BEIJING – It is becoming increasingly clear which nation global corporations will be rooting for at this summer’s Olympics: China.
Or at least that’s what it looks like from advertisements here. McDonald’s is running a “Cheer for China” television ad. Nike ads feature China’s star hurdler, Liu Xiang, and other Chinese athletes besting foreign competitors. Earlier this year, Pepsi even made its familiar blue cans red for a limited edition “Go Red for China” promotion.
The campaigns for Western companies are part of an advertising blitz the likes of which this ostensibly communist nation has never seen.
“For most international brands here, China is the growth market for the next 10 years,” said Jonathan Chajet, strategic director at Interbrand, which consults on brands.
A record 63 companies have become sponsors or partners of the Beijing Olympics. Olympic-related advertising in China could reach $4 billion to $6 billion this year, according to CSM, a Beijing marketing research firm.
But these advertising ventures are not going unchallenged. The Chinese government is pushing its companies to amplify their ad messages to compete with foreign brands.
For example, a print advertising campaign by Anta, one of China’s biggest sportswear companies, shows a crowd of flag-waving youths in a state of Olympic euphoria. Many of Anta’s television ads include the song lyrics “I love you, China.”
