Landmarks, a 'sparkle' and an abstract symbol were among the shortlisted designs rejected in favour of Hong Kong's new red and yellow dragon logo that was unveiled last week. The creative director for Landor Hong Kong, Monica Au Siu-wai, said the dragon was the overwhelming favourite among five shortlisted logos the company designed. She did not wish to describe the other shortlisted logos - which the Government and the firm have refused to release publicly - in detail, but said they each conveyed a slightly different emphasis. For example, the sparkle design would have stressed the sparkle of Hong Kong's ideas, the territory's leadership position and its forward-looking nature, she said. Other designs conveyed qualities such as hard work or the varied nature of Hong Kong society. However, Ms Au defended the much-criticised dragon, saying the firm was proud of its work, which had been assessed in minute detail at every stage. The deputy director of the Government Information Service, Kerry McGlynn, said the dragon brand was intended to last throughout the life of the SAR, although it might be 'nuanced' in decades to come. The design and research cost $9.3 million, but with associated costs such as promotion, the bill would total about $18 million within a year, he said. The dragon has been criticised by some designers in Hong Kong as being boring, an overused idea, uninspired and easily mistaken for other animals. Ms Au said: 'We all admit that a dragon is popular imagery. It represents our heritage. However, the execution showing the territory's spirit sets it apart from the other dragon symbols in Hong Kong. 'This dragon is looking into the future. It's seeing the opportunities in the future. It's a very enterprising dragon.' Design was subjective and the company took all criticism as constructive, she said. The design process started with an international video conference session last year, which led to about 500 designs, later narrowed down to five. Since the dragon was unveiled there had been much public debate on the letters 'H' and 'K', and Chinese characters for Hong Kong, incorporated into the design. But she said the prime aim of the design had been to make a beautiful dragon, which conveyed the right message rather than to make the letters instantly visible. The honorary treasurer of the Hong Kong Designers' Association, Charles Ng Chau-chuen, who is critical of the dragon design, said it was not fair to judge alternatives without seeing them. He called on the Government to be more forthcoming about how the design was selected. Mr McGlynn said the design selection followed focus groups here and overseas, which favoured the dragon but the final decision rested with officials, including the Chief Executive. Nine groups had been invited to bid for the research and design job, he said. The winner was a team including PR firm Burson-Marsteller, Landor and Wirthlin Worldwide Asia Research.