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The shortest car endorsement in history: Infiniti dropped Wang Leehom after 35 hours
Infiniti announced singer Wang Leehom as its ambassador and cut him 35 hours later — then sued him for ¥20 million.
Infiniti · Dongfeng Infiniti Motor · 2021-12-18
What happened
On 16 December 2021 Infiniti's China arm announced singer Wang Leehom as its brand ambassador and rolled him out at the Guangzhou launch of the new QX60 the same evening. It was meant to be the start of a flagship campaign: the brand's first new model in years, fronted by one of Mandopop's most bankable stars.
The bet lasted 35 hours. On the evening of 17 December Wang's former wife Li Jinglei published a long post about their marriage, which he denied; within about two hours Infiniti had deleted its endorsement posts and likes. At around 1am on 18 December the brand's official Weibo account announced that it was terminating the cooperation with immediate effect. Chinese media called it the shortest endorsement in the history of the car industry. Education-tablet maker Readboy and jeweller Chow Tai Seng ended their Wang Leehom deals within days.
The story did not end at the termination. In March 2025 Dongfeng Infiniti Motor sued Wang and his company Xidong Music (Shanghai) — of which he is the legal representative — for ¥20 million (about US$2.8 million) over the aborted contract. The case was set to be heard at Shanghai's Jinshan District People's Court on 28 April 2025. By then Infiniti's China business had been shrinking for years — fewer than 10,000 sales a year since 2017, and 72 cars in February 2025 — and the failed deal was being chased as a receivable.
Why it happened
- The announcement and the launch were the same event: Infiniti spent its first endorsement cycle, so when the allegations hit there was no campaign equity to defend — only a contract to cut.
- The cut was priced by the clock: the first hour reads as endorsement, so Infiniti deleted its posts within two hours and terminated overnight — the scandal attached to the car the longer it waited.
- The lawsuit was the clawback: the brand paid for a name it stopped using after 35 hours, and with China sales collapsing the ¥20 million claim turned the aborted campaign into asset recovery.
- The 35-hour record became the industry benchmark: the case is cited whenever Chinese brands draft morality clauses, so the failed bet is paid twice — in cash, and as every contract's reference point.
The lesson
An endorsement is priced by its exit, not its entrance: one post ended Infiniti's 35-hour deal and produced a ¥20 million lawsuit years later. Draft the exit clause like the launch.
Aftermath
Readboy and Chow Tai Seng ended their Wang Leehom deals within days of the allegations. In March 2025 Dongfeng Infiniti Motor sued Wang and Xidong Music (Shanghai) at Shanghai's Jinshan District People's Court, seeking ¥20 million; the case was scheduled to be heard on 28 April 2025. Infiniti's China sales kept falling — 72 vehicles in February 2025 — and the brand was folded into Dongfeng Nissan in 2022.
Sources
- Infiniti terminated Wang Leehom overnight; the endorsement lasted only about 35 hours — The Economic Observer, 18 December 2021
- Infiniti ends cooperation with Wang Leehom after a 35-hour endorsement — The Paper, 18 December 2021
- Infiniti sues former spokesperson Wang Leehom, terminated 35 hours after signing — Tencent News, 26 March 2025
- The 35-hour car endorsement: Infiniti sues Wang Leehom for ¥20 million — Sohu Auto, April 2025
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