This study examined the cultural values promoted in television advertisements targeting younger and older audiences in China and the US, respectively, testing the hypothesis that ads in China would reflect a value shift caused by the open-door policy implemented in 1979. A content analysis of 566 television ads was conducted, rating the degree of individualism and collectivism, as well as the prominence of modern and traditional themes. As predicted, ads targeting younger Chinese scored higher in individualism than collectivism. Compared to ads targeting the older demographic, ads targeting younger Chinese scored higher in individualism, with no significant differences in the other three dimensions. As expected, mean scores for individualism and modernity were higher in the American ads, while mean scores for collectivism and tradition were lower. The results revealed no differences in the scores between younger and older audiences in the US.