Jackie Chan can deliver multi-million movies one after the other, which has naturally made him one of the wealthiest celebrities in China and the rest of the world. Being such a successful actor in the whole world has made him one of the most sought-after celebrities for product endorsements in his home country.
Even after all this time, the star continues to ride on his immense success, giving the appearance that there is nothing impossible for him. However, there is one thing that he just can’t seem to do right, and that is product endorsements.
Jackie Chan And The Curious Case Of His Failed Product Endorsements
Being a martial artist, one of the most crucial skills one learns is always being calculating, observing, and careful. With Jackie Chan being one of the greatest martial artists of all time, one must think he has these crucial skills embodied. However, if you were to look at the history of his ‘product endorsements’, there is nothing of the calculating, witty, and smart persona that we see on the big screen. This is because the products that the Rush Hour star chooses to endorse end up being shelved, bankrupt or result in lawsuits.
If one was to go all across China, it seems like there is no product that Chan has left to endorse. From vehicles to shampoos, his image can be found in multiple billboards and adverts. But celebrity support never means that those products would end up becoming successful, which has been the case with the ones Chan has chosen to pitch to the public.
The situation has reached such a point that it has made people declare that he carries a strange curse that can destroy multi-million companies.
Also Read: “I hate that”: Jackie Chan is Envious of How Fans Treat Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman
Jackie Chan’s Strange Curse
After repeated failed product endorsements, people and critics have labeled the Police Story star as ‘cursed’, who can bring down any product and any company. One editorial in Nanjing even declared,
“He has become the coolest spokesperson in history. A man who can destroy anything.”
Well, they are not exactly wrong if you look at the history of all the products Jackie Chan has promoted over the years. Some very famous of these failed product endorsements are, Aido VCD, whose president was jailed shortly afterward; Caddy Motors, which only managed to sell a bit more than 900 vehicles in China; Fenhuang Coke, which was shelved just years after; Bawang Shampoo, which was found to have carcinogens.
Despite such incidents, Jackie Chan’s popularity is not even the least bit dented, and he continues to be among the most popular stars in China.
Source: Los Angeles Times
