Chapter 306: The Ad Pitch Showdown

Liu Wenqin’s presentation clearly won over the audience.

To outsiders, Xu Chen, presenting right after, must have felt immense pressure.

After all, Liu Wenqin had already seized the psychological high ground with his ‘first-mover advantage’.

Given that Liu Wenqin’s plan had no major flaws, overturning the clients’ judgment and preferences would be extremely tough.

This is the disadvantage of presenting second.

…

Pang Ming and He Da Chang exchanged glances, clearly worried about East Morning Star Advertising’s proposal.

After all, BBDO Tianlian had already delivered such a ‘reliable’ offering…

He Da Chang, in particular, felt a twinge of regret.

He wasn’t regretting for East Morning Star Advertising, but for not securing Xie Bingran as the endorser.

If East Morning Star didn’t win this pitch, signing Xie Bingran would be off the table.

He Da Chang had been keen on getting Xie Bingran for the endorsement.

Primarily, he valued her potential commercial worth, and earlier user surveys showed high favorability among her audience.

For Jeep’s promotion, missing out on this cool and charismatic endorser was truly a shame…

Once Liu Wenqin sat down, his subordinates leaned in with smiles, whispering flattery like ‘Congratulations, boss.’

Sun Aimi adjusted her round-framed glasses and glanced up at her boss, her face etched with obvious concern.

…

Xu Chen stood up calmly and unhurriedly.

He took the page-turning remote and began slowly,

“Thanks to Vincent, you’ve given us younger folks in advertising plenty to learn from!”

His opening flattery served to ease into the previous mood and provide a smooth transition.

“‘Off-road, More Life’…”

It’s truly a clever slogan; as someone in the industry, I have to give it props.

If I were choosing, I’d pick that slogan without hesitation.”

Pang Ming and He Da Chang exchanged looks, showing a hint of surprise. Was he surrendering right off the bat?

Liu Wenqin paused, then smirked with disdain, thinking the young man lacked backbone.

Sun Aimi sensed the tone was off and felt a flush of embarrassment, lowering her head slightly.

Xu Chen’s expression remained steady as he suddenly shifted gears:

“But I’m not the one making the final choice…”

He turned to Pang Ming and He Da Chang:

“Actually, it’s not even you, Leo or you, Andy.

The real deciders are always the actual consumers.”

He paused briefly before continuing:

“A slogan is all about communicating with consumers—it needs to be instantly understandable and graspable.

And it has to quickly capture the brand and product’s value…”

“Vincent’s presentation nailed it—our target group is successful middle-aged men.

But has anyone here truly seen what the most typical, numerous ‘successful middle-aged men’ in mainland China look like?”

“In mainland China, this generation of ‘successful middle-aged men’—born around the late ’60s to ’70s—are the first to get rich after the reforms.

Back then, there was a saying: ‘Forget Tsinghua or Peking University; it’s all about having guts!'”

“We’re in Shanghai, with top-tier educations, some even returned from abroad or from Hong Kong…”

“We hang out in fancy office buildings, so the ‘successful middle-aged men’ we meet are mostly elites like you, Leo and Andy.

But…”

“How many people like that are there in mainland China?”

“Our core target users—the so-called ‘successful middle-aged men’ in China—many haven’t even gone to university.”

“In elite eyes, they’re just a bunch of ‘rural bosses’ with vocational or high school educations.”

“Yet, they rode the wave of the times, bold and driven…”

“And they made a fortune!”

“They can buy cars costing hundreds of thousands, or pure imports like the Grand Cherokee!”

“They love big vehicles and need them to hit job sites and projects!”

“They crave face and want to be the big shots!”

Xu Chen paused again before saying:

“When communicating with this group through a slogan, talking about life and the spirit of off-roading…

“Does that even make sense?”

“Maybe they just want us to tell them:

“Why should I buy a Jeep?”

“What’s so great about Jeep compared to other off-roaders?”

“So…”

“Can a slogan like ‘Off-road, More Life’ answer those questions?”

The room fell silent as his words hung in the air.

Xu Chen deliberately paused, picking up his water for a sip.

Pang Ming and He Da Chang glanced at each other, now intrigued.

What Xu Chen just said effectively dismantled Liu Wenqin’s proposal.

That was Xu Chen’s strategy for this pitch.

Liu Wenqin had the first-mover edge, so Xu Chen needed to neutralize it right away.

At least make the clients see that Liu Wenqin’s plan wasn’t flawless—it had weaknesses and room for doubt—so his own could get a fair shot.

