Western Faces in Chinese Advertising Part 2

   Western Faces in Chinese Advertising

                                                              Part 2

My examination of the concept of western faces in Chinese advertising was 

deepened over the course of a month when I chose to emphasize a number of different 

notions, especially during my time visiting Beijing for one week. As I compared the 

advertising and other forms of media during my stay, I also contemplated the messaging 

in the facet of the fashion industry, as well as the overall attitude of the chinese people 

towards the American lifestyle that makes sense of this advertising trend.

During my visit to Beijing, I was able to examine my topic outside of Shanghai, 

and this proved to be very beneficial. I spoke with Daniel Galvez, a young businessman 

working for The Beijing Axis, what his thoughts were on the abundance of western faces 

in Chinese advertising. He said. “In the eyes of the average Chinese consumer, a 

foreign brand or a Chinese brand that is able to establish a link abroad is of higher 

quality vis-à-vis purely domestic Chinese brands. With consumers steadily gaining more 

purchasing power and the availability of foreign brands, I think Chinese brands are 

simply trying to elevate their perceived quality (and thus prices), in a relatively 

short period, by using foreign faces. If you get to travel to China’s less-regulated second 

and third-tier cities, the phenomena of using celebrity endorsements unofficially or 

officially is even more widespread and random.” Overall, I did not find Beijing to be a 

city of great flashing advertisements as Shanghai can be. Their heavy emphasis on 

culture leaves little room for the grandeur that this form of media provides. When I 

returned, I chose to examine the concept of international fashion’s influence on the 

Chinese people. Notable brands like Louis Vuitton, Versace, and Dolce & Gabbana 

have matriculated into China’s urban areas. Huge window displays cover various streets 

in Shanghai, streets that seem to be cluttered with young individuals on the cutting edge 

of the fashion industry’s latest and greatest. This served as thought provoking because 

only in very recent years has China been considered a mecca for fashion, and I can not 

help but wonder if this is partially due to influence from the west. I spoke with a young 

western man by the name of Andrew whom I met while having lunch at Wagas, he 

weighed in, “In recent years, there have been more and more stories of Chinese brands 

investing in foreign brands in sectors ranging from cars to clothes in an effort to elevate 

their perceived quality at home. Here are some links to relevant news I have read 

recently in the baby formula market, apparel market, and Chinese companies investing 

in foreign brands to better target Chinese consumers.One of the biggest surprises I 

have seen over the years has been the ability of Chinese footwear brands to sign official 

endorsement deals with top-notch professional athletes abroad, especially in the NBA, 

to boost domestic sales. To me, these brands seemingly came out of nowhere. Whether 

or not this strategy is actually working, I think the jury is still out as they continue to 

struggle with sales domestically, and have not been able to crack markets abroad.

 What I find most interesting is to me it seems that the most successful Chinese brands 

thus far are the ones who have been able to leverage and keep true to their “made-in-

China” roots. I think one lesson Chinese brands still have to make/are making is that it 

takes years, if not decades, to build a favorable brand image and there are few 

shortcuts.” This valuable informant only reinforced my notion that there is such a heavy 

emphasis on “the american dream” amongst the Chinese people, and they are so eager 

for a taste of it that if it means investing in American products rather than ones from 

their country of origin, that’s a measure they are willing to take. In an online journal, 

muse.jhu.edu, the author states 

“During the 1980s, multinational advertising agencies based in New York, London,  Paris, and Tokyo saw the enormous opportunities that China offered. Early efforts at  expansion into Mainland China were typically directed from Hong Kong, but offices were  soon opened in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, and other large Chinese cities. Today,  Shanghai is the hub of Chinese advertising, but many of the multinational agencies  have offices throughout Mainland China. The foreign companies were first required to  operate in China as joint ventures with Chinese agencies. This typically resulted in the  amalgamation of the ultra-sophisticated global agencies with local agencies that had  strong on-the-ground connections. The standard and quality of advertising produced in  China quickly achieved world-class standards. Today, advertising in China compares  favorably to advertising in New York, São Paulo, Milan, and other centers of cutting- edge advertising. China abandoned the requirement that multinational agencies based  in other countries operate as joint ventures with Chinese agencies in 2005. Multinational  agencies may now operate as foreign-owned corporations and repatriate profits easily.  Many have elected to maintain the networks afforded by their local  connections.” (William M. O’barr)

Western Faces in Chinese Advertising

Western Faces in Chinese Advertising

Every day I board the elevator headed for the seventh floor of the Ibis Hotel 

Xiujiahui. I patiently ride to the top, unaware of a blatantly unique pattern that is 

exemplified in a picture right under my nose. This picture is of a happy family, one who 

appears to be enjoying their stay at the Ibis. What makes this advertisement interesting 

is not the idea of this family, however, but the fact that is shows a Chinese woman 

gazing lovingly at a Western man. Finally acknowledging this served as a catalyst for 

thought: why is it that when we bustle through East Nanjing Road, stroll about Xintiandi, 

or even ride the subway, we see countless Chinese advertisements that feature 

Western faces?

