The creative advertisements for an international telephone service which build on existing elements of local culture have captured the hearts of local youths. When the CTI superhero, modelled on Japanese children's programmes, appears on screen, young people everywhere join in with the catchy song that lodges easily in the memory. Picking the right song is crucial. The next step is to find the right lyrics. Seldom does an advertisement give such direct and clear information about its services and charges as this one. The advertisement's song and imagery are borrowed from a television series that features a superhero who battles monsters from outer space. Although the elements are copied, they have been adapted to local culture which gives them new life. The scriptwriters' play on the double meaning of the Cantonese word da, meaning 'to fight' or 'to phone', appeals to the local audience and shows a sensitivity to Hong Kong culture. This endearing superhero and the act of telephoning friends overseas have been inextricably linked. His battles with alien enemies reflect the company's own price war with its competitors, which will no doubt continue to rage. An example of an uncreative advertisement is the campaign for a fried chicken restaurant that features toys in the different national costumes of 30 countries. It has obviously copied the idea from a chain of hamburger restaurants. However, the campaign for the chicken restaurants has not been a success. Often we do not know whether advertisements are original or not. American adverts are sometimes reproduced using Chinese actors to fit in with the local market. In the meantime, the story of the superhero goes on with the broadcast of another 'episode'. This time, our hero is shown with a girlfriend who makes the surprising revelation that she is really an alien from outer space. She then turns into a big green monster and does battle with our hero. A mark of the campaign's success was when rival companies fought back by placing three full- page colour advertisements in a few Hong Kong newspapers. The rival adverts also borrowed superhero imagery but highlighted the original company's weaknesses and its tedious registration process. The war is still raging so we should keep our eyes open for further developments. Media education is a discipline run by youth organisation Breakthrough in which students learn how to use and criticise the media through the teaching of media awareness, media analysis and media creation. This column will present interesting aspects of the subject with examples from daily life