And crucially, what Xu Chen said made perfect sense, especially those last lines…”

“In advertising, it all boils down to driving sales.”

If it doesn’t boost sales, no matter how clever the slogan or polished the ad, it’s pointless.

Jeep’s brand team had done user research too.

Just as Xu Chen pointed out, the buyers for something like the Grand Cherokee are those ‘rural bosses’.

True urban elites in the early 2000s were still a minority in mainland China.

Of course, all this would need verification once the product launched.

But overall, the mainland off-road market matched what Xu Chen described.

Facing users’ core questions:

“Why buy a Jeep?”

“What’s better about Jeep than other off-roaders?”…

A slogan like ‘Off-road, More Life’ didn’t directly answer.

For that target group, it felt vague and unclear.

…

Liu Wenqin stayed silent, his face darkening.

He hadn’t expected Xu Chen to tear into his prized plan right at the start.

Worse, it hit the weak spots, leaving him speechless.

In fact, creatives from Hong Kong or Taiwan often miss the mark on mainland consumers, creating stuff that’s too disconnected.

Liu Wenqin kept quiet, mulling over a rebuttal.

…

Sun Aimi turned to Xu Chen, her round eyes sparkling with admiration.

Boss, you’re incredible!

It looked like the other side’s plan was set to win, but with a few words from you, it’s worthless now?!

And what you said is spot-on!

…

…

Just then, Liu Wenqin frowned and spoke:

“Xu Chen, you make a good point!

But…”

“Advertising is multi-faceted. Slogans and ads are for ‘high-level promotion’—they need elevation and style.”

“Convincing users to buy is more for the sales side!”

Xu Chen replied steadily:

“Vincent, you’re right—advertising is multi-faceted.”

“But no matter how you slice it, the slogan is the core users see most.”

“So why waste that chance not to answer what users care about most directly?”

“Meanwhile, addressing users’ key questions—why buy Jeep and what’s better about it—doesn’t mean sacrificing style.”

“In my view, we can have both.”

“Plus, style comes more from the ads and endorser—that’s why we need one.”

“The slogan should be universal.”

“It needs style but also tackle sales issues.”

“A great slogan works in ads and on the sales floor!”

“For example, imagine a salesperson at a dealership pitching a Jeep and saying:

“You should buy Jeep because ‘Off-road, More Life’…”

“That would be awkward, wouldn’t it?”

As his words settled, Pang Ming and He Da Chang couldn’t help but chuckle.

“That would be awkward, wouldn’t it?”

Liu Wenqin’s usually composed face turned noticeably sour.

He forced a smile:

“Well, I’m eager to hear your slogan, Xu Chen.”

“One that’s stylish and sales-friendly…”

“I can’t even picture it.”

…

Sensing the tension, brand manager Yan Chuan jumped in with a laugh:

“Time’s tight, so let’s save questions for later and hear Xu Chen’s presentation first!”

…

…

With that, they’d exposed the flaws in Liu Wenqin’s ‘first-mover’ plan and raised doubts.

At the same time, it set the stage for Xu Chen’s proposal.

Xu Chen flipped to the next slide and continued:

“I mentioned a scenario earlier—users checking out cars at a dealership…”

“In China, buying a car in the 400,000 to 600,000 yuan range is a big purchase.”

“Users won’t just look at one model…”

“When consumers walk into a Jeep dealership to see the Grand Cherokee, they’ll be comparing others.”

“Pajero, Tucson, Prado, CR-V, Touareg…”

“So back to that question: With so many off-road models from cheap to pricey, why choose Jeep?”

“East Morning Star Advertising’s core strategy is to provide a powerful answer…”

“What is an off-road vehicle?”

“In the mainland market, off-roaders are a newer term; originally, they were called Jeeps.”

“And where did ‘Jeep’ come from?”

“I bet you know best, Leo and Andy!”

“The term came because the first off-roaders in mainland China were Jeeps!”

“We can even say Jeep defined off-road vehicles here.”

“Starting from World War II, they entered the mainland in the 1980s.”

“Bringing war and glory—that’s Jeep.”

“Jeep was one of the first car companies here, and the Grand Cherokee was among the first joint ventures.”

“Jeep is the origin of off-roaders in the mainland market.”

“A mark of an era.”

“With this brand legacy, why not share it with customers?”

“Why not tell them about this amazing story?”

“In 2006, the Grand Cherokee hits the mainland as a full import.”

“Our goal is to make it the top choice for large, all-around SUVs!”

Xu Chen paused briefly.

Giving the audience time to absorb the logic.

