It’s been over a year since “Linsanity” took over in New York City before spurring a global marketing phenomenon. Since then, Jeremy Lin has become the face of numerous brands in China and Taiwan, including Nike, Gatorade, Volvo and KFC. It’s the last of those brands that’s currently using Lin in a way that Western consumers would likely never see, shedding some light on why Lin is such a valuable spokesperson in Asia.
Figures that comes with KFC kids’ meals include Lin as both an athlete and an academic.
Perhaps the most unique tribute comes from KFC, which is currently featuring a series of Jeremy Lin figurines, one of which features Lin donning glasses and hunched over an open book. The figurine is identified in KFC promotional material as the “Brilliant Student Jeremy Lin” (高才生). This is yet another indicator of social expectations of both parents and children for their future: be good at sports, but be better at school.
Read more on the use of spokesmen from Brand Channel here.
Read more about YUM! Brand in China from Bloomberg here.
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