中 ‘HANDSOME BEGGAR’ DEBUTS AS AN ADVERTISING MODEL

[ 1/2/2011 ]

A man who became famous in China as the ‘Handsome Beggar’ because of his good looks is attracting attention after making his debut as an advertising model. According to a report published on the 31st by the Huaxi Metropolitan Daily(?西都市?), a newspaper based in Sichuan(四川) Province, a Chinese clothing brand unveiled an advertising poster in Shanghai featuring Xilige(犀利哥, Stylish Man), who sparked the ‘Handsome Beggar’ craze. The poster shows the ‘Handsome Beggar’ sitting in stylish casual clothing while smoking a cigarette. A representative of the clothing brand said at a press conference, “We thought our new clothing concept perfectly matched the image of the ‘Handsome Beggar.’ After finding him and spending a considerable amount of time persuading him, we successfully recruited him as our model.” The representative added, “He was also extremely pleased to become an advertising model.” When the ‘Handsome Beggar’ advertising poster was released online, it quickly generated an enormous response. Most internet users reacted enthusiastically, saying, “He fits the sophisticated urban image perfectly,” “He looks like a completely different person,” and “He could easily enter the entertainment industry now.” However, some internet users expressed concern, saying, “Are they not commercializing the ‘Handsome Beggar’ too much?” Meanwhile, major Chinese portal website Wangyi(?易, www.163.com) previously selected Xilige(犀利哥, Stylish Man), who sparked the ‘Handsome Beggar’ craze early that year, as the most talked-about person among 17 candidates for its independently selected ‘2010 People of the Year’ on December 28.