Nezha's popularity has spread, can chemical companies create cultural IP?

On February 13th, the animated film "Ne Zha: The Demons of the Sea" broke through 10 billion yuan in global box office (including pre-sales), becoming the first Chinese film to break through 10 billion yuan in box office history. It currently ranks 17th on the global box office chart and has become the hottest topic recently. The author believes that the achievements of the film tell us that the cultural industry has strong economic power, and creating a cultural IP is an effective path and method to enhance soft power even for the chemical industry.

The chemical industry may seem far removed from the cultural and entertainment industry, but in reality, there is no shortage of cultural IP creators within the industry. French tire giant Michelin is one of the best. Michelin has two globally renowned cultural IPs, one is the tire man "Bibiden" and the other is the Michelin restaurant rating. In the early days of its birth, Bibiden became a symbol of Michelin, and his image gradually penetrated people's hearts with the comics in the Michelin Guide. In 2000, the Financial Times and Business Herald magazine formed a jury consisting of artists, communication experts, architects, and designers from around the world to select the best logo of the century. Bibiden was honored for its global reputation. The Michelin restaurant rating also comes from the Michelin Guide and has now become the most well-known restaurant rating standard worldwide. In the history of Michelin's development, Bibiden and the Michelin Restaurant Guide have at least mutually promoted each other to become the world's largest tire supplier.
The success of Michelin's cultural IP is due to some fortunate factors. For general chemical enterprises, long-term and stable sponsorship of cultural and sports undertakings is also a shortcut for promoting their own brands and increasing community influence. Creating one's own brand as an IP that represents culture and sports is also more likely to be replicated by general chemical companies, and it is currently a common practice for international enterprises. Renowned chemical manufacturer Evonik has been a sponsor of Borussia Dortmund Football Club since 2003, occupying the team's jersey advertisements for a long time and allowing its brand to travel throughout Europe and the world with Borussia Dortmund Football Club. INEOS has also invested heavily in cultural and sports industries, with its most well-known being its cycling team. Since its establishment in 2010, INEOS has won 7 Tour de France championships, 2 Tour de Italy championships, and 2 Tour de the West championships, to the point where when people think of INEOS, the first thing that comes to mind is the cycling team and its representative passion and hardworking sports quality, which greatly benefits the corporate image. I believe that the power of culture should not be underestimated. Chemical companies can create cultural IPs that are suitable for themselves through various means, allowing their brands to benefit from the cultural market.