Actor Zhang Yishan stars in a noncommercial film sponsored by AB InBev to raise awareness among young people of the danger of drunk driving. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Being a young man who has already experienced many of life's highs and lows, as an actor, his work has accompanied Generation Y as they have grown up. For many fans, he is less a celebrity and more of a neighborhood friend, who sits with his legs crossed and tells jokes from time to time.

That might be the reason why, when it comes to "reaching the younger generation," Zhang has become an obvious choice for companies seeking a suitable role model to talk to the younger viewers. The audiences relate to him and even see themselves in him.

The new project with AB InBev talks directly to the younger generation, those who were born in 1999 and the year 2000 and have just reached the age where they can drink their first beers and get behind the steering wheel of a car.

"I read through his profile and I knew he'd be the perfect person for the job," Jean Jereissati, president for the group's operations in the North Asia-Pacific region, said in an interview before he flew to Beijing to meet with Zhang in person.

For the "Smart Drinking" campaign that AB InBev has been running for past 11 years, Jereissati has a very clear goal for this year's event-targeting the country's young people. For this specific target, the company carefully selected Harbin beer as the messenger because of the light beer's lower alcohol content.

"This year is the 11th year of the Smart Drinking campaign," he said. "Now we are trying to switch the angle to the young community, to encourage them to say no to drinking and driving from a millennial's perspective."

Jereissati said that choosing both Zhang and picking Harbin to feature in the film was part of his strategy to better reach a younger audience, as Zhang was the actor that people knew from their childhood, and Harbin is widely considered to be the first beer in many Chinese people's experience.

Zhang didn't hesitate in accepting the responsibility of role model. "The first lesson you need to learn before you can have a good time, is not to drink and drive," he said.

Frank Wang, vice-president at AB InBev's legal and corporate affairs, APAC North, who is also a father to two daughters, said: "I want to send a message to my daughter and others of her age that, as you gain more rights and freedoms in society once you turn 18, with them comes more responsibility. You need to learn to fulfill your responsibility and use your rights wisely, that is the essential skill of being an adult."