"Can I have a reflective umbrella so that the cars will see me at night?"

"Can I have an umbrella which can rain by itself?"

It seems that only Santa Claus could fulfill these wishes. However, an umbrella manufacturer on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, has turned these imaginative requests into reality.

Captivating mime

Recently, a series of video clips featuring a man showcasing umbrellas with various creative designs have gone viral on the internet, even reaching overseas and captivating foreign netizens with unimaginable creativity.

In the clips, a serious-looking man vigorously shakes an umbrella up and down, showcasing it in various ways without saying anything.

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Lei Penglin showcases a laser-reflective umbrella. (Video provided to People's Daily)  

In his shop, there are shining laser-reflective umbrellas to dispel the darkness, umbrellas with floor-length plastic curtains to prevent one's clothes from getting soaked, twin umbrellas specially designed for couples and many others. All of them turn the wishes of netizens into reality and were made by the 38-year-old man in the clips, Lei Penglin, affectionately referred to as "uncle" due to his performances in the videos.

Lei showcases an umbrella with a floor-length curtain. (Photo: Screenshot of Douyin account)

Open to advice

Lei has worked in umbrella factories since his youth. In 2014, Lei established his own factory in Zhejiang Province. Initially, his factory received thousands of orders. However, as competition intensified, Lei had to explore new opportunities.

Although he was one of the earliest umbrella manufacturers on Douyin, his sales weren't impressive. Consumers complained that he "talked too much." Despite facing unsuccessful livestreaming results, Lei continued to persist and tried new ways of promoting products. Inspired by a silent video with numerous likes, Lei found that maybe it would be better to do more and talk less, allowing consumers to directly appreciate the quality of his products.

"Shake it, and consumers will know it's windproof. Place a tissue on the umbrella, and they will know it's waterproof. Show more sincerity, and use fewer tricks. Know what your customers want and meet their needs," Lei said, smiling and unconsciously beginning his signature movement, shaking his hands up and down as if he were holding an umbrella.

Lei provides a diverse selection of umbrellas, striving to meet customers' individual preferences. (Photo provided to People's Daily)

"Consumers pursue personalized products. So, umbrellas have to function as decorations, not just exist to block sunshine and rain."

Lei found that creative and unique products always stand out. Therefore, Lei started to infuse creative ideas into his products and, in 2022, an umbrella with an attached flashlight gained popularity.

In the comment section of the product videos, Lei noticed an interesting request with many likes, suggesting he make a reflective umbrella for walking in the dark. Following the advice, Lei created a "laser-reflective umbrella," selling over 70,000 units upon release. Since then, Lei has attached great importance to comments to absorb new ideas. Because of this, his followers refer to his video's comment section as a "wishing well," hoping their dream umbrellas can be crafted by Lei. Lei has been called "the most open-to-advice umbrella manufacturer" on the internet.

"I will consider netizens' wishes and the practicality of the products. In daily life, I also think about how to solve the difficulty of using umbrellas," Lei said.

Presently, Lei spends several hours reading comments every day. "Basically 300 to 500 comments a day, I will read and reply to them all myself. Only by carefully observing can I know everyone's needs, and solve after-sales problems on time," he said.

Satisfying one of his followers' wishes, Lei introduces a raincoat modeled after the manga Naruto.  (Photo: Screenshot of Douyin account)

Several products developed based on the comments have been on the shelves. "Almost all the umbrellas made so far have sold, none have incurred a loss," Lei introduced.

In the future, Lei hopes to make some Chinese-style umbrellas that can be paired with Han-style clothing. "I want to try something new and also advocate for our Chinese culture," Lei added.