Yao is not that good looking as a Chinese IMO. But I suppose Amercians can't see much difference so it really doesn't matter.
Yao uses Apple's laptop, million of dollars, Yao drinks Gaterade, millions of dollars, Yao wears Nike, millios of dollars, Yao put on We R One clothes off the court every day every where, penny-less. There are many things only money can buy Yao to do. When it comes to Steve, Yao Ming is free.
My sisters and their friends think he's goodlooking and they are chinese and spanish. If the girls said Yao's good looking then he is.
MadMonk, well said! NBA has seen enough scandals, court violence, and thugs. Yao is a breath of fresh air in this league. He has grown in a complete different culture, where hard-working, humbleness, team-first altitude, class, dedication, and pure enjoyment of the game is part of a professional athlete. On top of that, this is all natural for him. It is his true image. He is already the great role model for all NBA players and kids.
Another article from Chicago Tribune http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/chi-0302070214feb07,0,1680907.column Gatorade pact with Yao Ming dunks PowerAde Published February 7, 2003 Gatorade has bagged a giant of an endorsement deal. Yao Ming, the Houston Rockets rookie star who overnight has turned into the nation's darling endorser, has signed on with the isotonic drink marketer in an exclusive U.S. deal, the company confirmed. Terms weren't disclosed, but the multiple-year deal is a coup for Gatorade. It keeps the 7-foot-5-inch center from signing with competitor Coca-Cola Co., whose PowerAde brand continues to pace well behind Gatorade. It's not clear whether Gatorade parent PepsiCo has arrangements with Yao for other products. But Gatorade marketing executives aren't wasting any time. The company is currently shooting a new ad by Chicago-based Element 79 Partners, featuring Yao and fellow Gatorade athletes, New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. The ad, titled "Playmates," is a take on a child's ultimate sports fantasy: an invitation to play ball from star athletes like Yao, Jeter and Manning. Gatorade executives say it's the first time Yao will appear with other pro athletes in an ad. "This new commercial plays out the kind of dream scenario that any sports fan, young or old, can really relate to," said Cindy Alston, vice president, communications and equity development, The Gatorade Company. "What young athlete wouldn't want to play all day with Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning and Yao Ming?" Yao's meteoric rise as an endorser has been remarkable. Few marketing executives have seen this much interest in a young athlete since another Gatorade endorser--Michael Jordan--came on the scene. In addition, Yao, whose popularity in Asia is enormous, could end up greatly helping Gatorade on a continent where growth potential is also enormous. "What's truly exciting to us is Yao's ability to connect with American fans and transcend American culture," said Tom Fox, vice president, sports marketing, for The Gatorade Company. "But Yao's international appeal and the NBA's international marketing strength present potential opportunities to also help grow our brand globally." In recent months, Yao has signed on with several blue chip companies, including Visa, Apple Computer and Nike. Coca-Cola shifts Classic business: In a blow to Interpublic Group of Cos., Coca-Cola North America officially moved its $200 million Coca-Cola Classic advertising creative to WPP Group's Berlin Cameron/Red Cell, New York. McCann-Erickson Worldwide had been the lead creative agency, but Berlin Cameron recently led the advertising component of the "Coca-Cola . . . Real" marketing platform, launched last month in the U.S. "Berlin Cameron has done an excellent job helping us create and express the `Real' marketing platform," said Chris Lowe, chief marketing officer, Coca-Cola North America. "They've become an invaluable partner, and we're looking forward to working together with them to develop and evolve the next phase of `Real' as we integrate the concept throughout all our Coca-Cola classic marketing initiatives in the U.S." McCann-Erickson and other Interpublic Group agencies will continue their role as a "creative consultant" and "idea generator" on Coke outside the U.S. A Frankel rebound: Publicis Groupe's marketing firm Frankel is beginning to see a bit of a new business run under new agency chief Dick Thomas. In recent weeks, the agency snagged the Quervo business following a review of promotion shops. The agency was also recently named to handle Clorox as well as Gingiss Formalwear. On the move: Glen Callanan, national sales manager at Tribune Co.-owned WGN-Ch. 9, was named general sales manager for KPLR-TV in St. Louis. KPLR is one of the stations Tribune is in the process of buying from Acme Communications Inc. Drivers keyed up in Nascar spots: Young & Rubicam's off-beat humor was key to the agency's previous Nascar work. Now the agency takes you inside the mind of its drivers in a dramatic campaign that veers sharply from its previous work. "Driver's Mind" gives viewers a stunning cinematic glimpse into the drivers and what they're feeling as they spin around the track. Each of three spots focuses on one driver, while showing intense racing footage. Drivers Matt Kenseth, Ricky Rudd and Ryan Newsman are featured in the new spots breaking Feb. 16.
