Nike: write your headline

As the World Cup fever continues, Nike has made sure to familiarize everyone with its Ad “write the future.” And now Nike takes a step further to introduce an interactive activity “write your headline.” The idea is for football fans to, via Facebook, Twitter, and other websites, write a 55-character headline for one of the best 50 football players. Nike will choose 100 headlines in random and display them on the top of one of the tallest building in Johannesburg through the “world’s largest LED installation ever.” The lucky fans will receive a video replica of what was projected as a gift.

Nike always seems to be a step ahead in breaking out new ideas, publicizing itself, and putting a twist on current trends. Its “interaction” technique for reaching online users both fosters creativity from its target audience without much effort and provokes enthusiasm from potential and existing costumers.

LePhone brand new AD

The Lenovo version of the iPhone – LePhone, has arrived with a new TV commercial. It attempts to depict a minimalist message, just like the “Apple-New Soul“  Ad, which conveys a powerful message through simple visuals and a catchy tune. However, after watching the LePhone commercial, I saw nothing memorable, with poorly designed visuals, the only attraction was the background music by “mainland Jay Chou” – Xu Song, but honestly, there is nothing special to it.

This failed commercial only makes LePhone look like a shanzhai product. So now, despite the quality of the product, people will only think of  Lephone as a shanzhai product.

World Cup Doctor's Note

Speaking as someone who has played with and against Chinese football players, I know that’s its not skill or knowledge of the game that they lack (although they can be prone to the odd bit of petulance). However, the expectation that China should have a national team, inline with the rapid growth of their economy and overall size of their population, is an argument that is shortsighted.

Rowan Simmons is a long serving British expatriate in China who has dedicated himself to building a culture for football to thrive in China. In his book Bamboo Goalposts he reiterates the idea that the sport must be built from the bottom up. This means, establishing youth leagues and the amateur game which all in turn feed into professional development and at the top of this, a world class National team. I agree with him to a point but this is all based on a very Euro-centric view.





Building a passion for playing football should be first and foremost. Why? This desire to play is something that is in the very roots of most European and South American cultures; the youth in these countries are seemingly born into worlds where football is life and life is football. In a Euro-centric football pyramid structure, where youth football is at the bottom, leading up to development leagues, and finally the professional level, there is no need to build any awareness or instill passion in the youth. It already exists. However in China, this step is actually the first step needed to build a Chinese youth football army. And where does this start? Passionate kids.

In our research we’ve met kids who are passionate about so many things and these passions become all encompassing, even life changing. It can be the reason people move to new cities, meet their husband or wife and start families. When you have people who often strive to dedicate their lives to something; this is when it transcends beyond being a hobby or pastime. Football can be one of these passions。

We talked about photography as a gateway hobby, but is there footballing equivalent? Five-a-side football and in particular its South American counterpart, futsal, has established itself as it’s own sporting entity in Asian countries such as Japan in the past decade.





Futsal, is a smaller, faster and more skill filled mutation of football. The game is played with 5 instead of 11 and the ball is slightly heavier and smaller, to emphasize close control and fast-passing as opposed to long high lobs from end to end. Futsal has its origins in the South American streets but as is often the case with passionate Japanese hobbyist, they have reappropriated and repackaged this activity for more efficient and wholesome consumption. Rooftop futsal stadiums with late night schedules better cater to drab urban environments and have more flexible opening hours for those with unrelenting work schedules.

Furthermore, brands such as Nike have tried to capture the peripheral lifestyle elements of this offshoot sport, giving the sport a more cool street element. Rounding out these lifestyle elements is a further way to help build a sense of culture and identity around the activity and helps ensure more long term commitment. It serves as an initial draw for those maybe put off by more traditional notions of the sport.





Despite very little publicity, China’s national futsal team has already qualified for 3 FIFA world tournaments and the official futsal online community has over 6000 members. The basis for growth is there. This is where brands can do something to really invest and help build a football culture. If they can help bring attention to these fostering activities and sow the seeds to help turn these hobbies into full blown passions then I fully expect football to blossom.

We recently also mentioned how Chinese parents are slowly starting to see merit in letting their children follow their passions to find success. Football player could be one of these careers.

