This message of support for our hero Liu Xiang had to be developed and implemented quickly. We wanted to reflect the country’s sentiments around this event. The communication had to be simple and direct, highlighting the realities--all the ups and downs--of sport and the spirit of competition.

Therefore, right after Liu’s fateful race the team went to work. Within 12 hours, 20,000 posters were distributed at retail. Also, through the use of the nation’s top nine newspapers, with premium positioning, over 14 million readers woke up the next morning to find our “Love Sport” message. Additionally, through the saliency of the message and the speed of our response, our communication gained national and international PR coverage.By responding in such a timely fashion we shifted the tide of public opinion, capturing the hearts of a country and the attention of the world.

Our communication activities surrounding “Love Sport” consisted of the use of newspapers, digital banners and retail posters.

The advertising ran in nine newspaper titles that were distributed nationally and in the top three markets. These nine titles saw a cumulative circulation of 4.8MM and delivered a total of 14.2MM impressions.Moreover, through our digital efforts—blogs, IM, forums and BBS—kids were able to take the “Love sport even when it breaks your heart” mantra their own.