Theme songs and cosplay appeal to Hong Kong’s online voters
With smartphones becoming an inevitable part of people’s everyday lives, candidates across the spectrum have spent more time than ever online trying to reach out to voters. Here are some of their more creative campaigns:
Theme songs At least three candidates have composed their own theme songs to spread their manifesto. Songwriter Adrian Chow Pok-yin, running to represent the sports, performing arts, culture and publication sector, has written a song calling on Hongkongers to realise a miracle with him. The song reached almost 270,000 people and was shared 1,000 times in just a day. Pro-establishment candidate Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, on the other hand, came up with her own version of theme song called The Song of Anti-Filibusters.
“Together we say no to filibuster,” the song repeats. But the barrister appears to have failed to impress internet users as all it garnered on Facebook in two weeks were more than 600 “angry” reactions with fewer than 400 “likes”.
Telegram
Localist groups such as Hong Kong Indigenous and Youngs-piration have made use of Telegram, an increasingly popular messaging app with a focus on speed and security, to mobilise supporters. Once users follow its channel on Telegram, they get instant updates from the group.
More than 1,600 people have joined the channel of Youngspiration’s Baggio Leung Chung-hang and engaged in active discussion with others on the latest election situation even though they do not know each other. In early August, Leung’s campaigning team managed to process hundreds of thousands of election pamphlets in just three days as hundreds of volunteers showed up to help after a call for help was issued on Telegram.
Cosplay
Cosplay is the favourite tactic of the Federation of the Trade Unions and its veteran Wong Kwok-kin has gone for it again this year.
The Kowloon East candidate donned the costume of Naruto, an adolescent ninja portrayed in a Japanese cartoon in 2012. This time, Wong opted for a more respected role, dressing himself up as a Chinese herbal doctor when promoting his labour policy platform last week.
Clad in a grey robe and holding a bamboo stick, “Kin Dai Fu” “diagnosed” the grassroots workers.
“You must be working too long hours,” Wong told a supporter playing a cook, prescribing him a needle therapy that promised him 44 hours of work each week. But to his supporters’ disappointment, Wong’s colleague, Wong Kwok-hing, arrived in his normal checked shirt and jeans.
The super seat candidate had also engaged in cosplay art in 2012, entertaining supporters with his gunman look in banners and posters. The video, uploaded on Facebook, however has failed to spark discussion as the 64-year-old was only followed by 560 people.
