Will China's new food safety law impact athlete sponsorship deals?
Wednesday, 25th March 2009 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (1)
In what looks at first like a big laugh, a Chinese businessman is suing track and field star Liu Xiang because the poor guy had an accident in a car that he says he bought because Liu endorsed it (Shanghaiist). He collided with a truck, the airbag failed to inflate and he banged his nose on the windshield, reportedly incurring about RMB 1,000 in medical expenses. This Reuters story doesn't say what kind of car the injured man was driving, but Liu is the face of Cadillac in China."Liu's advert had a great influence on my choice of car," Yang Jiguang told New Legal Report in Jiangxi province (translation from Reuters). "I want to send a warning message to all the celebrities that they can not only focus on the payment and neglect their social responsibility and public trust."
Should this guy...
be responsible for this?
Here's the not so funny part: The suit could be a test case of sorts for a recently passed food safety law that holds celebrities liable for any defective products they endorse. China's new food safety law was passed February 28 and goes into effect June 1. The law only applies to food products, but if the Chinese government is this desperate to use celebrities to send a message about product safety, it could extend to other areas. And it's easy to see that impacting the recent torrent of deals that international sports stars have been signing in China. How would Octagon have felt about Michael Phelps' deal with Mazda in China if they knew he could be sued for non-inflating airbags in the People's Republic?
Movie director Feng Xiaogeng, one of many celebrities who hold seats on China's top political advisory committee, has spoken out against the law, saying, "If stars should shoulder joint liability, then quality inspection agencies and media which publicize the ads should be held liable, too."
Related: Star advisor grumbles about China's food safety law (Xinhua)
Celebrity row is "aiding food safety" (China Daily)
Liu Xiang/Cadillac images: Auto.anhuinews.com
Tags: Cadillac, food safety law, Liu Xiang, Michael Phelps, sports marketing
Mazda supports Phelps after apology
Thursday, 12th February 2009 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
UPDATE: The New York Times reports that Phelps' video was sent to Chinese media outlets by Mazda. Our favorite headline for this one comes from AdAge. Mazda to Phelps: You Apologize to China Right Now!Michael Phelps is taking special care of his image in China, issuing a vague video apology, subtitled in Chinese, for the infamous bong toking photo that landed him, among other places, on the front page of this country's biggest sports newspaper.
It seems likely that this wasn't Phelps' own idea. In January, Mazda signed the swimmer to a seven-figure China deal. DMG, the sports agency that signed him, issued a statement supporting Phelps, shortly after the photo came out, but Mazda waited until after the video was released to state publicly that it would go ahead with the sponsorship deal.
Related: Phelps signs exclusive China deal with Mazda
Tags: DMG Entertainment, Mazda, Michael Phelps, sports marketing
Titan front page: World Cup, Nadal win and Phelps' bong hits
Tuesday, 3rd February 2009 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Titan Sports newspaper returned to production Monday after taking a break during the Chinese New Year holiday. Page one of its first issue of the year of the ox had three stories: news that the Chinese Football Association will not bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cups; Nadal's Australian Open win; and the Michael Phelps bong hit photo story.
Titan Sports is China's leading sports newspaper, putting out issues every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It is published jointly by Hunan Art and Culture Publishing House and Titan Publishing House (Danwei).
Tags: CFA, football, Michael Phelps, Rafael Nadal, soccer, swimming, tennis, Titan front page, Titan sports, World Cup
Phelps signs exclusive China deal with Mazda
Tuesday, 6th January 2009 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Phelps, who captured the awe of China (along with the rest of the world) while winning eight swimming gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, will promote the Mazda 6 through television and print ads, as well as public appearances. According to Bloomberg News,Mazda sold 105,000 cars in China in the first 10 months of 2008. Phelps will come to Beijing soon to start pitching for the Japanese automaker.
Related: Michael Phelps' marketing in Chinese
Michael Phelps image: Hudong.com
Tags: DMG Entertainment, Mazda, Michael Phelps, sports marketing, swimming
Michael Phelps' marketing in Chinese
Wednesday, 13th August 2008 ~ Maggie ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
Swimmer Michael Phelps is doing his best to make sure that Chinese fans have access to information about him. He had his personal Web site, Michaelphelps.com, built in just two languages—English and simplified Chinese.Phelps, four gold medals into his attempt to win an unprecedented 8 Olympic swimming titles in Beijing, is a hot topic in China right now and it looks like his efforts to keep it that way extend beyond the pool. Smart man.
Tags: Beijing Olympics, marketing, Michael Phelps, olympics, swimming