Tom Holland Same Style: Semir turned a $22 purchase into a real-time campaign

Tom Holland walked into a Semir store in Shanghai on 23 July 2026 because he needed something cooler to wear. He bought washed-black denim shorts for 159 yuan, around $22, changed inside the store and continued sightseeing with Zendaya.

Photos of Holland wearing the shorts and carrying Semir’s green shopping bag reached Weibo and Xiaohongshu within minutes. By that afternoon, Semir had turned the unplanned purchase into Tom Holland Same Style and a wider product edit called Shanghai Is Simply Too Hot.

The Moment Started in a Shanghai Store

Holland was in Shanghai for the Chinese premiere of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The day before his official appearance, he and Zendaya visited the area around Yuyuan Garden.

The weather was hot, so Holland entered Semir’s flagship store and selected a pair of knee-length denim shorts. The product had a listed price of 239 yuan and was selling at a promotional price of 159 yuan. China Daily confirmed the purchase, the price and the same-day response from Semir.

The moment had no announced sponsorship or celebrity contract behind it. Holland chose the shorts inside the store and paid for them himself.

Furthermore, the rest of his outfit made the purchase more noticeable. He wore the inexpensive Semir shorts with an Acne Studios shirt and Prada shoes. The local item did not look out of place.

Semir Moved Before the Attention Cooled

Semir identified the exact shorts and added “Tom Holland Same Style” to its listings across Tmall, Douyin and Xiaohongshu. The brand also created Shanghai Is Simply Too Hot, a collection based on Holland’s off-duty outfit.

Meanwhile, the Yuyuan Garden store built a dedicated display using the shorts, a white shirt and the green Semir bag. Livestream presenters recreated the outfit, while Semir’s social accounts joined conversations about Holland’s visit.

The reaction reached commerce immediately. On the night of 23 July, Semir’s Taobao flagship livestream reportedly reached the top of the platform’s menswear ranking. Several Douyin livestreams attracted tens of thousands of viewers, and some recorded several times their usual sales value.

By 25 July, the same colour had sold out in every available size and moved into preorder. Holland also told reporters at the film premiere that he liked the shorts and found them comfortable.

By 29 July, Semir’s official Tmall store had recorded more than 6,000 sales of the style during the previous 30 days. That number includes sales made before Holland’s visit, so it should not be treated as 6,000 purchases caused by the campaign. Still, the shorts had become one of the store’s leading products.

The Shopping Bag Became Another Product

The green paper bag cost 9.9 yuan. However, Holland carried it through Shanghai for the rest of the afternoon, giving Semir’s name almost as much attention as the shorts.

Semir responded by offering the bag with selected purchases and giving it a separate display inside stores. Employees also wore white T-shirts printed with the bag design.

After customers asked for a reusable version, the brand began developing the bag as a tote. Furthermore, Semir teased refrigerator magnets shaped like the shorts and the shopping bag.

The response then moved beyond clothing. On 24 July, Semir thanked Holland publicly and announced private screenings of Spider-Man: Brand New Day for members and fans. The tickets sold out, and the screenings took place on 29 July with themed clothing and a Spider-Man performer. ConCall documented Semir’s response from the first product posts through the screenings and merchandise.

What Made It Different

Semir already had the retail and e-commerce systems needed to respond.

The Yuyuan Garden location opened in 2024 as a large future-city flagship aimed at younger urban shoppers and tourists. In 2025, it generated 24.34 million yuan in revenue and ranked third among Semir’s directly operated stores. Therefore, Holland happened to enter one of the most important locations in the company’s current repositioning. Chinese business publication TMTPost connected the moment with Semir’s shift towards flagship stores and younger customers.

Still, the long-term effect remains open. Semir’s adult casual-wear division generated 4.05 billion yuan in 2025, down from its 2018 peak of 6.79 billion yuan. A sold-out pair of shorts will not reverse that decline by itself.

The immediate result is clearer. A spontaneous purchase created attention. Semir made the product easy to find while people were searching for it. Then the brand carried the same moment across online listings, livestreams, physical stores, merchandise and a film screening before the interest faded.

Credits

Tom Holland Same Style / Shanghai Is Simply Too Hot (2026). Semir, China. Real-time response developed by Semir’s in-house social media, e-commerce, retail and brand teams. Location: Semir Future City Flagship, Yuyuan Garden, Shanghai. Organic participant: Tom Holland, with no publicly announced endorsement or paid partnership. Rollout: Xiaohongshu, Weibo, Douyin, Tmall, Semir stores and private film screenings.