Andrew Ballen

Andrew Craig Ballen (born April 27, 1973) is best known in China as Da Long (Chinese: 大龙), or Big Dragon.

He is a familiar foreign face on Chinese TV,[1] known for his role as host and producer of China's internationally broadcast travel series, Getaway.

Brands including Nike, Unilever, Kraft Foods, LVMH Group's Sephora,[7] and Asian TV shopping platform Acorn International[8] employed Ballen's system on a variety of digital campaigns.

[9] These in video TOUCH™ to buy mechanisms produced greater than 250% increases in viewer engagement relative to traditional online banner and pre-roll ads.

[2] The son of Belizean and Jamaican immigrants, he was raised by his father Patrick, a surgeon, and step-mother Naomi in Greensboro, North Carolina.

[1][29] On TV, Ballen toured China by car, visiting locals and exploring Chinese history, culture, and cuisine.

[1] In July 2008, as China hosted the Beijing Summer Olympics, Ballen was commissioned by Puma AG and the Government of Jamaica to execute Jamaica's Olympic media, marketing, and China public relations activities, including the marketing and event programming related to Jamaican track and field phenomenon, Usain Bolt.

[30] That summer, Ballen's company and partners were the only non-Governmental entities permitted to bring foreign performance artists to Beijing for non-IOC sanctioned event programming.

Ballen on China Travel Series Getaway, Dragon TV .