Product: Noble Hill residential properties.
Title: 'Train' and 'Noble Living'.
Ad Agency: Zoom and Sizes & Associates.
First Impression: The opening sequence of 'Train', the shorter version of this ad, looks like a scene from the Harry Potter movies. The landscape is sweeping and lush; the bird's-eye view grand and very green ... i.e. so not Hong Kong. But this, apparently, is the idea.
Idea/storyline: To get across the concept of 'noble and happy living', European aristocratic style. So we have this very well dressed man (in smart casual) who has just travelled home from work to be warmly welcomed by his wife (also meticulously attired) and two adorable children. The longer version features the leisure activities that noble men and women are supposed to do in their spare time: rowing, hunting, plate shooting and having tea from exquisite china (of course!).
What the ad man says: Anne Ma, managing director of Zoom and Sizes, says: 'Our client [Sun Hung Kai Properties] wants to project the grand and uplifting image of European noble living. As you know, it is hard to find locations in Hong Kong that fit this image; the weather here has been bad and there is not much greenery to speak of. Then we thought we would go to Europe but it was last December and the weather there was bad. We wanted to film this ad in beautiful weather so we finally went to Melbourne. There, we had the sun and European-style architecture.