A brief history of advertising in China from the beginning until now.

1. Dr. Q. J. Yao

4.  The fact that such a large portion of the people cannot
read has led us to adopt a very simple technique in the
preparation of advertising copy, and that is to make
every advertisement as complete as possible without the
use of a word of text, in other words, to resort to the
old device of picture-writing. We know, in spite of our
sales argument to advertisers that anyone who can buy
advertised goods can read a newspaper, that the
statement is slightly inaccurate. There are a great many
illiterates who … own motor-cars and smoke expensive
cigarettes. There are even more wives of prosperous
men who cannot read, because female education has
only recently become a popular fad. The Chinese wife
who spends the money in the family usually cannot read
the paper her husband subscribes for, but she will look at
the pictures and, if our advertising shows a good picture
of the package with an illustration showing what the
article is used for, we feel that it has probably
accomplished something, has presented a message to the
reader who cannot read.

6.  New government
regulations require
advertising
contents to
emphasize on
purity and
positiveness, serve
the society, and
not just pursue
profits.
 Tianjin Bureau of Public Utility’s Ad for its raincoats

7.  Private businesses disappeared through
public-private partnerships
 Newspaper pages reduced, and commercial
radio stations disappeared
 State-run advertising agencies were
established in major cities, and charged with
most advertising tasks

8.  Why radio stations do not broadcast
commercials? People like advertisements.
The daily-life stuff have a close
relationship with people, and many
people pay much attention to
advertisements related to them. In the
past, some radio stations in Beijing
broadcast some commercials. Now you
make them disappear. Are you afraid of
advertising? Newspapers should also
publish advertisements. I think some
urban radio stations should broadcast
commercials.

12.  On January 4, 1979, the very first post-
cultural revolution advertisement appeared
in Tianjin Daily

13.  [I]n China during the interval in a sports
programme broadcast on television, viewers had
no choice "other than to rest for a moment…. I
think this is an enormous waste of the screen. I
have heard that in other countries the evening
period between 7 and 9 p.m. is 'golden time'
during which the viewing rate is highest.
Inserting commercials into this time period
obtains effective results and high prices."
 Arguments for advertising (Stross, 1990):
 Stimulates the desire to consume
 Convert latent desire to buying behavior
 Help expand sales
 Causes workers to work harder and produce more

16. Middle class: 100-
200 million
The urban mass
market: 400
million
The rural mass:
700-800 million

18.  Hard work and thrift
 The centrality of the family
 Patriarchy
 Hierarchy
 Personal trust
 Social harmony
 Trade

20. Sex
“Unsafe” or “uncivilized” behaviors
Disrespecting the political hierarchy
Disrespecting the social hierarchy
Affront to China
Affront to competitive products
Affront to neighborhood pharmacists

21.  A Case: The Controversy Over
Ad for The Nippon Paint