I have faith in Chinese football, now if only brands and the rest of China would.

For those of you still new to Weibo, it’s Sina’s Twitter-like, micro-blogging platform that allows Chinese users to type up to 140 characters and disseminate the information onto the interwebs. (The name Weibo or in Chinese, 微博 translates to “micro-blog,” however its pronunciation is the same as 围脖  or “scarf” in English. The “scarf” translation is the “Weibo” of choice for young Chinese netizens.) It is truly an online force to reckon with. It’s usage is blossoming both online and on mobile platforms. It’s also a great way to keep an instant pulse on Chinese netizens and cultural youth topics. Thus, we’ve set our top Chinese voice, Beibei, into the rapid-fire Sina Weibo world to capture hot Weibo topics and to provide an enovate Chinese voice in this youth dominated platform.

With no further ado, we bring you enovate’s Weekly Weibo Roundup.

1. No Land, No Game!

Not getting any attention from the fairer sex? Buy some property! According to a survey titled The Effect of High Price Property on Single Youths in Guangzhou, only 10% of men cared if a girl had property; meanwhile, 67% of female respondents stated they’d only date guys who either had property, or could afford to buy property. Seeing as Guangzhou’s real estate market prices hit record highs throughout 2009, I offer my sincerest condolences to Guangzhou’s millions of bachelors.

Some have taken the hint, like this Shanghai resident whose vanity has earned him 5 minutes of cyber-fame. He has taken to the web to flaunt multiple properties and calling all guys who can’t afford a similar lifestyle losers.

2. A Lifetime in 90 seconds – a successful viral video from John Lewis

John Lewis’s latest commerical (below) is becoming a hit with Chinese netizens. It artfully and seamlessly chronicles the entire life of a woman in 90 seconds. Since being picked up by the Weibo community, it’s been “Weiboed”  well over 2000 times with positive comments such as “very creative” and “very touching.” Since the video’s release, sales have gone up an astounding 40%. Not too shabby, but I suppose that’s what you’d hope for when dropping an estimated £6 million on producing the commercial. We all think this deserves a tip of the hat. Well done John Lewis.

3. Guangzhou’s Communist Youth League Digs at Generational Differences

Seems like Guangzhou has been busy monitoring its youth lately. Real estate and dating aside, another popular Guangzhou survey has been making its rounds on Weibo. Guangzhou’s Communist Youth League released a report detailing generational differences between those born in the 70′s, 80′s, and 90′s. We’re not sure how necessary surveys were in coming to these general conclusions, but nevertheless, here are some “key findings” that have received the most attention on Weibo:

70′s Generation: workaholics

80′s Generation: celebrate divorce as regularly as marriage

90′s Generation: first kiss in middle school, but want to keep their “first time” for their wedding night.

4. In case you didn’t know…

And just so you know Weibo users have an affinity for humor and design, I bring you one of the most popular images circulating around Weibo these last couple days. They’re by Brazilian designer / illustrator Sergio Bergocce.

5. Nike keeps the buzz going

Nike sure does know how to create a buzz. Their classic line, Nike Sportswear, has a RenRen page boasting over 70,000 friends. In order to leverage and engage this massive community, they’ve teamed NikeiD up with RenRen.com to bring a “creative” feature where RenRen users can flex their creative muscles using some Nike high tops as virtual canvases. Weibo users have been quick to show off their designs to the world. Check out other designs on Nike’s RenRen page, here.

Students don’t necessarily dislike the idea of a uniform. Following the trends of popular TV shows like Gossip Girls and Meteor Garden (Taiwan), many appreciate the preppy uniforms associated with American and European private schools, as well as schools in Taiwan. However, Chinese students find their own uniforms to be mundane, and lacking style. Can you blame us? Others get to dress up, we have to dress down. Essentially, the only variety in uniform is color. Schools either have a green, red, white, or blue uniform.

Girls especially hate this uniform, as it obscures one’s personality so much as to sometimes make gender indecipherable: an adolescent girl’s worst nightmare!

