August 20, 2008 10:30 AM
Ad Watch: The Other Milk Company
Yili is the official milk sponsor of the Games and the one with endorsement from Liu Xiang, Yi Jianlian and the Chinese badminton team. But China's other milk giant -- Mengniu -- is trying to keep its market share despite Yili's overwhelming presence during the Olympics.Mengniu doesn't have the athletic sponsors, though if you believe their Wikipedia page, they are the official sponsor of the Chinese space program. (They're also, according to their own website, based in Inner Mongolia.) Without big name sponsors, they're settling for the next best thing: overwhelming amounts of nationalism.
Here's one short ad that's running during these Games. They also have a second ad that I've seen but have yet to find online featuring pandas and a milk version of the Michelin man toasting to the company. I am not making this up.
I should note: the company's CEO, Niu Gensheng, did get to carry the Olympic torch on Aug. 7. This is the same man who, according to a CCTV report, "is a cow, but has running at the speed of a rocket."
Moving on: here's one more of their non-Olympic ads which, if I am watching it correctly, suggests that milk is a much better alternative to beer, wine or cocktails at your next party:
Join the discussion