By Raymond Zhou (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-01-04 10:39

Yang's challenge: How to use TV to talk about something that the Chinese people are not comfortable talking about in public.

Again, celebrities came to rescue, and she created three concepts customized for three of the biggest stars in China.

The one with Jackie Chan uses a metaphor as the action star coaches a young beauty to perform a movie stunt. What he and his colleagues do on screen may seem risky, but they always take precautions, and so should you in real life.

The spot involving folk singer Peng Liyuan is subtle. She talks about using protection as a group of students mill around in the background.

"Peng is a mother and a role model for young people. Last year, she toured the country to promote AIDS awareness and prevention," said Yang.

On the other end of the spectrum is the spot with Pu Cunxin, who is maybe the first Chinese celebrity to take up the cause. It was filmed in Shanghai, where the night air is filled with erotic possibilities.

Three shots illustrate the need for protection: The first has a young man and a young woman sharing a bicycle; the second shows a woman's leg with her blouse blowing in the wind; and the last has two young men fooling around on the street.

Yang made Pu accessible by having him ride a bicycle. "I got the idea two years ago when I interviewed him and accidentally forgot to remove the body mike from him. He rode a bike for 20 minutes to return it."

The spots are being widely aired on CCTV and other stations, but some youngsters complain they are too subtle.

She has a solution to that, too: "I'm thinking of doing shorter and more direct versions for the Internet."

(China Daily 01/04/2008 page1)

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