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12/17/1981 - Hong Kong is Watching by Bryn E. Barnard

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS Jaen AU5 C Lembah Keramat Ulu Kevng Seangor December BEB I Hong Kong Watcb Mr Peter Brd Martn Inst Curre World Hheelock House West Hheelock Street Hanover NH Dear Peter For years Ho Kovg nevtable reintroduction Southeast Asia Nth exceptdoss charter flgts Southeast Asia Brtish admnstered their dest3 naton Commercial flghts Kuala Lumpur Sisgapore Basgkok Jakarta Hom Komg So onward couectoms sever quite tadled Thus forced spend first culture shocked lagged Asia amosst bustling populace crowded estate earth Receutly however I decdded extesd usual 3uvolustary sojourn territory explore local state psrt3culsr Hosg Kong advertising scene My troduct pressure sst3ve stcker fdaure cofronted arrival these posters plastered subways occas Osly I vestured tourist choked Tsmshatsu dstrct Star Ferry towards I discover Fgure I stcker partial Is I explanation ctywde campaign learned about pecularites problems advertsiD8 desaDn8 Ho8 Kos mrket Bryn Barnsrd IssttuteFellow studying vsu8l communcton Southeast As Hs currest terest advertising graphic BEB I Advertising maligned Books articles Vance Packard The Hdde Persuaders helped create popular percepton advertising agencies purveyors tgble atmosphere uedodsuggestion Rsing service awareness consumer small Of greater mportDce cretoD perceved dffereDtB betwee brBDd Dd petition gredients aspir qualty other Yet advertising executives Dot surpr sngly udeed sales decloe advertising Rs reduced Here these statistics The ndustry coDtues seduc Dg greter uumbers desgoers llustrators writers raDks Tsimshatsui Midlevels VVanchai J HongKonglsland Hog Koog small physcslly solated territory bouoded north Choa where The populton mllon fairly space sssured cousumpton oriented udeuce fairly consistent cultural premises Huge dspsrites dvdual ucomes dfferences educato uglsh versus Chinese dyllc pture But compare scenario stuetoo Sugapore other AsPCa Chuese neton Sgspore advertisers Thus reletve audience consistency accessibility adveutages Hang Kong advertising Conv theft audience msgned efficacy product auother persuading client suteblty proach another another matter complicated peculertes Chinese culture BEB I children product sketch figure rejected client because suggested declining proffits Similarly point triangle fgire deemed unacceptable because indcared instabiIty unpPofitgbility A bushiness taken corner figure thumbs The thought might Dot itePpreted rather profits Color choice another critical figure fctor Chinese audience advertising design Blue white rejected product service advertising because their ditional ereal significance funeral otices printed white Black fuuereal color choice aousl report cover Pure white worse couote Nevertheless these color combingtioDs serve 8dmir contexts An Urban Services Deprtmeut poster urging flung Kong residents K figure priDted black white The Chinese characters Pet C_rapbic printed appropriate symbolism The auspicious colors Gold yellow Separately ether combDstio white latter their uspicous sgufcauce 818ys elicit positive response client Of three treditoD81 snnfCce Red festive frecrsckers mopey packets New Year Shrines painted rbboos weddDg sgstuPe stamped Chinese egeDcy stock amnual Peport successful fisoce uthinkable choice West where dfferent messDS figure Unless clients heavily westernized Jesse L these tradiltiomal color formulae their lings gemcies This prove trying sensibilities Western trained director different correct design values color percept These sentiments echoed Peter Cooke Frank Constantimi Farhead expatriate directors Their criticisms however directed support services tradition They bewailed proper Western materials quality color separations standards local typesetting print industry MoPgsn Chua Frank Tam fewer complaints perhaps because experieoced little Chua Singapore citizen worked Re_v_ew years resident cartoonist director Tam lived Hang Komg They appear little diffi culty working within constraints Chinese tradition Although Review covers graphics conservative rarely offend traditional Chinese desigo convetions Henry Steiner ioternationslly designer harsh words Chinese convention Steiner worked Hang Kon twenty years His Graphic