There’s no point blaming or getting frustrated with the Hong Kong government for not understanding the need for creativity to help Hong Kong. It’s simply not a priority for them. The current government is tangled up in blue and Article 23 and everything else that governments are paid to do.
The question is whether the today’s Hong Kong government is delegating creative work, or work that might fall under the Creative category to those who understand marketing and strategy and can deliver results?
For instance, is one show by Sir Tom Jones going to make an iota of difference to the mood of Hong Kong, and a city wandering around without a brand image to attract international tourism?
Shouldn’t Hong Kong, first and foremost, be seen by tourists as a city that’s friendly and welcoming and a city to visit without fear?
Is the Hong Kong airport able to compete with Changi International Airport in Singapore?
Why can’t there be 3-4 shows a day by local musicians? Why can’t there be buskers? And perhaps fashion shows featuring the work of local designers?
What are the plans for the launch of the new stadium in Kai Tak?
What’s the headline act with that WOW factor?
ABBA Voyage with avatars of the iconic group?
Could Faye Wong be persuaded to perform at this new venue?
Perhaps there could be a new technology segment?
Shouldn’t possible tourists know what these plans are for the new stadium so that they could start making their own plans at a time when travel is still finding its sea legs?
How does this international market perceive Hong Kong in 2024?
Who’s going to finally address the elephant in the room- the fear of tourists outside of China coming to Hong Kong because of the political narrative being spun overseas?
How quickly can Hong Kong turn this perception around?
Who is going to finally explain to Kevin Yeung, the Secretary for culture, sports and arts, why Taylor Swift gave Hong Kong the flick?
Does the Hong Kong government have a really really smart group of communicators and communications experts?
What did giving Tatler Asia the Rights to bring Inter Miami to Hong Kong result in other than make the city look rather naive and with many things seemingly brushed under the carpet to avoid more questions being raised and causing further embarrassment?
What’s happened to those HK$7.8m Chubby Hearts?
These questions is why I keep questioning for almost two decades why taxpayers continue to fund the toothless CreateHK.
It’s why I question the promises made at the time by the controversial government mouthpiece Duncan Pescod about the great differences this organisation was going to make.
Has CreateHK produced anything of significance since its inception?
Has the old Duncan Pescod been replaced by a 2024 version, and if so, how is this a good thing?
Going back to the days when there was a fairly exciting advertising industry with ad agencies in Hong Kong pitching for various Government Information Services (GIS) campaigns to Keep Hong Kong Clean etc, the creative community played an important role in building up a brand image for the city by working with the Hong Kong Tourist Association.
The work produced for Hong Kong by director Louis Ng of Film Factory was superb.
Louis stuck to his vision of what he believed Hong Kong needed and he was given a clear path to do what he did best- present Hong Kong in the best possible light to the rest of the world.
It was international award winning work that filled Hong Kong with pride.
We don’t have this pride anymore. And when we do have it through the efforts of someone like Hong Kong born champion swimmer Siobhan Haughey, marketing and promotional opportunities are squandered, or else left to fade away.
What we’re seeing today are bibs and bobs of this and that, and where, when everything else fails, one wheels in a celebrity to hide the fact that there’s no idea and nothing with any substance or sustainability.
This lazy and ineffective work is there for all to see in recent Hong Kong government approved and produced campaigns like “Hello Hong Kong” with its conga line of ageing local celebrities.
It’s there in the type of “badvertising” and tacky promotional campaigns for Brand Hong Kong also adopted by the HSBC, other banking services, and the HKJC.
What is shown is corporate waffle with a few nondescript things cobbled together for the Hong Kong Selfie Generation- more light shows and fireworks displays and what’s cutely described as “night vibes”.
This new generation are coming out of the darkness of the Lockdown Years.
They are unsure what they want and with many only having their mobile phones for company.
They’re looking for something more to Hong Kong than what they now see and very possibly hope to see everything else they don’t know about the city.
Like many of us, they also want to be pleasantly surprised and feel happy about their home.
This is what’s going to create pride and have the people of Hong Kong- happy people- become the best advertisement for the new Hong Kong.
Copyright ©️ Hans Ebert