Interviews conducted in the street of New York gave a positive reply. As the onlookers and CNN viewers watch the 60 seconds commercial, do they really know the real image of China? From the 1-minute video, besides beautiful and energetic Chinese representatives, do viewers really understand the characteristics of Chinese people? It is a wonder to put a 5,000 years history in just 1 minute!
Nevertheless, it shows the possibility of Chinese people and China as a whole. They can be as successful as developed westerners in dressing, in confidence and in attitude. Not to forget the success sits on the Chinese wisdom, culture and value. Many Chinese are working very hard so that these representatives in the video can be presented in the international stage. Every successful Chinese individual is supported by numerous Chinese in the mainland.
The video, in a way, is a reflection of what westerners presume the Chinese to be. This is a hard truth. It projects a modern look of China or perhaps, for the pleasure and expectance of westerners and Americans. Westerners are happy to see the modern Chinese and feel comfortable to co-exist with the People’s Republic. This is also the result of 30 years of success after the 1979 opening up of China. What a remarkable achievement in such short time!
However, the half truth is these representatives and individuals in the video are minority in China. Majority of Chinese still stay in rural China - seeking jobs in the city, losing land to urban development and adjusting life to cope with the economic progress. China can only be a great country if she can overcome the rich-poor division, unequal rural-urban development. As they always stress Chinese problem has to be solved by Chinese. So, China advancement can only be solved by Chinese themselves with their past wisdom and value as basic support.
While, in the meantime, as one of the giant engine for growth, the world will continue to look at China for opportunities, so do seeing more and more Chinese faces in commercials and internet. Just like what LV is doing. (See below a report by Jason Chow from WSJ on 19 Jan 2011).
At LV, This Year's Man is Chinese
Louis Vuitton finally has given a nod to its most important demographic in Asia: Chinese men.
Last week, the French luxury brand unveiled a new advertising campaign featuring Godfrey Gao, a Taiwanese-Canadian actor and model — the first time the company has used an Asian man to showcase its products.
Mr. Gao, a Vancouver native, has appeared in a number of Taiwanese television dramas, including 'Volleyball Lover' and 'I Want to Become a Hard Persimmon.' His celebrity is prominent enough in Asia to attract Hong Kong paparazzi — in December they caught him canoodling with a local starlet, though one could argue it was because of the starlet that he got snapped.
Tabloid gossip aside, the move by the French brand can be interpreted as an acknowledgment that this key demographic has been behind the company's extraordinary growth this year. Parent company LVMH — which also owns brands like Sephora makeup, Hennessy cognac and Moët & Chandon champagne posted a 26% jump in sales over the first nine months of 2010 compared with the same period the year before. And analysts say its flagship Louis Vuitton brand was responsible for the bulk of that growth.
The company doesn't break down its sales by gender, but according to other reports, men spent more than women on luxury goods in China last year. Indeed, a walk through any major Chinese city's business district shows that the Louis Vuitton brand is popular: As Mr. Gao appears in the brand's advertisement, the LV man bag — worn across the body, of course — is a standard status symbol among men, especially middle-age ones.
Mr. Gao may be part of a greater trend of Asian models on the rise. Luxury labels now feature more Asian faces in their ad campaigns and on the runway. Chinese model Liu Wen signed a contract in November to be the new 'face' of beauty company Estée Lauder. (A cosmetics contract is considered by some to be the 'Holy Grail' of modeling.)
But back to Louis Vuitton and its newest ad: Will Asian men embrace the brand even more now that it has an Asian male face?
Chris Kyme, founder of Kymechow, a creative ad agency in Hong Kong, doesn't think so. The new ad misses the mark, he says, adding that he thinks the brand's ads that feature celebrities such as Keith Richards, Bono and Mikhail Gorbachev are better suited to the brand and its demographic.
'If your target audience in Louis Vuitton is for Chinese guys, I'm not sure this would appeal to men,' says Mr. Kyne. 'It seems like it would appeal more to women. Chinese guys want to feel reassured and congratulated on their success rather than be shown a pretty model with their product.'
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