Communi cation Lmited ultra modern design studio tecll tradition ensconced relative peace Mid levels above hubbub Hang Kon Central Steime claims IIog Komg Chinese clients prefer tradtiouslly auspicious colors desigu because cultural conservatism Im experience Chinese society applauds convention abhors ivuovat The individual societal accolades rebel ignored ostracized He illustrated point Hang Kon skyline below Architectural variety territory outstanding qualities Most structures slight stiOmS rectangular theme Differ tiatig building meighbour apparently pressing Following precedent Thus boxes Under conditions might expect iovative sigDer languish without clients This Henry Steiner built global reputation producing graphics rival Europe North America Japan He claims clients freer Fgure lesser desJguers Nometheless takem years balancing iuovatio local prefereuces preeeot exbIted state TraditJo conservatism proved other organizations I encouotered Hog Kog notably Red Cross Oue aeruoon walking streets Hoog Koug Ceutrsl search sketching motifs I voticed stri1i poster Red Cross Blood Dootio Center urgiug pessersby Save Life Feel Good Iqures Ceorer regerdo orgus eveuuZy brough Vaere Hoer Red Cross Headquarters The posrer result CZub sored comperoo years Des submed sudeus proessoual dessuers paueZ Ro Red Cross represeua Wuuug eurres prJued Red Cross expeuse The entries judged their effectveuess commuai blood dotio ctchug attractive maoer Numerous entries would turned hedds blood bloody touroiquets rejected because final criterion Pleasing positive desgns because Chinese bIood donations result liopety beliefs trsditiomal medical tices Accordimg Hoe Ch3meee believe blood bequeathed amcestors f3mite supply local versom humerc pathology blood blood phlegm black yellow It lightly strvgers Although blood after implememtto cmpigm resistamce remained stroag Figure IO O where tradi tionsl belefs greatest donors remained group received education emphasizes estern style After discussou Ms IIofer I reeed vestigation media cmpai tempted exploit fledgling The smoIl sticker I oticed tured territory clesuup implemeted October De rtmeut Urbsu Services Alittlegoesalongway Save Life Give Blood The csmpegn appears conceived SupporttheRedCross Eglish though eoqur Urbsv Services confrm t2igure The English version poster sticker reeds Ito Kog Wtchng Doe bisbYourCity This issosppropr teheadlineforthe sccusiDg The Chinese versioD csmpsigo somewhat different Throw All Rubbish Awsy Iske Ths Piece ClesD Be Happy spproximote trDsletio ltere there reference We Are Watching You concept I usable explsDstio bebiod these different csmpsig sppesls Perhaps Chinese speskig popule point wthout ecessity verbal support As effectiveness campaign Hsu Ewok Urbs Services wrote December figute Don I difficult evaluate effectiveness poster promoting cleanliness However I success campaign depends publicity alone alsoo efOrcememt So power isual communication There course umerous forms verbal expressi Design coZor techniques svsZsble Hong Kog dvertisig idustry There subtler methods As I eclosiv article December Far Easter Economic Review It illustrates HoB Kog commuuicstors their messa across THENUMBERSGAME Siacerely Despite protestations itdoesnotwish drive ofland Hongkong thegovernment taken anunusual maximise gains Bryn Barnard Connaught Centre Cen district slated office shopping complex The original number This changed The number eight lucky since rhymes Can tonese prosperity Six Cantonese close pronunciation happi The number becomes prosperity double laappiness prosperi vhich should greatlyienhancc value eyesofChinese buyers BlaB I0 Lst Illustrations Press sensitive label DeprtmeDt Urba Servces Hong Kong Spot llustraton advertising sghtseeng D Hog Kog BBB Map Hong Kong Kowloon BEB Sketch Images three different parts Central dstrct combined drawing BB paper Sketch Star Ferry preserver Hong Kong Cevtral district skyline BB pencil bristol board Yin diagram B B Sketches BEB after sketches Nick Jesse Hon8 Kong Poster Depvrtmevt Urban Serviaes Hong Kong Photograph Central district Victoria Peak Hong Kong Tourist Association Poster Red Cross Hong Kong originai printed black Poster Red Cross Hong Kong origivl printed black Poster Department Urban Services Hong Kong original printed black white color photograph Received Hanover