SAIC Motor and the Shanghai Grand Theater Arts Center signed a cooperation agreement in Shanghai on June 6, announcing that the Shanghai Culture Square will be officially renamed the SAIC Shanghai Culture Square.

The move represents SAIC’s pioneering efforts in honoring its social responsibility, entering into the cultural and arts market and contributing to the development of Shanghai’s cultural industry. It will also accelerate SAIC’s brand building and play a significant role in the company’s efforts to build a world famous auto company.

Ranked 60th on the Fortune Global 500 list, SAIC aims to build itself into an innovative, globally-recognized company that pioneers the automotive future. The company hopes to make use of this crossover platform to make its self-owned brands better known to consumers and have a greater influence on the general public.

The Shanghai Grand Theater Arts Center, Shanghai’s new calling card in the cultural field, is home to well-known art groups such as the Shanghai Grand Theater, the Shanghai Culture Square, the Shanghai Concert Hall, Shanghai Ballet, the Shanghai Opera House and the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra.

The two sides agreed to carry out all-round cooperation in brand promotion, art performance promotion and member services.

Under the deal, SAIC will also be granted exclusive naming rights for the SAIC Shanghai Culture Square’s annual Chinese-language musical season, the Shanghai Grand Theater’s New Year concert, and the Shanghai Grand Theater Arts Center’s domestic and overseas performances.

In addition, the Shanghai Grand Theater Arts Center will design a custom-made repertoire for SAIC’s targeted overseas markets. SAIC’s MG brand will have the exclusive naming rights for two operas produced by Shanghai Ballet and the Shanghai Opera House, namely A Song of Everlasting Sorrow and Thunderstorm, to be staged at a Chinese art festival in London in August.

SAIC’s self-owned brands – Roewe, MG and Maxus – will take full advantage of the high-quality cultural and art resources of the Shanghai Grand Theater Arts Center and its affiliates to boost their products’ reputation and image.

In turn, vehicles under these brands will provide VIP reception services for the SAIC Shanghai Culture Square.

The Shanghai Grand Theater Arts Center expects to introduce more and better art performances, improve art education for the general public and attract more citizens to theaters through its cooperation with SAIC.

The move will also help promote international art exchanges and drive the development of China’s musical industry.