Benjamin Li
Jun 24, 2011

Mercedes-Benz signs Li Na as its first Chinese global brand ambassador

BEIJING - After becoming the first Asian player to win the French Open last month, tennis star Li Na has now signed up as the first Chinese global brand ambassador for Mercedes-Benz, with a locally driven campaign on the way.

Mercedes-Benz signs Li Na as its first Chinese global brand ambassador

The head of MEC China, which works on the Mercedes-Benz account, said a new campaign starring Li will be driven from China, but details are still being discussed with the client.

Li, who herself owns a Mercedes-Benz, has a three-year contract with this German luxury car brand. This will also see Li become the official ambassador for Benz’s ‘Swing for the stars' junior tennis programme, an initiative that the brand co-founded with the China Tennis Association in 2008.

Mao Jinbdo, VP and head of marketing for Mercedez-Benz (China) Ltd flew to London earlier this week on 19 June to sign the contract with Li, who was competing at the Wimbledon Championships. She was knocked out of the competition on 23 June.

Mao was quoted in Chinese media that, “in our extensive history of sports marketing, we have long been associated with tennis. We support tennis, motorsports and golf in China, which form an integral part of our brand culture and enable all-round customer participation.”

The Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club and Mercedes-Benz both celebrate their 125th anniversary this year.

 

Source:
Campaign China

Follow us

Top news, insights and analysis every weekday

Sign up for Campaign Bulletins

Related Articles

Just Published

Jan 29, 2026

Gemini 3 becomes the default model for AI Overviews

A pair of updates from Google see the tech giant attempt to gain a further foothold in the battle for AI-powered search supremacy.

Jan 29, 2026

Google criticised after blocking measurement ...

YouTube owner sent a 'cease and desist' letter to Barb and Kantar Media.

Jan 29, 2026

Inside Campaign Connect Indonesia: what matters to ...

Candid conversations on growth, AI and the cultural trade-offs of scaling brands, with more than 100 marketers in the room.

Jan 29, 2026

Meta hits $200 billion revenue milestone on ...

Meta reports double‑digit year-on-year revenue growth, with advertising once again accounting for almost all of the top line.