Beijing launches TV ad to repair "Made in China" image

Posted: 01 December 2009 1625 hrs

BEIJING - China has launched an advertising campaign aimed at repairing the battered image of its exports after a series of safety scandals, in what is believed to be its first attempt at global branding.

The "Made in China, Made with the World" television commercial was commissioned by the Ministry of Commerce and is being broadcast on CNN in the United States and Asia, said advertising agency DDB, which made the ad.

The 30-second ad first aired November 23 and stresses that some Chinese products are made with the help of foreign companies and technology, the ministry said in a statement.

It features a jogger tying the laces of his shoes which have the label "Made in China with American sports technology" and a model wearing clothes with the label "Made in China with French designers."

"It reflects the attitude and aspiration of Chinese enterprises to strengthen cooperation with other countries to provide high-quality products for consumers from various countries," the ministry said.

The ad is expected to run for six weeks, according to Chinese state media reports.

The "Made in China" brand has been tarnished repeatedly in recent years after goods ranging from food to toys to pharmaceuticals were found to be unsafe and recalled around the world.

Recent cases included toys coated with toxic lead paint, toothpaste containing a chemical used in automobile anti-freeze and dairy products laced with the industrial chemical melamine.

Karen See, a Hong Kong-based spokeswoman for DDB, said the commercial "reinforces the collaboration" between China and foreign companies.

She said it is believed to be the first time China's government has launched such an ad campaign.

The ad showed Beijing was taking a "proactive" approach to communicating with the world" but failed to challenge perceptions of China as a manufacturer, said Scott Kronick, president of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide China.

"Where the advertising falls short is that it continues to position China as the world's factory, thereby reinforcing consumer perceptions that China only makes goods that are sold under other brands," said Kronick.

"If China is indeed seeking to shift perceptions, now is the time for China to evolve from a 'Made in China' positioning to a 'Created in China' positioning that would highlight its role as an innovator."

- AFP/ir