Li Yuchun poses with her fans.

In January 2006, Weber Shandwick in Beijing hosted an exciting launch-cum-concert for Swatch. The event was held at a ski resort and the highlight was a performance by Li Yuchun, a supernova pop-star and the first Swatch

ambassador for the China market.

The purpose of the event was for Swatch to show appreciation to its customers and to launch the Chinese New Year limited edition watch, Gou Laifu.

Despite the cold temperatures, fans turned out in the hundreds to see their idol. Yuchun made an eye-catching entrance riding a yellow skidoo (a motorized snow scooter) from a hilltop to the flat ground of the event arena.

On stage, a giant mock-up of the new watch, Gou Laifu, was concealed inside a gigantic red lantern. Yuchun and Swatch China president, Ms. Susan Chen, triggered the drop of the lantern to reveal the new watch. Simultaneously, Yuchun’s photograph was unveiled as a stage backdrop, provoking lively applause from the audience.

The Swatch event created a huge impact with fans and photo images were particularly popular amongst the media. To-date, the event has generated an ad value of over USD934,005 with approximately 30 press, 16 website, and 150 TV coverage clippings.

WS Beijing: Shaoqing Guan shqguan@webershandwick.com