Chinese Celebrity-Endorsed TV Commercials: A Content Analysis (Report‪)‬

Introduction On November 18, 2007, Yao Ming, a Chinese basketball superstar, signed an endorsement contract and became the first global spokesman for China Life Insurance Company. His name soon appeared in the endorsement contracts with a variety of brands, such as Garmin, Reebok, Visa Card, Pepsi, and Apple. Although criticized by George Lois (2003), an American advertising innovator, celebrity endorsements have become a prominent strategy in modern marketing throughout the world (Agrawal & Kamakura, 1995; Dupont, 1999; Erdogan & Baker, 2000).