Despite a generally strict dress-code enforcement, we do have our personal, day-to-day victories. In our quest to express individuality, we’ve come up with several ways to “beat the system,” with some of the more common ways being:

• Leaving a couple buttons undone, or zipper low on your jacket to give attention to other layers you may have. We’re generally limited to white t-shirts, but depending on the weather, we can sometimes add a vest or sweater.
• If the weather is cold enough, we can get away with another layer on-top of the jacket because classrooms don’t usually have AC / heaters. Cold days tend to be our more “fashion forward” days.
• Boys who are after an edgier, more unruly look rely on the international bad boy’s call sign: the Popped Collar. The popped collar is also a great way to hide longer hair, since teachers will usually force you to get a cut if your hair hangs below your collar.
• Accessories help. Scarves, belt, glasses, watches, and occasionally necklaces are permissible ways to express one’s individuality.
• Shoes! Converse, Nike, Adidas, Clark’s, etc… that one’s up to us to decide. If you’re a cool guy, you’re going to be wearing LeBrons or Air Jordans, while girls still love their Converse.
• And if your really feeling lucky, you can tell your teacher your uniformed suffer some irreparable damage, and that you are forced to wear something in the meantime. Worked once for me, but got sent home the second time…

Fortunately for younger generations, the powers-that-be are showing signs that they’ve picked up on our discontent. Word has it that students will be given incremental fashion freedoms. For one, students in certain districts will be given multiple options for uniforms. In some schools, students will be allowed to collaboratively design their own uniforms. Others are talking about a possible “no uniform friday.” Lucky!

Who knows… if our dress code is relaxed enough to permit us to where branded apparel like Nike, Adidas, Kappa this may turn into a lucrative market for sports brands.

Kappa which was once a symbol of, as Graham Brown describes, rave culture cool in the UK and a mark of Italian sporting style in the rest of Europe. It is now known in China for it’s proud show of European heritage, bold colorings and fashion forward styles. Kappa can best be said to be a youthful but obtainable sports lifestyle brand which wears it’s European influences quite literally on it’s sleeve.

Whilst often lumped in with competing local and foreign sports brands, Kappa sets itself out from the pack by dubbing itself a fashion line, influenced by sports. The brand chooses to affiliate itself more closesly with youth style icons and websites. And even for the sports events it does get involved with, e.g. golf, it makes them a more stylish and star powered affairs. This is a smart move.

Many Chinese youth, especially in the run up to the dreaded gaokao (college examination), are not particularly involved in sports. They often dress to a more modest fashion tone so as to reflect a more dilligent appearance.

Kappa strikes the right balance of casual but fashion forward leanings. It’s less expensive than Nike and Adidas but more luxurious than Anta and Li Ning. A true blend of foreign and local.

Chinese celebreties attend a fashion event sponsored by YohoxKappa.

With the Dongxiang group acting as the vanguard in this market others have been quick to follow. Anta has acquired the brand rights to Fila and Li Ning to Lotto – both brands showing that if you can’t buy your own history, then you can at least buy someone else’s.

Streetwear. The Chinese youth know it and love it. In recent years, China has felt the increasing influence of the two traditional homes of streetwear, America and Japan, and has sought to develop its own brands and image. Chinese streetwear labels CLOT, Subcrew and most recently Nic is Coming, all have one thing common, an uber-influential owner. CLOT has the infamous Edison Chen, Subcrew has HK actor, DJ and skateboarder Sam Lee and Nic is coming is the creation of Channel V VJ Nic Li Chen.

Despite only being 2-3 years old, all of the brands boast their own retails spaces. Subcrew’s Unity store has six locations around China and Taiwan, and the brand is stocked throughout Japan and South-East Asia. CLOT have had a tumultuous year with “Edison-gate“, which may or may not have been responsible for them closing their retail store, ACU, in Shanghai. However they have recently come back strong, opening a branch of ‘Juice’ in Kuala Lumpur to compliment the original store in Hong Kong. Nic Li Chen and Taiwanese pop sing Pan Wei Bo have also recently worked together to open a retail space on Shanghai’s trendy Changle Lu(ACU’s old location), called NPC.