Yao could be the next Tiger Woods as far as advertising and all-around appeal goes, hell they even showed a picture of him on Conan last night. Conan said "he doesn't have anything to do with this bit, but what the hell..he's tall, he's great, we love him". Now if only his coach, his video coordinators...er, assistant coaches and his teamates would just get him the BALL!! UTWeezer, great ID! =w= forever! "Flip on the tele, wrestle with jimmie" -Rivers
This one from USAToday. http://www.usatoday.com/money/advertising/2003-02-06-yao-gatorade_x.htm Gatorade gets Yao factor By Theresa Howard, USA TODAY Hard on the heels of Yao Ming's debut in the endorsement big time — a spot in the Super Bowl of advertising for Visa — the NBA star from China has scored one of the sports endorsement business' true biggies: a multiyear contract for Gatorade. Peyton Manning sizes up his hands against Yao Ming on the set of a Gatorade advertisement. The No. 1 sports drink will announce today that Yao joins its list of elite athlete endorsers that includes Michael Jordan, Vince Carter, Derek Jeter, Mia Hamm and Peyton Manning. The undisclosed terms are estimated at $5 million for three to five years. It parallels the 7-foot-5 Houston Rockets center's success on the court: He'll start at center for the West in the NBA All-Star game on Sunday. But Yao's rapid rise in advertising — the No. 1 draft pick just joined the NBA in October — leaves some wondering if he is already overhyped beyond his accomplishments. "Right now, he's unique, and he's doing well in a bear market for sports endorsements," says Bob Williams, president, Burns Sports & Celebrities. "The ad ideas have been very creative playing on his height and playing on humor, but what he needs to get more endorsements is to be an outstanding All-Star player and then take his team to a championship." Gatorade marketers say neither Yao's game nor his marketing potential is being overhyped. "We're not out there saying he's the greatest ballplayer in the world, but he's well-liked and is a guy who's capturing a lot of media attention," says Tom Fox, vice president, sports marketing for Gatorade. "We've been surprised at his ability to connect with American consumers and transcend our culture." Yao's potential global popularity also might add to his appeal — he's already an icon to China's 1.3 billion population. Though Gatorade's initial deal calls for domestic work with his first ad to air in April, it's likely Gatorade is looking ahead. The brand has 84% of the U.S. sports-drink market but little international presence. Foreign growth potential was one reason Pepsi paid $13.4 billion to get Gatorade in December 2000. "Gatorade does have aspirations around the world, and there is application for Yao if we choose to go that way," Fox says. Manning and Jeter also appear in Yao's first ad. Being shot this week in Orlando, it shows a kid's ultimate sports fantasy: Manning, Jeter and Yao knock on "Jimmy's" door to see if he can come out to play. It's Yao's first ad in which he plays basketball. Yao also appears in an Apple ad getting extensive airplay now. He and Austin Powers "Mini-Me" actor Verne Troyer tout their compact 12-inch (Yao's) and oversize 17-inch (Mini's) PowerBook computers. Apple just added a print version that sizes up the twosome and their laptops. In the Visa ad, he tries to pay with a check but is frustrated by New Yorkers saying, "Yo," instead of Yao. "I'm glad we got him before the wave started," says Liz Silver, Visa vice president of advertising. "It was clear it was going to happen. I'm sure he will be a much more costly property going forward."