Clearly, Pang Ming and He Da Chang were moved by the ‘top choice’ idea.

Xu Chen went on:

“Back to the original question…”

“When users start car shopping and face all these off-road options, why pick Jeep?”

“We need to tell them:

“There are many off-roaders, but Jeep is unique.”

“In a way, off-road is Jeep, and Jeep is off-road.”

“Jeep is the pioneer, the symbol.”

“It has the purest lineage.”

“It started the Jeep era; it’s legendary!”

“And now, this era and legend are making a comeback in 2006!”

Xu Chen paused and flipped the slide.

On the screen, lines of text appeared:

【Not every experience is legendary】

【Not every disruption is groundbreaking】

【Not every moment is an era】

【Because…】

【Not every Jeep is a Jeep】

…

…

The text shifted; the first lines faded, leaving only the last:

【Not every Jeep is a Jeep】

Xu Chen said:

“This is East Morning Star Advertising’s proposed slogan:

Not every Jeep is a Jeep.”

“We’re one of a kind, with pure bloodlines.”

“We defined an era and will create the next one!”

“If someone asks why choose Jeep among all the off-roaders, you can proudly say:

“Because.”

“Not every Jeep is a Jeep!”

…

…

…

Xu Chen finished his presentation and took a sip of water.

The meeting room fell into a hush.

Pang Ming stared at the screen, his expression stirred.

He Da Chang looked excited but glanced at his boss, Pang Ming, and held back.

Still, his eyes burned with eagerness as he looked at Xu Chen.

Liu Wenqin’s face had shifted several times; now, his brows furrowed in thought.

His four subordinates behind him stared in stunned silence.

Could a pitch really go like this?

After dismantling Vincent’s plan, he dropped something so impactful?!

【Not every experience is legendary】

【Not every disruption is groundbreaking】

【Not every moment is an era】

【Because…】

【Not every Jeep is a Jeep】

As Xu Chen had set up, it had style, flair, and presence…

Yet the final slogan was practical enough for sales and consumer understanding.

And crucially, even ‘rural bosses’ without much education could get it.

In every way, it outshone ‘Off-road, More Life’.

These young ad pros, idolizing international agencies and Taiwan creatives, had joined BBDO Tianlian with a touch of disdain for mainland firms…

But today, this unknown East Morning Star Advertising and its seemingly under-20 creative director left them humbled.

He not only out-talked Vincent’s ‘brilliant plan’ but delivered something compelling and persuasive…

Where did this guy even come from?!

…

Sun Aimi gazed up at her boss, unsure what to do next.

Seeing him finish his water, she quickly took the glass and screwed the cap back on carefully.

In her mind, joining East Morning Star under Xu Chen was probably the best decision of her life.

…

…

Xu Chen saw no immediate reactions and smiled, saying:

“That covers the first part—our basic ad strategy and slogan…”

That’s the full proposal from East Morning Star Advertising.”

With that, he sat back down quietly.

…

Pang Ming hesitated, still pondering.

He smiled at He Da Chang, and they shared a knowing look.

Everyone waited for the clients’ bosses to speak, but they seemed in no rush.

Pang Ming chuckled and said to He Da Chang:

“Andy, is Xie Bingran’s endorsement contract nearly ready?”

“Let’s get in touch with Director An and Director Li right away…”

“Push this forward— no more delays!”

As he spoke, many in the room paused, wondering why the big boss brought up the endorser now.

He Da Chang caught on instantly and grinned:

“Sure, boss. I’ll coordinate that after the meeting.”

The endorser for Xie Bingran had been held up by East Morning Star Advertising before.

But with Pang Ming wanting to move on her contract, it meant they’d greenlit East Morning Star’s plan.

Liu Wenqin and his BBDO Tianlian colleagues realized this, their faces falling.

Vincent Liu Wenqin kept up his smile, but his confidence had visibly crumbled.

Sun Aimi adjusted her glasses, finally catching on, her face lighting up with surprise.

This was unbelievable—the pitch was only half done, and the ad spot hadn’t even been presented, yet it was decided?!

Xu Chen just smiled faintly, as if he’d expected it.

…

Pang Ming looked thrilled and asked Xu Chen to flip back a slide to those parallel lines.

He studied them closely, growing fonder by the second.

“Legendary,” “groundbreaking,” “era”…

Xu Chen, from his past experiences wowing clients, knew high-end phrases like these always appealed.

Pang Ming cleared his throat and said:

“Everyone, take a look. Any questions or thoughts?”

“I’m fully on board—love it and agree completely!”