In China, it is extremely popular to adorn cars with various ornaments, which often reflect the owner's personality. For example, Buddhist prayer beads for a safe journey, cute stuffed animal toys, or animated character figurines simply as decorations.
Buddhist-related items are quite popular due to the wish for safe deeds.
However, many Chinese drivers have been putting ornaments with the logo of game company Rockstar Games in their cars lately. These items have become incredibly popular all across the country. The bizarre trend has piqued the interest of many gamers.
Photos were shared online with people asking why Uber drivers have Rockstar Games Logo ornaments.
Chinese players have been speculating about the reasons behind this trend. Some believe it's because of the popularity of the Grand Theft Auto series in China, suggesting that it might explain the prevalence of road rage and bad driving habits among these drivers. Others think that these drivers might be tough individuals who have similar life experiences to the protagonists of the Grand Theft Auto series. There are even jokes circulating suggesting that these cars might have been stolen or taken from others.
Many passengers have asked drivers, "Do you like playing games?" However, they often receive a simple response, "No, I don't like it." The ornaments have even been spotted in police cars or government cars.
A photo showing a Rockstar Games logo in a government car.
The real reason behind this phenomenon might sound surprising, as it is actually due to the cheapest car air freshener available on Pinduoduo. Pinduoduo, also known as PDD, is a popular Chinese e-commerce platform that offers affordable and discounted products to its users. Interestingly, some drivers have acquired these Rockstar logo items as free gifts from local car repair shops or car accessory stores.
A screenshot on PDD shows the air freshener has a price of 1.32 CNY (less than 0.2 USD) with 50+ available scents.
It's well-known that many small commodity manufacturers have a weak understanding of copyright. During the product design process, they often use patterns without much consideration of the origin, including logos found online. The Rockstar logo naturally became one of the prints on the production line of car air fresheners.
Furthermore, the Rockstar Games logo happens to align with the aesthetic preferences of middle-aged people in China - big characters, simplicity, and eye-catching designs. Merchants also use a low-profit, high-sales strategy to penetrate the market, and as a result, this foreign game company’s symbol has unintentionally become a popular car interior decoration in China.
A product picture of the air freshener on PDD marketing “creates exquisite life”.
While some gamers in China may find it unusual, the Rockstar Games logo ornaments have become a popular choice among car drivers. Similar to the beloved "Little Trees" air fresheners, these ornaments not only add a stylish touch to the vehicle but also serve a practical purpose. Moreover, they are incredibly budget-friendly, making them an attractive option for many drivers.
Although there are coincidences in this whole situation, there is also a certain inevitability to it. The use of foreign trademarks as prints is not uncommon in the Chinese small commodity market.
While the merchants may not recognize which company the pattern represents, as long as there is a design, they can print it. As a result, a phenomenon has emerged where many peripheral products produced by foreign manufacturers, which haven't even been introduced in China, have made their way into the market.
A photo of a T-shirt sold on PDD shows it has the Nvidia logo.
However, most of these products haven't gained much popularity due to their less- appealing logos. Only the Rockstar logo has become popular for the aforementioned reasons.
Recently, another "trend" T-shirt used the Rockstar logo and became very popular, becoming a new era of "gangster" style streetwear.
A photo of the Rockstar T-shirt.