The fastfood chain named the Houston Rockets' Yao Ming as its global brand spokesman, following the termination of Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant's contract after he was charged with sexual assault in the US.
According to McDonald's, the seven-foot, six-inch Yao Ming will star in television advertising, as well as make personal appearances representing the brand.
He will focus on areas such as fitness and activity, as well as the ongoing 'I'm lovin' it' marketing events and customer communications.
Yao Ming's participation at this year's Olympics in Athens, where he will play for China, was also an attraction, according to Larry Light, McDonald's executive vice-president and global chief marketing officer.
The multi-year deal with Yao Ming will enable McDonald's to connect with Chinese consumers, 300 million of whom have access to NBA programming.
"Yao Ming personifies what the McDonald's brand is all about - a youthful, fun, dynamic spirit which connects to today's customers and cultures," said Light.
"His unique larger-than-life personality and appeal transcends borders and makes him a perfect fit for our new global outreach to consumers."
Ian Stewart, chief executive officer of The Filter Group, said youth were already moving away from global "mega-celebrities" because these stars were increasingly becoming "out of reach".
He said youth were looking for more inspirational ("could be me") rather than aspirational ("could never be me") idols.
"That's also why more 'real' idols are now preferred over those who are somewhat over-the-top - Norah Jones, not Britney (Spears). An obvious next step for marketers is to go from global to local stars - Paradorn (Srichaphan), Yao Ming," said Stewart.
However, he added that icons such as Yao Ming, who is also the face of Visa and Apple and rakes in US$14.8 million in annual income, did not always travel well across borders, "unless their personalities are broadened away from just their skill set".
As with Tiger Woods, Yao Ming's personality is expected to extend his appeal to markets beyond China and the Philippines, where basketball is hugely popular.
Tor Petersen, managing director of Zou Marketing, said Yao Ming - named China's top celebrity by Forbes magazine - was Asia's most high-profile athlete.
"The Asian athletes that have made it big on a world scale haven't attracted the status that Yao Ming has on a global scale in terms of impact. The impact Yao Ming has on Asia-Pacific has never been seen before," he said.