Persistent observations have only fortified the notion that Chinese companies 

and advertising firms are far from averted to the idea of using a Western face to 

represent their business or product. Online dating sites, beauty products, and specialty 

foods are just a few examples of commonly seen ads in China that feature Westerners.

The curiosity for this excessive usage may stem from the unlikelihood of these roles 

being reversed in the United States. It would strike most Americans as odd if about sixty 

percent of our advertisements featured Asians rather than Westerners. In pursuit of 

some clarity on the topic, I spoke with David Chard. Adam is an American man who has 

lived in China for decades, and is the founder of Engaging Minds, a company that 

improves the Public Relations departments of large corporations. He claimed, “There 

is still a tendency to see the West as a benchmark for all that is good or "better than" 

things in China. They tend to idolize Western life styles and so resonate with Western 

talent. That will change in time...used to be that way in Taiwan but far less in recent 

years. Some Chinese companies even "rent" Western talent to take to meetings to 

impress their customers! What a hoot!”. Susan Zhang, a native Chinese professor in her 

early thirties, elaborated while sitting in the teacher lounge of Jiao Tong University. 

When asked why she thought it was so common to see Western faces in Chinese 

advertisements, she said “We all admire American qualities and want to look like 

them. We think they have nice features, and we want to live the best lifestyle like 

Americans. You see this especially in makeup products and women’s products because 

we think the ladies have better figures. We also admire their celebrities because of their 

status. 50 percent of China are still considered to have the status of farmers, so 

Americans represent the ideal life.” 

I decided to go deeper into my research when I chose to interview Joyce, a 

member of the hotel staff who speaks rather broken english, but I presumed could offer 

some valuable insight because of her social status & level of education which was more 

comparable to that of the rest of China. After pulling her from her unfailingly loyal post at 

the front desk and asking her her thoughts on the matter, she responded by saying 

“Americans are very pretty and we like to see them here in China. A lot of stores do this 

so people will think Americans shop there.” Adam Arthur, a Columbia University 

graduate and founder of the company Educasian, a company that hosts college 

students who are studying abroad, was my most unique and informative 

source. His insight shed a light on the topic that hadn’t previously been examined. His 

response was, “The short answer is status and quality. Foreign goods are perceived to 

be of better quality than Chinese-made goods which are considered to be shoddy and 

unreliable.  Foreign products are also considerably more expensive.  In a developing 

country such as China where ALL of the wealth is newly acquired conspicuous 

consumption and the status that comes with it are very important symbols of having 

made it. For a local Chinese brand that can't claim to be foreign then the next best 

thing is to show an association with foreigners using the local Chinese product or at 

least claiming that the product is good (e.g. In advertising).  In this way the local 

Chinese brand may be able to give the perception that its products are also of high 

quality. This really has to do with trust.  Chinese tend to not trust each other, their 

institutions, and their own business enterprises.  Food scares, government corruption, 

censorship and selective release of information,non-transparent business practices, etc 

have all contributed to this lack of trust and the sense that non-Chinese things are 

better.”

An article by Tom Doctoroff for The Wall Street Journal entitled “What the 

Chinese Want” completely contradicts the line of thought formed by my sources and I. I 

found it interesting to read after encountering so many opinions that all seemed to 

agree. The article states, “Consumers in China aren't becoming "Western." They are 

increasingly modern and international, but they remain distinctly Chinese. If I've learned 

anything from my 20 years working as an advertising executive in China, it is that 

successful Western brands craft their message here to be "global," not "foreign"—so 

that they can become vessels of Chinese culture.” He continues to emphasize 

throughout the article that the people of China want to retain the identity that has taken 

so long to build. 

I agree with Doctoroff in the sense that I can tell that the Chinese people take 

pride in their culture. I see this every day when I scramble to learn and regurgitate tiny 

squiggly characters, and read them as I walk down the street. However, my 

observations of this advertising pattern have been all to persistent for me to think any 

differently from the people whom I interviewed. That being said, the next time I step into 

the Ibis Hotel elevator, I’ll know a little bit more about why that Chinese woman looks so 

happy.

