IT'S being billed as the greatest peacetime media event in history, but the unveiling of the Special Administrative Region lacks even the elementary ingredients of a 90s product launch: no billboards, no sensuous slogans, not even a McDonald's tie-in ('One Burger, Two Patties' - a gift, surely?).
With 6,000 journalists set to descend on the territory itching to confirm the doom-and-gloom scenario of July 1, Hong Kong needs some serious promotion.
So we commissioned an advertising campaign of our own. The brief for advertising agencies was simple: sell the handover to Hong Kong people and the world. Not all the agencies accepted the assignment. Several objected for reasons of conscience. There was, they said, nothing positive about the handover at all. But others welcomed the challenge. While language was not stressed, only one agency, Leo Burnett, presented its ad in Chinese.
We asked two media-savvy judges to give verdicts on their efforts: former chief executive of Grey advertising agency Leonie Ki, and the brains behind the Better Hong Kong Foundation, the pro-Beijing group organising the July 1 harbour celebrations; and shock radio jock Albert Cheng, the host of Commercial Radio's weekday morning show. Despite his outspoken criticism of Beijing and the SAR Cheng has no plans to stop broadcasting after 1 July.
this is what they said...
'British/Chinese Rules' James Morton, designer, Leo Burnett.
morton: 'It's stressing continuity in the legal environment. In the run-up to the handover, you put a blue picture up stating 'British rules'; then on July 1, a red poster stating 'Chinese rules' is plastered over it. The next day, strips are torn off the top sheet to reveal the same laws underneath.' ki: 'This lacks Chinese features. Nor does it convey the importance of the occasion. But it is clever and more informative. It might work on an MTR track-side site, where you'd have time to read it.' cheng: 'This looks dreadful. Who would read this? It's a joke because the Provisional Legislature repealed the Societies and Public Order Ordinance. The shredded graphic suggests you should not put your faith in pieces of paper. In the sense that China's promise to stick to the rules could be torn up as easily as this poster, it is quite effective.