What is being called a “Chinese manufacturing image advertisement,” as well as China’s first global ad campaign, aired Nov. 23 on CNN Asia.  The ad seeks to promote the global reputation of products manufactured in China after years of scrutiny regarding safety and quality.

The advertisement, produced by DDB, one of the world’s largest advertising companies with a clientele including McDonald’s and Volkswagen, was funded by the China’s Ministry of Commerce along with 4 subordinate organizations including the China Advertising Association.

In an interview with the CBN on Nov. 30, a Ministry of Commerce official revealed that the ministry was indeed behind the creation of the campaign.

The ad, 30 seconds in length, features western actors and actresses utilizing a variety of products tagged “Made in China” but with the design or technology from various western countries.  A voiceover in American English states at the end of the ad: “When it says made in china, it really means: made in China, made with the world”

The final frames of the advertisement read “made in China” only to replace the ‘in’ with ‘with’, reading “Made with China”.  The original slogan in Chinese—not featured in the ad—was “Made in China, the World’s Cooperation”.

Chinese journalist Song Lei describes the advertisement in an article at Sina.com:

这是一则充满活力、画面精美、现代感十足的广告。从其中的特写画面看，晨跑者所穿的运动鞋标有“中国制造”，但“综合了美国的运动科技”；家庭所用的冰箱印着“中国制造”，但“融合了欧洲风尚”；MP3播放器上标注“中国制造”，但“使用来自硅谷的软件”；模特所穿的服装也由“中国制造”，但“由法国设计师设计”；广告最后出现的飞机，更是体现了“世界合作”这一理念。

Song goes on to analyze the advertisement:

可以看出，该广告想传达的信息是：经过30年的努力，中国产品正在同各国的商业和文化力量携手改善全球生活质量。而在全球经济低迷的背景下，这则广告更是显示了国家对于“中国制造”的信心。

The Los Angeles Times’ David Pierson reported that critics of the advertisement said China should focus more on improving the quality of their products:

Some critics say China's ad campaign is misdirected and that the Ministry of Commerce and the trade groups would do better to focus their efforts on improving manufacturing practices in China rather than spending time trying to sway opinion overseas.

In the Chinese blog “Greeness” a blogger states that the ad campaign is an effective way to combat the recent wave of economic protectionism and cultivate China’s newfound soft power:

以广告方式宣传国家形象，对中国来说尚属首次。分析人士认为，在当前金融危机阴霾尚未散去、贸易保护主义有所抬头的背景下，主动出击展示国家形象，是一次很好的尝试，有利于提升中国的软实力.

Journalist Shi Jingtao sees the advertisement as a natural progression of China’s soft power.  Shi gives his opinion of the ad campaign in a China Youth Daily article:

以往我们习惯了“酒香不怕巷子深”的低调和韬光养晦的谋略，很少像现在这样高调出击，主动在全球做起了“形象广告”。笔者认为，这不是一种偶然和表象，而是这个时代语境之下的必然结果。

While opinions of the advertisement vary among Chinese blogs, some blogger are critical of the “extroverted” method of image molding and believe the reputation of Chinese manufacturing can be solved domestically.

Corporate blogger Lou Xiangpeng writes that the most important thing for Chinese manufacturing is the healthy cultivation of Chinese brand products:

中国制造是世界的打工仔，中国制造代替不了中国品牌。中国制造的地位与形象能否提升，关键取决于中国品牌的地位与形象，中国制造必须升级为中国品牌，否则，就是把打工仔的形象换成穿西服的打工仔也不行。

Lou sees China as having little control of export-oriented manufacturing.  He says international corporations contract to the lowest bidder yet place the blame on China when products are defective, thus contributing to China's bad reputation.

中国制造，本质就是代工…品牌不是中国的，定价我们说了不算。中国制造产生的问题，主要不是中国制造造成的，可是，只赚些苦力钱的中国制造却背负着无端指责。那些指责中国制造的国家，他们的企业一方面在全球寻找中国这样的便宜的生产地，以降低成本，最大限度地赚取利润.

Chinese blogger Nuoteam writes that image alone will not save the Chinese manufacturing industry.

为“中国制造”正名，仅仅凭形象策划，还只是浅层次的努力…中国国家形象的塑造，到海外宣示“中国制造”的风采固然是一个路径，而专心做好国内的事情，又何尝不是另一种意义上的形塑.

Many articles on this ad campaign report that the Ministry of Commerce has purchased a six week advertisement spot on the CNN Web site, although this has yet to be confirmed.