China's Market for Counterfeit Goods Part 2

China’s Market for Counterfeit Goods

                                                                Part 2

As I begin to re-examine my investigation into the world of counterfeit goods in 

China, I find that there are more facets to the topic than one might expect. My time 

spent in Beijing last month exposed to me points if examination such as the roadside 

stores and boutiques that display counterfeit items, the range of quality available for 

these goods, the loopholes found in their manufacturing, and the surprising and rare 

finds that seem to be top points of sale at Beijing’s Pearl and Silk markets.

I pass the same shops every day during my daily commute to school, and every 

day I am amazed at the shameless window displays that boast hefty designer brand 

labels sewn into every day street clothes. On occasion I stumble into one of these 

storefronts, and am confronted with a rack of average quality clothes that have been 

branded to be something they’re not. One particular afternoon, I picked up a light green 

sweater with a Lanvin tag sewn into the back. I knew that this sweater wasn’t worth the 

hanger it came on, but I asked the clerk to tell me the cost. Her reply was preposterous 

and amusing all at the same time - 800 Chinese kuai for this?! “This is real Lanvin 

sweater, very nice.” I chuckled and politely returned the frock which was one of many 

lining the racks with tags that surely did not fit the garments.

Some merchants, however, can not afford to sell their products with such 

conviction. It is not uncommon to see street vendors and small cart operators pedaling 

goods that hold a strong resemblance to the genuine item they’re modeled after, but 

have a slight alteration that could save the merchant from serious trouble if detected. 

For instance, the ever popular Coach purses that have been replicated time and time 

again can be spotted with a different pattern on the arms of some shoppers. Instead of 

the traditional pattern of large consecutively placed “C”s, manufacturers of the knock 

offs have replaced this with the letter “G” that holds a small difference. This small 

difference, however, saves merchants from mountains of ramifications from officials 

looking to regulate the sales of counterfeit goods because although there is a striking 

resemblance, technically the merchant is selling another product with its own unique 

qualities. 

Last month, I was given the opportunity to visit Beijing for a week. Among the 

town rich in Chinese history and culture are two infamous shopping meccas known as 

The Pearl Market and The Silk Market. I visited both, and collected interesting findings. 

Both of these markets displayed something interesting in that they were large 

commercial buildings. This made me think, how could a hub for illegal counterfeit goods 

be so commercial? When I entered The Pearl Market, I faced large stations overflowing 

with wallets and bags, and salespeople beckoning for potential customers’ attention. 

The sound of bargaining and clacking calculators fills the air, and the smell of leather 

finds its way through every square inch. This is where i met Nancy, a young Chinese 

woman selling counterfeit Nike sneakers. As my friends and I tried on various pairs, we 

were enamored at the quality of the sneakers - an uncanny replication. They were even 

accompanied by an authentic Nike shoebox. I asked Nancy, “Where are these shoes 

made and how do they come with their own Nike shoebox?” Nancy replied, “I have a 

factory, they give me the shoes with the box.” Her answer didn’t quite satiate my inquiry, 

but it did validate my notion that with the language barrier and the secretive nature of 

this business, I wasn’t getting much information from anyone any time soon. 

At The Silk Market, I was confronted by some of the most shockingly realistic 

counterfeit goods I had ever seen. The prices alone showed that although these items 

weren’t genuine, they were of undeniably high quality. Here  I also observed that there 

were more than just bags that were being sold. I encountered Polo sweaters, designer 

riding boots, even perfumes and makeup made with questionable ingredients that all 

had notable labels. With this huge booming operation, one would think of it as an 

accepted an unstoppable force. However, the Chinese government does claim to take 

this seriously. In an article from www.globalpost.com, I read, “Act fast to get those 

knock-off bags, because they might not be available for much longer.Chinese and US 

authorities have collaborated for the first time to shut down a major 

counterfeiting operation in the province of Guangdong, according to Women's Wear 

Daily.The goods included knock-off handbags that appeared to be brands like Coach, 

Hermès and Louis Vuitton. Authorities arrested 73 people who were planning to 

distribute almost a million bags to the Middle East and the United States, according to 

WWD.....International Anticounterfeiting Coalition, said at a press conference that the 