http://washingtontimes.com/sports/20030207-16479862.htm Selling Yao By Eric Fisher THE WASHINGTON TIMES Yao Ming has not yet mastered English. The 7-foot-5 basketball star from China is, however, quickly mastering something else that is very American — capitalism. Top Stories • Bush warns Iraq 'game is over' • N. Korea threat of first strike dismissed • Inspectors seek 'drastic change' in cooperation • Democratic hopefuls line up behind case for war • Pieces of shuttle puzzle missing • Textbooks said to 'hide' problems with Islam • Hard times for Hoyas Advertisers see in Yao, the first Chinese to become a star in the NBA, much more than a fresh face. They see an engaging young star with an old-school, flat-top haircut and a polite, low-key demeanor that is a refreshing contrast to the tattooed, in-your-face personas of so many athletes. They see an athlete who, if he delivers on court, is primed to become one of the most popular and dominant endorsers in sports. And they see in Yao a means to gain entry into the large, untapped market of China. "You look at everything he has and represents — his size and skill, that pathway into the Chinese market, his maturity and personality — and the question to us was more 'why aren't we working with Yao Ming already?' rather than 'why should we?' " said Isaac Babbs, president of Sorrent Inc., a California-based producer of video games for wireless phones whose company was the first to enlist Yao as an endorser after he joined the NBA. In just three months, the rookie center with the Houston Rockets has captivated fans around the globe, earned a starting spot in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game and impressed coaches and players with his skill and long-term potential. The corporate world has been equally impressed. Within the past month, Yao has made a spate of ads with corporate heavyweights such as Visa and Apple and is poised to strike more marketing deals soon. A seven-figure deal with PepsiCo to be announced next week will pair Yao with the beverage giant in an extensive, global marketing effort largely centered around corporate subsidiary Gatorade. Yao's global endorsement take is expected to surpass $10 million in 2003. He would remain well behind Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan, the titans of sports endorsers, should he reach that plateau. But he would be part of a luminary-filled second tier that includes Venus Williams, Arnold Palmer, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and Jeff Gordon. When Yao arrived in Houston last summer, the media attention, curiosity factor and devoted fan base back home already were in place. So, too, were the hopes of the NBA and its sponsors, eager to broaden their international exposure, and a half-dozen Chinese broadcast outlets looking to carry Yao's games. What many didn't count on, however, was Yao's engaging personality and nuanced nature. The soft-spoken Yao is technologically savvy, carefully studies the mannerisms and lifestyles of his new peers and, at just 22, has a honed ear and eye for what is popular, trendy and humorous. His own Web site, www.yaoming.net, is about to start operation, and Yao quickly absorbs anything related to computers, video games and cell phones. "I prefer the ads [I do] to be creative and fresh," Yao said. "Hopefully, the products I endorse are high-tech and friendly." Said Yao agent Bill Duffy, who represents more than two dozen NBA players: "He's about as clairvoyant as any athlete I've been around. He certainly has one of the highest IQs of any athlete I've ever known. He's very, very aware. Yao understands fully everything that's going on around him, all the attention, and better yet, he embraces it. Not all of Yao's growing economic largess will reach his pocket. He must send his old team, the Shanghai Sharks, as much as $8 million from his four-year, $18 million contract with the Rockets and a total of $15 million if he stays in the NBA 12 years. The sum was required before the Sharks would release Yao to the NBA. The government-run Chinese Basketball Association also gets 5 percent of Yao's Rockets salary. Yao's endorsement money remains ungarnished to date. But between the responsibilities to China and taxes, Yao will in the short term see far less than half of what he actually earns. "He is in compliance with the agreements," Duffy said. "He is pursuing his dream, obviously, but he