The IP value of "Nirvana in Fire" has not been exhausted, and a large number of Princesses of Prince Jing are on their way

Several days have passed since the finale of Nirvana in Fire, and a petition from online fans asking for "one more hundred episodes" has topped the tag rankings. Although the series has finished airing, Weibo, WeChat Moments, Zhihu, Douban... all online communities are still full of its shadow. From insiders to outsiders, from fans to passers-by, from the entertainment industry to the economic and technological circles, this domestic TV series is being discussed everywhere, which is rarely seen in recent years - the fan works of "The Legend of Zhen Huan" three years ago are far inferior to Nirvana in Fire.

Peers support and support

A TV series adapted from an online novel that was positioned as an idol drama was even promoted to the level of a "serious drama" after its completion. How did "Nirvana in Fire" do it?

"Thanks to the help of my peers." This joke from Guo Degang's crosstalk may not be the whole story, but it does give us a glimpse of the reasons. Yu Mama's performance blinded the audience, Guo Xiaosi fooled the audience's IQ, and Nirvana in Fire conquered the audience with its conscience. It did not attract much attention at the beginning of its broadcast, but as the plot unfolded: the rhythm of the series was well-paced, the story was logically rigorous, the costumes and props were exquisite, and the acting was collectively heartfelt. After more than half of the broadcast, it made a comeback.

In addition to the above, Nirvana in Fire is different from most TV series in that it is a TV series that focuses on men. Where there are people, there is the Jianghu, and where there are men, there is "gay love". One of the factors that cannot be ignored for the popularity of Nirvana in Fire is "gay love" - ​​the ambiguous feelings between two men, which has captured the hearts of a large number of young audiences. Especially before that, there is the drama "The Pretender" with the original cast paving the way.

Although selling homosexuality or CP was not the director's original intention, the good looks of the actors and the ambiguous relationship between the two men made "Nirvana in Fire" successfully turn a piece of online literature into a phenomenal work that was hotly discussed by the whole nation.

Fan creation promotes IP

Good looks alone can bring enthusiasts to a climax, not to mention that Nirvana in Fire has both the lofty ideals of the court and the far-reaching world, as well as the love between men and women and the righteousness of the country. Any little bit can create a good work, so aren't all these elements enough for enthusiasts to imagine?

There is a saying in the circle, "Whether it is popular or not depends on the fan works." Fan works are the embodiment of fans' creativity, which can be divided into symbolic productivity and textual productivity, including understanding the original work, extending new meanings from the original work, establishing norms and discourse systems in the group, etc. The last point is what is valued by businesses - fan works guide consumption.

The number of fan videos with tags related to Nirvana in Fire has exceeded 1,000 on both sites A and B. The number of texts on LOFTER, a gathering place, has reached thousands every day. The number of texts on Weibo and Tieba is too numerous to count. The huge number of fan creations means that there are countless potential consumers waiting to pay for the IP of Nirvana in Fire, and they are the ones who are very willing to pay.

Back then, "A Murder Caused by a Bun" made Chen Kaige furious, but now the official of "Nirvana in Fire" is happy to see the spontaneous fan creations by fans. Fan creation not only brings a disguised publicity to the IP, but more importantly, it is free publicity, without the need for promotion and conscious dissemination. As a country with a very prosperous cultural industry, Japan has long incorporated fan creation into the promotion and operation, and it is normal for the official to host and distribute fan creations.

Fan works can not only maintain the popularity of an IP, but also push it to another climax. The BBC's "Sherlock Holmes" is the best example. According to the plan, "Nirvana in Fire" will be made into a series, and will also launch games on multiple platforms including PC and mobile terminals. It is wise to rely on fan works to maintain the popularity.

Popular IP is proud of

Whoever gets a talented person gets the world, and whoever gets a strong IP gets the audience. In this era where content is king, a hot IP plus good marketing methods can easily become a hit. New media digs deep into the details of TV series: detail mining, shooting techniques, actor acting skills... far more than the attention paid to the actors themselves. This return to quality comes from the fact that the audience is fed up with shoddy and bad dramas. The rich details are gradually winning people's hearts after being studied in depth and spread by the media and self-media and word of mouth.

The Journey of Flower became a summer hit, and The Lost Tomb set off a wave of paid streaming services. More and more people in the industry have realized the importance of popular IPs. Nirvana in Fire is a breakthrough in the development of online IPs. Relying on high-quality IPs, dedicated screenwriters, and unobtrusive marketing, the work has achieved impressive ratings and returns.

Of course, no matter how good the IP is, it cannot withstand shoddy production. The era of relying on "50-cent special effects" to fool fans and audiences is gone forever. After Nirvana in Fire, domestic dramas may usher in a new world.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.