On December 20, the 2025 China Public Relations Development Conference was held in Beijing, announcing 80 Annual Outstanding Public Relations Cases. Among them, the 15th National Games Urban Sports Character IP developed by Guangdong successfully won the Outstanding Case in the Government Category, setting a national benchmark for innovative public relations in sports events. This sports gala co-hosted by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area not only swept the region with a sports fever, but also blazed a new trail of “Sports + Brand + Livelihood” development through the distinctive sports cards of 21 cities.
From November 15 to 18, during the Games, the Executive Committee of the Guangdong Division of the 15th National Games launched an innovative series of press conferences themed “21 Urban Sports Characters”. By deeply exploring the sports and cultural genes of the 21 host cities, the event created a comprehensive communication gala integrating sports, culture and economy.
Reporters from Southern Metropolis Daily N Video learned that different from the traditional single-mode focus on on-field competitions, the “Urban Sports Character” project innovatively launched by Guangdong created exclusive sports labels for each city: surfing in Shantou, dragon boat racing in Foshan, basketball in Dongguan, volleyball in Jiangmen, orienteering in Maoming, and more. These 21 distinctive sports IPs were precisely derived from the cities’ historical traditions, mass sports foundations and natural resources, breathing vividness into the urban images.
Notably, beyond the passion and excitement on the field, the event extended its reach to off-field communication. Going beyond simple information dissemination, the series of press conferences innovatively incorporated featured performances and interactive experience sessions, allowing the public to engage in an immersive way and deepen their impression of urban charm. Events such as cross-border cycling in Zhuhai and the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Marathon have become important links for inter-city connectivity in the Greater Bay Area. Coupled with convenient policies like hassle-free customs clearance, these events have not only narrowed the distance between people from the three regions, but also vividly demonstrated to the outside world the vigorous vitality of integrated development in the Greater Bay Area. To date, the cumulative exposure of topics related to “Urban Sports Characters” has exceeded 2.3 billion times.
Deng Hong, Deputy Director of the Press Office of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province, introduced on behalf of the team during the award ceremony that the development of the 15th National Games Urban Sports Character project was inseparable from the direction and instructions of Hu Jinjun, Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and Deputy Director of the Executive Committee of the Guangdong Division. He clearly proposed the creation of the Urban Sports Character IP and reviewed and approved the plan for the series of press conferences. Cui Zhaoyang, Executive Deputy Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee and Director of the Press, Radio, Film and Television Publicity Department of the Executive Committee of the Guangdong Division, coordinated resources from all parties and provided overall guidance on theme planning, question design and statement review. During the Games, the Executive Committee of the Guangdong Division held press conferences for four consecutive days, inviting responsible officials from the governments of 21 prefecture-level and above cities in the province to take the stage in turns, introducing their local urban sports characters, event hosting situations and the achievements of “Sports +” integrated development. Adopting an innovative “Release + Interview + Performance” model, the press conferences presented a panoramic view of the vitality of mass sports, urban development achievements and scenes of people’s happy lives across various regions. They told the stories of China, the Greater Bay Area and the National Games in a gentle and engaging way, realizing the quality upgrade of event communication from “physical superposition” to “chemical integration”.
The influence of the sports IP goes far beyond impressive communication data, bringing tangible economic benefits. Nowadays, “Traveling with Sports Events” has become a new trend. During the National Games, flight bookings in cities such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen increased by 26% year-on-year, and orders for scenic spot tickets and hotel rooms surged significantly. Over 2,800 types of licensed event merchandise were in short supply, and the blind boxes themed on the mascots Xiyangyang (Joyful Lamb) and Lerongrong (Harmonious Joy) repeatedly sold out.
Modeled after Chinese white dolphins, these two mascots are topped with three-color water columns symbolizing the unity of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. They not only convey the concept of hosting the Games with solidarity, but will also become a permanent memorial of the event for the Greater Bay Area. After the Games, Guangzhou will build an Xiyangyang & Lerongrong IP Park, integrating sports characteristic elements of the 21 cities to make it a popular check-in destination showcasing the sports culture of the Greater Bay Area.
Currently, the “Enjoy a Warm Winter in Guangdong, Experience a Joyful Tour of Guangdong” consumption season is in full swing, and Guangdong has extended a sincere invitation to the world—Celebrate the Spring Festival in Guangdong. Here, tourists can not only immerse themselves in the sports and cultural charm of the 21 cities in the Greater Bay Area, but also follow the premium “Travel Guangdong with Sports Events” routes to admire the customs of overseas Chinese hometowns, try surfing, watch dragon boat races, visit characteristic markets, taste Lingnan cuisine, purchase high-quality products from the Greater Bay Area, and experience a Spring Festival feast combining sports vitality with Lingnan festive atmosphere.
Taking the 15th National Games as an opportunity, Guangdong is promoting the in-depth integration of sports with cultural tourism and consumption. Through a diverse feast of “Watching the National Games, Welcoming the Summit, Traveling in Guangdong, Tasting Delicious Food, Enjoying Beautiful Scenery and Buying Premium Products”, it continues to stimulate consumption potential, gather urban vitality, fulfill its responsibility as “an economic powerhouse shouldering the main responsibility” with concrete actions, and inject lasting momentum into the high-quality development of the Greater Bay Area.
