Corporate Sponsorships

A Western ad blitz for Beijing Olympics

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 painted 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. Ads are papered over bus shelters, projected on giant outdoor television screens and plastered on billboards. Commercials even flicker at commuters as they zoom through subway tunnels.

China, already the world's second-largest advertising market, after the United States, is a dream for consumer product companies. "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. It is becoming increasingly clear which nation global corporations will be rooting for at this summer's Olympics: China. ... more

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