China Bans Nike Television Commercial

[Tab]

EIJING - China has banned a Nike television commercial showing U.S. basketball star LeBron James in a battle with an animated cartoon kung fu master, saying the ad insults Chinese national dignity.

The commercial, titled "Chamber of Fear," was broadcast on local Chinese stations and on state television's national sports channel before being pulled last month. It shows James in a video game-style setting defeating the kung fu master, two women in traditional Chinese attire and a pair of dragons, considered a sacred symbol in traditional Chinese culture.

The advertisement "violates regulations that mandate that all advertisements in China should uphold national dignity and interest and respect the motherland's culture," the State Administration for Radio, Film and Television said on a statement posted Monday on its Web site.

"It also goes against rules that require ads not to contain content that blasphemes national practices and cultures."

The statement added: "The ad has received an indignant response from Chinese viewers."
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=509&ncid=509&e=12&u=/ap/20041206/ap_on_bi_ge/china_nike_ad_ban

[frankieT]

1. maybe a new field for the war between

US and China. the cultural war. Hollywood, MTV, CNN are a fantastic power in shaping minds around the world. Just look at how the image of russians and arabs (the main USA enemies since the 70's) was created through these propaganda tools.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

2. See the ad here

http://www.nike.com/nikebasketball/usa/?ref=bball_global_redirect

You have to click through the game to see it.

Developed for the Japanese market, Nike and their ad agency Weiden & Kennedy liked it so much they expanded its media to other Asian countries.

Singapore commuters object to the bus billboards that are part of the same campaign:
http://www.fresnobee.com/24hour/sports/basketball/nba/story/1868285p-9780264c.html

Hee hee hee. I love it when ad agencies screw up.

[Anakin Skywalker]

3. Good for China.

We here in the US are saturated with ads pushed on us by the "anything for a buck" crowd.

[Deja Q]

4. And yet they allow their citizens to be callously exploited by foreigners.

Says much about their purport culture, wouldn't you say? :shrug: