IS HONG KONG MARCHING TO A FAWLTY DRUM, BASIL?
If it wasn’t so tragic- yes, tragic- about what is not happening in and to Hong Kong, and how everything it once was is being turned into something cheap, and tacky, it might be something amusing in a bumbling Basil Fawlty type of way. But it’s not.
Those longtime Hong Kong Belongers who came from foreign shores to start new lives here remain, and others who left are contemplating returning, because the grass that might have seemed greener has now turned brown.
This means that it’s so very important to raise the bar in Hong Kong and not watch standards in almost everything fall so drastically.
If knowing that this is happening, and not doing anything about it, doesn’t this mean that those given the jobs to ensure this will not happen are simply not good enough?
Like how class and style cannot be bought, it’s impossible to “teach” people what is good and what is mediocre and hackneyed advertising and marketing.
In Hong Kong today, and starting from the very top of the totem pole, those paid the big bucks for the big titles don’t seem to know good from bad and how what one shows the world also shows one’s own shortcomings.
Show the world mediocrity and absolute foolishness like the anti drug campaign mentioned below where the message is so garbled that the bad guys appear to win, and everyone is a loser- especially the city.
Instead of creating work that stands out for all the right reasons in a sea of mediocrity especially coming out of a one time global superpower, if the advertising for Hong Kong is seen at all, it’s usually not good enough. And I know some of those who win the contracts to get these jobs for especially trying to market tourism.
They do what the client wants and this is approved by those without the necessary experience in advertising to know strategy and what works best to show the city’s brand personality to the world.
And which is?
This is why, no matter what the government’s Rosanna Law might have to say about the “success” of “mega events” in the city and puts forward numbers almost in her defence, how many are listening or buying any of it?
One has to wonder if the Hong Kong Secretary for tourism, culture and sports is someone qualified for the weighty title she carries on her shoulders and who she has on her team and their work experience?
Does Rosanna Law have the backup that’s needed with that certain, well, je ne sais quoi or is does this team comprise a basket of dumplings, or, at the most, what goes into a Cafe de Coral lunch box?
It’s difficult to also think that the lady in charge has ever dined on a Madras Chicken Curry at the original Jimmy’s Kitchen, has had a night out at Feather Boa or has even seen those iconic photographs of Hong Kong taken by legendary fashion photographer Francesco Scavullo- needed to understand what was produced before, what needs to comes next and the quality control needed.
When writing recently about looking a gift horse in the mouth by not taking advantage of the offer from global star maker and entertainment entrepreneur Simon Fuller to be part of the rebuilding process of a new and positive Hong Kong brand, I was well aware that one person cannot make a difference. But it’s a darn good solid start.
There’s a need for a cohesive team of professionals singing off the same strategy paper and where everyone has a certain level of skill sets. It’s where Less Is More and Small Is Beautiful. Things that are “mega” usually only hide the pockmarks.
In my many years in advertising and marketing and communications and the music industry and music marketing, I know full well in the importance of Think Local, Act Global- and so did the teams working for and with me.
Much of Hong Kong was built on this ethos and something that came naturally to every one of the city’s game changers.
They knew how action speaks louder than words- especially empty words- and unless one builds it, no one will come.
Whatever one might think about him, the late Sir David Tang took the traditional Chinese cheongsam and turned this into a fabulous and nouveau haute couture fashion statement.
His Shanghai Tang brand led seamlessly to all the style and elegance and charm of the China Club and which attracted international style makers like David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Princess Diana and so many others.
Hong Kong Model 2026 needs its own style makers and their handpicked teams with the ability to sell people on their dream- not cheap knock offs of Shanghai Tang, but ideas that can come from, for example, looking at a Double Happiness matchbox or listening to what is still known as Canto Pop and which has become something lifeless and without the nostalgic appeal and coolness of the original Shanghai Divas.
My take on creativity in Hong Kong is that it’s come and gone, because it has either been stunted through a lack of exceptional talent or handed to those part of the Peter Principle who believe that “Okay is good enough”.
Hong Kong has been home to truly world class creative talent- graphic designers, filmmakers, writers, advertising professionals, photographers and to whom Okay was never good enough, because creativity has no boundaries.
For creativity to be effective communications, it must be nurtured by those who intuitively know through their DNA and experience to offer direction and be an inspiring garden where everything is possible and with different things resonating with people in different ways.
Most importantly, it’s actually doing one’s part to make this garden grow instead of waiting for others to start the seeding and planting process and then saying why this and that cannot work.
This is when committee decisions come into play with everyone and their dog becoming part of a free-for-all and the end result being something unrecognisable and completely off strategy.
I have worked with just such an organisation in Hong Kong where everyone had their own views and agendas and when criticism rolled in different fingers being pointed everywhere instead of someone accepting accountability.
Perhaps it’s time for companies and organisations to work to new and more streamlined organisation charts?
Especially when it comes to the creative product, Hong Kong needs to stop drinking from that half empty cup of yum cha and know very clearly right from the beginning who’s in charge of what, what is needed and where the buck stops.
The Blame Game played after the fact shows deflection and hypocrisy and which is a real Debbie Downer.
Dedicated to the memory of my friend Morton Wilson and how we believed in ourselves and our talent and worked as a team to give Hong Kong the gift of some award winning original music. This was because we loved Hong Kong and wanted to be part of its soundtrack.
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