‘crackdown by the Chinese government was unprecedented related to the luxury goods 

market and the number of arrests made.’ ‘We’ve always believed that China could do 

far more [in counterfeit enforcement] and obviously this is a great step in the right 

direction,’ Barchiesi said. ‘I believe there is a lot of pressure from the US government 

now on China to step up to the plate to protect ... US companies.’ ” (Ashley Lutz, Global 

Post, 11/3/12)

China's Market For Counterfeit Goods

China’s Market for Counterfeit Goods

  “Who would be dumb enough to buy the real thing? Look at these!”  my peers 

and I exclaim as we sift through mountains of flawlessly imitated Louis Vuitton and 

Prada wallets and handbags. “The real thing would have cost a fortune!”. We are in one 

of Shanghai’s biggest hubs for fake goods, The Underground Market, located in the 

subway station beneath the Shanghai Museum of Science and Technology. Aisle after 

aisle of vendors beckon eager shoppers to follow them in promise of the highest quality 

bags available. Those brave enough to explore what these peddlers have to offer often 

find themselves standing in awe as the man or woman pushes against a portion of the 

wall that appears to be like any other, covered in fashionable totes, leading to a hidden 

showroom of shockingly convincing knockoffs. Just a few weeks ago I found myself in 

this position, as well as grappling with so many pressing questions about these 

businesses and their merchandise. Where do these come from? What makes them so 

different from the real thing? How dangerous is this line of work? Thus was introduced 

to me my topic of discussion. 

I will admit, going about this particular topic was no easy task, mostly because 

those who know most of this line of work are the ones actively doing it. And these 

businesspeople speak English that is limited to “best price”, “high quality”, and “very 

beautiful”. Three weeks ago, a friend and I took to the Underground Market in search of 

nothing too particular, but what we found was nothing sort of amazing. A simple clothing 

rack containing streams of beautiful color, unmistakably dresses designed by Herve 

Leger, a prominent women’s fashion designer whose dresses sell for two to seven 

thousand dollars a pop. As we buried our hands in the beautiful, thick fabrics, we met 

Mary, the operator of the shop. “Anything you want made, you send picture to me and I 

will give it to the factory.” This seemed too good to be true, especially considering these 

dresses were selling for about seventy five US dollars a piece. I implored, “Where do 

you get these dresses, and how are they so similar to the real thing?” They even had 

the authentic Herve Leger tags sewn into the back. “I have a factory” she said, “We use 

high quality fabrics and customize any order.” She showed me emails from people all 

over the world requesting that these dresses be made and shipped. I was in total shock 

at the normalcy that she greeted her line of work with. After all, she was taking part in 

something illegal that could land her in heaps of trouble. 

           As I started to bid farewells to my newest friend, I noticed a shift in the energy of 

the marketplace. Shopkeepers started to shuffle about their posts, rearranging things 

and tucking items in corners, some even closing their doors. I had a feeling that some 

sort of inspection was taking place, and in a way I was right. Uniformed men strolled up 

and down the aisles with stern expressions, bringing the bustling energy to a quiet buzz.   

We went about our business of browsing, but then gained a curiosity as to what was 

going on. I found answers with Rory McBride, a project manager for Shanghai Zhenhua 

Heavy Industries, whom I met at a cocktail party. He told me, “Anything you want you 

can find here. The things China does with these goods is amazing. Its all too common to 

see police go in and raid some guy’s stand and take him away in handcuffs.” The only 

question that I had that I couldn’t seem to find an answer to was the penalty for this 

crime. However, I do know that it’s taken much more seriously in the States. "The theft of 

intellectual property is a global problem and cross-border efforts are needed to fight it, 

robust enforcement of intellectual property rights allows innovators and creators - whether 

in a small start-up or an international corporation - to profit from their efforts and gives 

consumers confidence in the reputations of the products they buy." says Thomas 

Winkowski, commissioner of Customs and Border Protection.

  The next weekend, I returned to the Underground 

Market. This time, I learned just how vast the variety of counterfeit goods was apart from 

bags and dresses. Technology is an enormous part of China’s knockoff empire. In 

numerous windows I spotted high-end headphones, MP3 players, even Apple products. 

I decided to further investigate by questioning a shop owner who only gave me the 

name “Jesse”. “Where did you get this?” I asked “Who made this for you?”. “Genuine 

Apple product!” he said. I repeated my question. “Lady, genuine Apple product for you!” 

This conversation was going nowhere fast, but I did gain from it the notion that the 

counterfeit goods in China have taken a much broader array than I could have 

expected. 

