Background: A friend and I were watching TV and after that Visa commercial featuring Yao Ming (“Yao.” “Yo.” “Yao!” “Yo!”) came on for the third time in an evening, we started wondering if they could at least give it some variation.
Like say, replacing Yogi Berra’s cameo appearance at the end with one from Yo-Yo Ma.
But I seem to remember that Mr. Ma appeared in print(?) advertisements for American Express and would probably be contractually prohibited from appearing in a Visa commercial. Is my memory correct? Did Yo-Yo Ma ever endorse Amex?
This was all I could find…don’t think it would be on conflict for good ole yo-yo as he appears to merely be a participant in an online “show” sponsored by American Express. There may be some other relationship out there where there is a more direct connection, but I couldn’t find it.
Yo-Yo Ma was/is an AmEx “Cardmember”. I think that’s their phrase for spokesperson. I remember seeing ads sometime ago, but can’t find it now. The only thing I could really find to verify this is that his Annie Liebowitz photo was auctioned: http://www.culturekiosque.com/calendar/special/viewevent.asp?ID=2132
Your commercial proposal is great, chukhung. I wonder if the ad folks thought of that, but couldn’t get him due to his relationship with AmEx. He is, however, in Apple/Mac ads. (I admit that I have this little thing for Mr. Ma.)