• The Wall Street Journal, Thursday, March 20, 2008 11:46 AM

Nike and Adidas AG are both aggressively promoting apparel and shoes with designs incorporating Chinese elements--a departure from the mostly Western-influenced styles they have marketed in the past--in an effort to woo consumers riding a wave of national pride over the Beijing Olympic Games.

The Nike Air Jordan 1 XQ China edition--with dragon-inspired patterns and red silk accents--is the first Air Jordan shoe designed with Chinese characteristics, for example. And last month, Nike introduced a retro line of sneakers commemorating the 1984 Olympics, the first the country participated in under Communist rule. Nike has also introduced sportswear with a new slogan in Chinese that translates as "arise and advance."

At a Beijing fashion show in January, Peking Opera performers provided a backdrop for Adidas models clad in polo shirts. The companies "will do whatever they can to tell the story, we were the partner in China's greatest sporting moment," says Terry Rhoads, managing director of Zou Marketing, a Shanghai-based sports-marketing firm. "It's a huge battle."

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