is very patriotic. He wants to see his country and his old team do well." Yao's greater payday will arrive after his current Rockets deal expires, when he is freed from the NBA's tight restrictions on rookie contracts. If he maintains or improves upon his current level of performance, an annual salary exceeding $15 million is likely. Because he is not a conventional athlete, even among the NBA's growing foreign contingent, Yao has not been handled conventionally. Distant cousin and Chinese agent Erik Zhang enlisted the help of Duffy's California-based sports agency, as well as the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Team Yao, as it is now called, drafted an endorsement and career plan based in part on a detailed market analysis conducted by University of Chicago students. Predictably, that market research suggested Yao should gravitate to solid, stable companies selling products to young people in urban markets. But Yao's handlers have avoided a quick money grab and taken a decidedly long-term view. "People relate to Yao and find him very genuine," Duffy said. "So the idea is to be very careful, very methodic and seek out companies where there is a genuine link with the product." Besides the pending Gatorade deal, Team Yao will ease up on the ads until after the Rockets complete their season. After that, however, future ads will include more speaking parts for Yao. To date, Yao's only speaking parts have involved his name. "This is a good thing. As he gets more comfortable with the language, he can and will do more with it," Duffy said. "It can evolve." For all of Yao's immediate success, however, the center has struggled in dramatically boosting the Rockets' attendance both home and away. The Rockets have improved their once-meager road draw to an average of 16,761, a modest 12th best in the NBA. But their average home attendance of 13,344 remains the league's third worst. "That has really puzzled me," said Bob Williams, president of a Chicago-based company that pairs celebrities and athletes with companies for endorsements. "With all this hype and the growing Asian population around the country, you would think the numbers would be higher. But it's still too early on a certain level. We simply don't know yet whether this level of performance is going to continue over the long haul. There's still some novelty effect going on."
If SF really loves Yao, he does not have to get his own money business involved. As old saying in China, you'd better not involve your true friend in money business. I was thinking at first that SF is nice to make clothing for Yao. But when he starts to ask Yao to wear it at All-Star, it is marketing and taking advantage of Yao.
Sometimes I dream That he is me You've got to see that's how I dream to be I dream I move, I dream I groove Like Yao If I could Be Like Yao Like Yao Oh, if I could Be Like Yao Be Like Yao, Be Like Yao Again I try Just need to be tall For just one day if I could Be that way I dream I move I dream I groove Like Yao If I could Be Like Yao I wanna be, I wanna be Like Yao Oh, if I could Be Like Yao
really? personly I think Yao is not so good looking, but again, my friends are calling me Yao, so well....
Yao doesnt have to be good looking. Look at Kobe and Shaq, they are ugly and still gets endorsements. btw... i hate the Lakers
Francis went for a layup, wroth 2 points Rice shoot a 3, wroth 3 points Pass to Yao, priceless.............
Hey, Monk, no need to be politically correct here, nobody is going to hold you responsible here for what you wrote. Is that J.Lo? Good points though.
Nike Air Yaos are gonna be awesome...maybe the best seller of all time. Nike would probably work with Lockheed Martin to design the first pair of shoes w/ a jet-propulsion system, to give those tree trunk legs a little lift. Imagine a 7'5" Yao comes streaking down the break, lift off from the three point line then finished off with a pile driver dunk...a true Rocket indeed.
gatorade is the last one until the end of the season. he gotta focus on basketball during the season.
Houston Rockets center Yao Ming, right, plays a game of one-on-one against a child while shooting a Gatorade commercial in Orlando, Fla., Thursday, Feb. 6, 2003. As anticipation builds for Yao Ming's All-Star debut on Sunday, the player took time to film the commercial. The ad will debut this spring. (AP Photo/The Gatorade Company, Phelan M. Ebenhack, HO)