          Deborah Charles, a writer for Reuters.com, claims “China is the primary source of 

counterfeit and pirated goods in the United States and accounts for 72 percent of all 

seizures relating to intellectual property rights, according to the U.S. agency's fiscal 2012 

statistics.Theft of intellectual property rights costs U.S. businesses $320 billion a year, 

equivalent to the annual value of U.S. exports to Asia, according to a report by the 

Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property, a group of former U.S. 

officials.” 

From this research, I’ve concluded that although it’s rather intriguing to know you paid a 

fraction of the cost for a close-to-identical product, the risks that surround this business are 

no joking matter. Although China is currently the mecca for all things counterfeit, I’d bet 

money on the idea that we’ll see a strict reinforcement within the next ten years. Shoppers 

may relish in the availability of these goods, but the repercussions of transporting them 

home to the states just might outweigh that faux Chanel handbag. 

How to Lose Your Mind One Dumpling at a Time

I've arrived in the beautiful city of Shanghai and am approaching the third week of my adventure! I'll try to avoid the cliché of using the word "surreal" but few other words can describe the experience thus far. The mix of personalities amongst the group is nothing short of eclectic, ranging from absolute party animals to bearded philosophers. Of course we all know that when contradicting personalities unite, it makes for a great reality TV show! Thus expressing the strange feeling I get from time to time that I'm a character on The Real World MTV rather than a college kid living in a hotel with a bunch of very hormonal young adults. 

I've been spending my time buried in a 200 level Chinese textbook, and quite have little to no clue what I'm doing. However, when I find the time to see the light of day, it doesn't take very long for notable encounters to occur. Whether it's a near brush with death after an army of motor scooters ignores a pedestrian's right of way, or a nearby customer at the restaurant we choose for lunch beams over a plate of cold, bony chicken feet, I am constantly reminded of how drastically different this place is from home. In a way, I feel as though I've almost experienced a minor feeling of stardom in my time here, because although Shanghai is a huge bustling city, there are certain folks who travel from small villages and have never seen a white face in the flesh before. If the toddlers accompanying them aren't shrieking and pointing, they may approach you to ask for a picture. 

I've struggled quite a bit with the food since I've arrived, but continue to try to navigate a way around the salt, oil, and carbs that practically embody the Chinese diet. Since bargaining my way into a cheap gym membership and finding a nearby juice bar, things have begun to brighten up. I still haven't caved in and bought the thirteen dollar jar of natural peanut butter that's been calling my name at the Western Market, and I never knew my reliance on cheese could be subdued for this long, but time will tell! Here's to taking it one day at a time.

Gia

How to Pack for 4 Months in China

Four months.
Despite the fact that I board a plane for the other side of the world in two days time, I find myself thinking more about the outcome of The Bachelorette finale. Multiple times a day, I hear "Are you nervous?", "WOW, two months in a communist country - you must be scared!" oddly, I'm eerily unaffected by all this - it'll probably hit me when I step off the plane to a sea of asian faces, or step out of the airport to the smell of rotting fish.
When I do think of the time I'm about to spend in Shanghai, among the things that excite me most is the obscene amount of shopping I'm about to do. This must sound unconscionably shallow for someone about to embark on a journey full of culture and knowledge, but it's dawned on me in the passing months that I need a change - and what better place to re-invent your look than the bustling city of Shanghai! The fifty pound baggage weight limit has been my worst enemy thus far, as I am a notorious over packer. Realizing that I don't need two pairs of riding boots and returning a pair to the closet is like ripping off a bandaid.
The following is a fool-proof guide for my over packers anonymous to result in a 40 pound suitcase:
- Obtain a suitcase large enough to questionably harbor a standard sized circus animan. preferably red.
- Empty your most prized possessions and the contents of your closet onto your bed and surrounding areas
- Sift through the items for ten minutes
- Get tired, make yourself a snack, and spend the next two hours on Netflix
- Revisit your earlier project of sifting and sorting
- End up cramming every article of clothing into the suitcase, because you just cant afford to leave anything behind

At this point, your mom should barge in, tear open the suitcase, tell you your teeth need whitening, and proceed to express her disapproval of your choice to pack five cashmere scarves. After days and days of ripping bandaids, putting back coats and pairs of wedges, you should be somewhat satisfied with this reduction... who am I kidding, you'll be pretty pissed.
Then cut that pile in half.
THEN, you'll be ready. But don't worry, everything you've left behind will be replaced with fabulous finds from your journey. If I learn nothing else from this semester, I'll surely come back a professional Chinese bargainer.

Best,
Gia