“Oriental Aesthetics” as Discursive Construction and Branded National Identity: A Study of Contemporary New Domestic Beauty Advertisements in China

Abstract

This study examines the advertising practices of new domestic beauty brands against the backdrop of the Guochao movement. It investigates how these brands discursively construct “Oriental aesthetics” and explores the interplay between this discourse, consumer culture, and emerging consumer nationalism. In today’s context, “Oriental beauty” is not merely visual but has become a vehicle for cultural confidence and a symbol of identity for younger generations. Through highly stylized visual symbols and cultural narratives, these advertisements appeal to consumers eager to assert their cultural identity. The analysis reveals that these brands employ a hybrid discourse of “ancient wisdom + modern technology,” along with visual codes of “artisanal craftsmanship” and “imperial grandeur,” to transform their products into cultural symbols. However, consumer culture profoundly shapes this expression, making branded nationalism ambivalent: it challenges Western aesthetic hegemony yet risks a curated “Self-Orientalism”; it evokes cultural pride while potentially instituting a new “Chinese aesthetic discipline” that must be fulfilled through consumption. Ultimately, these advertisements serve as a microcosm for examining the intersections of identity, consumerism, and cultural nationalism in contemporary China.