Nike To Run Liu Xiang Ad On Tuesday

Despite the disappointment of one of their biggest endorsers, Nike will salute hurt Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang tomorrow -- instead of hoping that he'll disappear.

This is the type of thing that makes Nike a leader in sports marketing. When the other sponsors privately cringe at the thought of one of their top guys going down, the folks at the Swoosh actually think, "How do we spend on this and turn it into a great human moment that appeals to people?"

The print ad, which will appear in The China Daily and a few local papers here in Beijing, will have Liu Xiang's face and will contain the following copy (in Mandarin):

Love competition.

Love risking your pride.

Love winning it back.

Love giving it everything you've got.

Love the glory. Love the pain.

Love sport even when it breaks your heart.

Just Do It.

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Other Xiang sponsors:

- Coca-Cola

- Visa

- China Mobile

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