Yao Ming stars as city's everyman

SHANGHAI: China's international basketball star Yao Ming takes centre stage in an image-building campaign for Shanghai, bringing the focus to the man-in-the-street who makes the city's powerhouse economy tick. In the TVC, Yao Ming plays the part of the ordinary Shanghai citizen, filling a variety of roles, from taxi driver to policeman, journalist, musician and gardener. Bates Greater China regional director Barry Leung said the aim was to show that the city had many stars - pursuing excellence - like Yao Ming in its different industrial sectors. "Yao Ming plays different roles in the TVC because we wanted to show that it is not difficult to find ordinary Shanghainese with talent in their respective industries, like Yao Ming," said Leung.