L'Oreal banks on Cannes gloss to drive sales in social-media savvy China

Paris

CHINESE actress and pop star Li Yuchun glides down the hallway of Cannes' Hotel Martinez in a tuxedo-inspired Jean Paul Gaultier gown and blue-grey pixie haircut, with a pack of L'Oreal videographers trotting backwards to stay out of the frame.

After striking a few poses on the marble staircase, she heads for the red carpet. The footage is rushed to L'Oreal's editing suite, where dozens of editors and producers stitch together clips to post everywhere from Instagram to China's Weibo within hours of the shoot.