Big stars like Zhang Ziyi, Jay Chou and Vicky Zhao are not as popular with consumers as their fame would suggest, according to the results of a new survey.

The survey asked Shanghai residents to select the people they wanted to see in TV ads from a list of 60 high-profile stars. Hong Kong kung fu king Jacky Chan topped the list of the stars people most want to see on a TV ads, because of his charity work and lack of negative publicity.

The survey respondents nominated Hong Kong movie star Maggie Cheung as the woman they would most like to see on TV ads because she resembles a real consumer. She already appears in a number of ads for cosmetic products and has already helped to boost their popularity.

Popular young stars like Zhang Ziyi, Vicky Zhao and Fan Bingbing from the Chinese mainland were voted in as the three women that consumers would least like to see on commercials. Respondents gave them the thumbs down because of all the bad publicity they have received in relation to their personal lives.

Taiwan pop singer Jay Chou was unpopular for the same reason, as well as his distance from the public.

But the man Shanghai consumers voted in as the star they would least like to see on a TV ad was mainland actor Li Yapeng. His marriage to pop queen Faye Wang was one of the top entertainment news items in 2005. The couple then gave birth to a daughter with a cleft palate, or "harelip", and have been in the spotlight ever since.
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(CRI.cn April 12, 2007)