What is your first impression about a made-in-China product? For many consumers in North America and Europe, judgments such as "inferior", "unsafe" and "cheap" will come to mind due to prevalent reports of lead in toys and melamine in milk powder over the past few years.

However, Beijing's recent release of a 30-second commercial on CNN demonstrated China's determination to change this perception. The commercial is noteworthy as it seems to be the first time the Chinese government has officially launched an advertising campaign. With the tagline “Made in China, Made with the world”, this commercial highlights the way Chinese companies cooperate with global firms to produce world-renown, high standard goods. The commercial showcases quality made-in-China products that are used and enjoyed worldwide by people from different walks of life, for example a mother fetching food for her family from a refrigerator bearing the text '”Made in China with European styling”, young and cheerful dancers holding an MP3 player “Made in China with Silicon Valley technology”, and a charming model displaying a dress produced in China with French design.

The communication style of the ad is quite direct. The narrator states "When it says “Made in China”, it really means made in China, made with the world" rather than using subtle messages or imagery to convey this message. What's more, by incorporating appealing and light music and images of daily life in western society, as well as English words and narration, the campaign demonstrates its understanding of the target audience. The advertisement aims to build the impression that made-in-China products are no different than other world-class high quality products, such as those made in America and made in Europe, and to emphasize China’s attitude of cooperation with businesses from all over the world.

As global business competition grows increasingly fierce, every country is seeking a way to succeed in the marketplace. China has a number of advantages, such as abundant human resources, government support, and relatively low production costs. But one hurdle that must be overcome is the bad reputation of made-in-China products that may make customers think twice before buying. However, the new campaign airing on CNN could help to improve perceptions, and gradually build “Brand China” in the mind of American and European consumers.