On Tuesday, Liu was announced the first Chinese global brand ambassador for British luxury fragrance house Jo Malone London. The partnership marked a notable departure from traditional endorsement practices, as the brand reportedly waived the customary trial or observation period.

The deal further underscores Liu’s commercial value. It is her 12th global endorsement contract, expanding her influence across multiple luxury sectors, including ready-to-wear fashion (Louis Vuitton), jewelry (Bulgari), and fragrances. Her endorsement portfolio has been widely praised by audiences as top-tier across industries, while analysts describe her brand choices as a strategic marketing approach that enhances positioning.

Industry observers note that despite not appearing in a film for nearly 800 days and keeping a relatively low public profile, Liu continues to secure premium endorsement deals, defying conventional industry norms. Analysts attribute this to her “fewer but higher-quality” strategy: typically adding just one or two new endorsements per year while proving her sustained star power and impact.

In 2025, Liu signed with Bulgari, which reportedly offered her an annual fee of 20 million yuan (US$2.9 million), along with a clause allowing her to participate in jewelry design. At the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, she wore an unreleased Bulgari jewelry piece, generating significant attention. hashtags attracted about 170,000 followers on Xiaohongshu, while global searches for Bulgari rose by 32%.

Liu, 39, was born in Wuhan, China, to dancer Liu Xiaoli and An Shaokang, a former French-language lecturer who later worked at the Chinese Consulate in France. After her parents divorced when she was 10, she moved to the U.S. with her mother, where she studied and later obtained U.S. citizenship. She returned to China five years later and entered the entertainment industry with her debut drama “The Story of a Noble Family.”

Liu went on to star in a string of high-profile productions, including “Chinese Paladin” and “The Return of the Condor Heroes.” In recent years, she has received renewed acclaim through dramas such as “A Dream of Splendor,” “Meet Yourself,” and “The Tale of Rose.”