Beijing Advertising

Media literacy isn't high generally speaking in China and more so in Beijing which is why some folk are content to lower their expectations - and that's not just the clients who are in need of inspiration. I'm not... but in the meantime I see some pics I uploaded to Facebook of some poster advertising for The Steak Factory that actually stood out (heaven forbid that advertising should stand out) were picked up on by the delightful Fiona in London so I guess I'm allowed to post them here too. I took the pictures not because they are incredibly good ads (we've all seen the food porn idea) but in a sea of mediocrity they stood out for having an idea and a standpoint. Fiona has done some great posts on China recently which you should check out.

Lastly I think who ever scouted the talent on this poster for a Bank in Beijing must have been tres local or is it just me that thinks the 'nurse' looks like a)Herman Munster b)a fella? Easy on the eye shadow luv!

Does my RSS look big in this?

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Beijing Art

I recieved an invite from Joy Island to see her band play at a Shopping Mall (coincidentally called Joy Shopping Mall) on Saturday and I went along to check out her band Two Oranges' music. I discovered that it was also an art and environment combo (is that the original word for mashup?) sponsored by Arrtco who seem quite clued up.

I wanted to share some snaps of the art for the time being because it was rather good and seemingly transcended the language barrier. I particularly like the feces theme on the video installation below. I think we'd all be a bit more careful about our electricity use if our notebooks or TV's took an occasional crap. Anyway here ya go it was on sale for 1200 Euros in case you are curious of the prices.

I quite like that pick up your phone and get your money ready line. QVC couldn't have put it any better could they?

The bike below looked like the frame had grown out of the trees or vice versa.

The print poster below was called something like 'Bath together, Save water'. Which reminded me of an old campaign I think from when the UK suffered a very memorable drought in 1976. Beijing is almost rain free and needs to pump its water in from further and further afield each year as its next to a desert. I can't help thinking about Frank Herbert's SF book Dune that I was into as a lad and where water is so scarce on the desert planet Arrakis that it is considered an honour to be spat upon.

Lastly I really like this piece which with a bit of typography help and a couple of word tweaks would have got a full 10 out of 10 for its 25 mini frames. Each contained a line that built up a narrative of human development from nature to robot and one particularly poignant frame on the bottom left with a jet plane and the planet earth, and the line; "They began to see the world as a plaything" which is kind of true when I think about say the time I took a plane to the airport and jumped on the next random flight out - I ended up in Phnom Penh. Imagine when most people in China can afford to do that. I'm guessing it's not too far off.

Update: Today's China Daily reports today that 97 airports are to open in China within 12 years. Naturally this is seen as only a good thing because the West taught China that the only benchmark worth knowing is the economic growth that we are all seemingly choking on.