The celeb affiliation helps at the beginning but without true creativity and influence we would not have been able to last until now, the consumers nowadays are much more savvy than most think. – Edison Chen

This may be true but as many of these brands are still in their infancy, compared to long standing streetwear brands such as Stussy or Fuct, the star endorsement is still very much tied to the brand. Countless street interviews and talks with Chinese youth, particularly males, has revealed not only the popularity of these brands but the strong connection of the brand and creator. Unlike faceless business owners, these brand owners are seen as trendsetters. They are praised for their individuality and creations, as well as their good looks and charm. One only need look to the aforementioned brands Douban fan pages (Nic is coming, CLOT, Subcrew) to see how praise for brand and (celebrity)proprietor are comepletely intertwined.

The Man,The Myth, The Market...Edison Chen

Much has been said of the ‘fickle Chiense youth consumer’ but if there is one thing that has been proven since Edison’s indiscretion, a loyal fan base can still remain even after a public outcry. These celebrities have built niche markets through their image which they then channel into promoting and creating their own brands, whilst injecting creativity and fashion smarts into their products.

To my eye, Nic is coming is the least aesthetically pleasing of the brands but those in and around Shanghai will know that this is THE brand amongst the nineties generation. The right star can hold the right capital, amongst the right market. The stars themselves know this and aren’t waiting for brands to endorse them.

Citing an “insider” Senior Beijing Ad Executive who made this claim after the tainted milk scandals also tainted the careers of many Chinese celebrities involved, French continues to cite that “Chinese consumers are almost universally rejecting celebrity endorsements.”

Let me say this: celebrity endorsements in China will never go away. I’m sorry Mr. French, but here’s why:

1. Regional celebrities in Tier 2 and 3 cities are beginning to have more of a local impact.

Monstrous national celebrities like Jackie Chan, Yao Ming, Liu Xiang, Jay Chou, Ziyi Zhang all have conquered China. They are known in ever tiered city throughout China. However, their ubiquity has also diluted their influence to sell products. In order to regain influence, regional and local celebrities can be tapped to sell products on a local level. Makes sense right? One needs to only head over to an online poll taking place in Hunan Province that is measuring the popularity of forty-eight (forty-eight!) local Hunanese celebrities. With around 10,000 online votes, 4 out of the top 5 Hunanese celebrities are TV Hosts. The other one? A reality TV show winner.

A recent survey conducted by GroupM states that, “young people dislike ads on TV unless they are endorsed by celebrities or contain relevant music soundtracks.” Brands would be wise to tap into these local celebrities as they have more relevancy and a better connection with key youth demographics.

2. The definition of  a ‘celebrity’ in China is beginning to shift.

A celebrity in China has typically been defined as an actor, actress, singer, or athlete. These four areas dominate the cultural landscape of Chinese media and entertainment. However, celebrities with unique talents and broader interests are beginning to have more of an impact on younger generations of Chinese youth. Celebrities in today’s Chinese society must be involved in a wide range of areas to maintain relevance. One of the most popular bloggers in the world Han Han (韩寒), has crossed over into celebrity status through his controversial blogs and race car driving antics. He has been hailed as the “voice of his generation”.

A celebrity in China also does not have to be an established mega-superstar to qualify as a celebrity. Chinese youth today are just as attracted to reality TV stars such as Zeng Yike (of HappyGirl Fame) and Fantasy RPG celebrities such as Ling Er (灵儿) from Xianjian Legend as they are ‘traditional’ celebrities. It’s through unique endorsement strategies that brands can reach new and untapped markets.

We’re only beginning to see this tactic employed through online marketing campaigns such as Microsoft China’s Bing viral video featuring Internet celebrities Xiao Pang and Furong Jiejie. The video has been watched over 2 million times with thousands of comments. Though Bing (or in Chinese, 必应) currently has a 6% market share in China, further growth is anticipated.

3. Chinese business models are often slow to react to changing attitudes.

Celebrity endorsements in China will not be dying out anytime soon. Business models in China sometimes move at a microscopic pace, and Chinese business managers often minimize risk by using what has worked in the past. Large companies with large budges continue to advertise with huge Chinese celebrities. As recently as Monday, global companies Nike and Amway ran full page ads featuring Chinese track star Liu Xiang, capitalizing on his recent success. Scandals can often dislodge celebrities from their high status, but as our recent street interviews show, Edison Chen is still fresh on the tongues of China’s 90′s and ’80′s generations.