| McDonald's said the seven foot six inches Yao, who
was in Los Angeles for the NBA All-Star game, would be a global company
spokesman. The company said that this will include some television
advertising as well as personal appearances.
"He is a global personality and our goal is to create the
most powerful, borderless brand in the world," McDonald's Chief
Marketing Officer Larry Light said in an interview.
McDonald's is fitting the tie-in with Yao into its new global marketing
campaign, "I'm Lovin' It" which was launched late last
year. It promotes a youthful lifestyle, with similar advertising
and packaging promotions in the more than 100 countries where McDonald's
has its 30,000 hamburger outlets.
McDonald's recently dropped another NBA star, Kobe Bryant, after
the Los Angeles Lakers guard was accused of rape. But Light denied
that Yao was replacing Bryant. "The decision to pursue Yao
Ming had nothing to do with Kobe Bryant. The idea originated in
China," Light said.
Yao will be key to McDonald's efforts to promote wellness through
lighter fare and consumer education, he said, citing McDonald's
new Go Active! Happy Meal for grown-ups. The meal, which goes national
later this year, pairs a salad and other foods with advice on exercise
and healthy living.
Light said in a media report that Yao's participation in this year's
Olympic games in Athens, where he is to play for China, was also
an attraction. "The Olympics is a very important part of our
brand strategy," Light said.
McDonald's is also expanding in China, where Yao is the No. 1 celebrity.
The Oak Brook, Illinois-based company plans to add 80 restaurants
in 2004, giving it some 660 there by year-end.
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