An award-winning HSBC advertising campaign has irked tourism officials by failing to include Hong Kong in a series of images of world cities. A magazine advertisement - showing London's Big Ben, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and Sugar Loaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro - has been used around the world to send the message that HSBC operates 'everywhere'. The bank said it did not use Hong Kong because the SAR has no symbol or icon instantly recognisable to people overseas. But the Government and the Hong Kong Tourism Board say there are many, ranging from a junk on the harbour to Lantau's Big Buddha. 'We're quite disappointed, knowing the history of HSBC, that they shouldn't include Hong Kong,' Hong Kong Tourism Board spokeswoman Donna Mongan said. 'They did start their business here and took off into London from Hong Kong. I'm surprised they've got KL and not Hong Kong.' HSBC spokesman Gareth Hewett said the bank was not trying to exclude Hong Kong from its image but had been unable to come up with a landmark or symbol to represent the SAR. 'I don't think anybody's made a determined effort to leave Hong Kong out,' he said. 'If you're looking at Big Ben or the Eiffel Tower, it's different, isn't it? I don't think there are symbols in Hong Kong that are on the same scale.' When the South China Morning Post suggested that a junk with sails set, or the bank's own headquarters in Central, could have been used, Mr Hewett said they were not well enough known worldwide. 'Our building, although it's well recognised in lots of places, probably in South America it's not,' he said. A government spokeswoman said Hong Kong was not short of world-recognisable landmarks and icons. 'There's the junk, or the Tsing Ma Bridge, or the Peak Tower, or the Convention and Exhibition Centre, or the Big Buddha on Lantau. There's actually quite a few,' she said. The board, formerly the Hong Kong Tourist Association, has used a red junk as its logo since 1972. It recently considered getting rid of the junk and using a new symbol, but after researching other options decided to stick with the vessel. The advertisement is one of a series. Among the others is one with three simple pictures above the words 'morning, afternoon, night' and the HSBC logo over the word 'anytime'.
