Pure Michigan Commercials Featured In China
DETROIT (WWJ) - The Chinese are now being introduced to the wonders of Michigan -- thanks to those award-winning Pure Michigan commercials.
Five of the tourism commercials have been captioned in Chinese and uploaded on the popular Chinese YouTube site "Youku."
The idea of putting the spots on Youku came from Tom Watkins, a chinese business consultant, and Hairong Li, an advertising professor at Michigan State University.
Watkins said there are a half billion internet users in China, more than the entire population of U.S. He said Michigan has something that the Chinese desperately want.
"There are opportunities for us to make green off of China's dirt. there's many a day in Beijing and Shanghai, where it's difficult to see a building, the top of a building, because the pollution is so bad," said Watkins.
"The Chinese want and need a lot of what he have here in Michigan to offer, our pristine water, 20 percent of fresh water in the world surrounds our great state, clean air, golf courses, opportunities for business and investment," he continued.
Watkins said the Chinese are on course to invest a half-trillion dollars around the world in the next decade and the commercials could lure some of those dollars toward Michigan.
You can see the Pure Michigan ads on the Chinese website at i.youku.com/puremichigan.
