BMW uses Yao Ming to launch plug-in hybrid

20 April 2011 - SHANGHAI - Yao Ming apparently has a long standing relationship with BMW Plug-in Hybrid and now he’ll be pimping one of their cars. The Houston Rockets center made a surprise appearance Tuesday at the German automaker's display as it unveiled a plug-in hybrid sedan based on the 5 Series.

The car will be produced with BMW's joint venture partner Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. and is set to go into production in 2013. Yao towered over a BMW executive as he praised the car's eco-friendliness. Throngs of people from the media and auto industry crowded around the BMW stand to take pictures of Yao, who stands 2.3 meters (7 foot, 6 inches) tall. BMW is one of the top auto brands in status-conscious China.

When Chinese rock star Wang Feng took the stage at one of the first press conferences at the Shanghai auto show, several signs bearing his image sprouted in the crowd. “Rock is an attitude,” one declared. Practically every hand held a cell phone or camera, snapping away as Wang sang for the unveiling of the next-generation Chevrolet Captiva compact crossover.

Imagine, then, the throng of people rushing toward BMW’s auto show booth when NBA star Yao Ming made an appearance today. Even the cleanup crew, in their fluorescent green coveralls, ran to catch a glimpse of the local hero.

Western reporters often view too much hoopla or production during auto show reveals as distraction from good product. Just let us see the car, maybe after unveiling it in a short, dramatic fashion. Don’t put a rock star in front of it. One set of dancers might be acceptable. More than one dance? We might start wondering whether the automaker is compensating for a lack of product.

Not in China. Here, automakers say, reporters and bystanders alike expect a show – and the bigger, the better. “No matter if the product is good or bad – you just want to attract people,” said Kevin Chen, chief of Cadillac in China.

That’s probably why today I saw a couple of pop singers, ballet dancers, drummers and a cryptic pantomime that appeared to be about creating a new car brand, just to name a few. And in case you didn’t hear, the Buick press conference yesterday, where the brand unveiled its Envision concept crossover, included two sets of dancers, a singer with a troupe of choreographed backups and a skit in which several dealers acted out dealership scenarios.

When the public days start this week, the hype will only increase. About 1 million people are expected to attend, up from about 700,000 at previous shows, Chen said. Attendees will stand in line for hours, only to move in packed throngs from booth to booth.

They so exhaust the product spokespeople with their flurry of questions that GM gives its spokespeople oxygen on breaks, said Susan Docherty, who coordinates sales, service, marketing and aftersales at GM International Operations.