Michael Phelps inks China endorsement

January 05, 2009 The record-breaking U.S. swimmer and Beijing Games sensation has signed a deal with DMG Entertainment, a division of China-based media, lobbying and entertainment group DMG, to become the brand spokesperson for Mazda in China. The sponsorship, which is China-only and does not include Hong Kong, is in the seven-figure range and could be the largest single sponsorship deal for a Western celebrity in China's history. Phelps will exclusively endorse the new Mazda 6 model in a series of ad campaigns that includes TV commercials, newspaper and magazine ads as well as outdoor poster advertising and personal appearances.

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