥40 million in 24 hours and over ¥72 million on a single platform, respectively. Later that year, an August livestream appearance for Li Ning drew 30 million viewers.
By 2023, media outlets and retail analysts frequently referred to Xiao as the "King of Luxury" due to his extensive portfolio of high-end endorsements. This included long-term global ambassadorships with brands such as Gucci, Tod's, Ralph Lauren, and L’Oreal PRO, many of which were established in 2021. Xiao added Oreo, Chali, and Boucheron to his endorsements while upgrading his partnership with Roborock to global brand ambassador. Media coverage frequently highlighted his commercial impact—dubbed the "Xiao Zhan Effect"—noting that a Ralph Lauren fragrance campaign sold 40,000 bottles within six hours of his endorsement. During September's Fashion Month, his digital presence drove significant Earned Media Value (EMV) for major labels; despite his physical absence from the "Gucci Ancora" show, his online promotion generated 10 million Weibo interactions and $3.77 million in EMV. Also that year, he fronted the global 70th-anniversary campaign for Gucci's Horsebit 1953 loafer. Launchmetrics data further indicated that Xiao generated $19.8 million in media value for Tod's, alongside $9.3 million on Weibo following the launch of his Instagram account.
In 2024, Xiao expanded his global endorsements to include Chi Forest, IF Coconut Water, Miiow, Angel, Eve Lom and Saky. He was also named the first global ambassador for the English luxury homeware brand Wedgwood. To mark the appointment, a public mural combining his image with the brand's iconic Portland vase was unveiled in Shoreditch, London.
In 2025, Xiao secured global ambassadorships for Honor, L'Oréal Men Expert, Lamett China, Philips Sonicare and Yue Sai Yuxi. On September 16, he was announced as the brand spokesperson for Meituan.
In 2026, on April 22, Xiao was named brand ambassador for Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) specifically for Huawei-SAIC Shangjie Z7 and Z7T( Shangjie brand is a collaboration between Huawei technology and SAIC Motor) to attract younger consumers. His June 2026 appointment as global spokesperson for household brand Super Energy generated over ¥100 million in online sales. That same month, Jing Daily reported that his collaboration with Tod's sold out its new product line in less than a minute during the 618 shopping festival amidst more than 20 luxury brands vying for consumers' attention.
In May, 2026 Li-Ning officially announced the renewal of the global endorsement deal with Xiao Zhan. Since partnering with him on March 26, 2021, Li-Ning has launched multiple co-branded product lines, each of which has sparked strong consumer demand. Under the renewed agreement, Xiao has been elevated from Global Ambassador for Li-Ning Sports Fashion to Global Brand Ambassador.
Xiao has maintained a multi-year commercial partnership with Mengniu Dairy Group since September 2019, sequentially serving as spokesperson for several of its sub-brands, including True Fruit (2019), Deluxe Ice Cream (2021) and Selected Ranch (2023). In January 2026, he was appointed as brand spokesperson for Mengniu's premium pasteurized milk line, Shiny Meadow, fronting the conglomerate's global marketing campaigns as an official sponsor of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
