Hong Kong: The gorilla of Asia’s advertising industry

With a growing appetite for online information and with high levels of discretionary income, it’s no wonder that Hong Kong has become one of the premier locations for a fast-growing and innovative advertising industry.

A recent study done by the Nielsen Media Index said that 63% of Hong Kong residents have internet connections and are spending an average of 2.5 hours online daily. A 10% increase from last year, almost half of all internet users also said that they regularly read newspapers or magazines online. A separate study done by Synovate, an Aegis-owned company, revealed that 77% of Hong Kong residents are spending at least as much on consumer staples in 2009 as they were last year, despite the economic recession.

For major advertising agencies like DDB Worldwide and Leo Burnett Group, the presence of both online audiences and enthusiastic consumers has made Hong Kong a hub of creative genius. In 2009, both of the agencies’ regional offices won gold EFFIE awards on behalf of international clients such as WWF and Volkswagen. Led by prominent members of the advertising industry, one reason for continued Hong Kong investment is the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of Hong Kong (HK4As), a body that encourages high standards and integrity amongst member agencies. Around 21 major advertising agencies work together to set and maintain standards of business ethics, enforce an advertising standards code, act as a means of arbitration between agencies, and provide a forum for the exchange of views between advertising agencies and others engaged in the industry.

So what is so great about Hong Kong campaigns? Blue jeans are but one example.

Levi’s latest Hong Kong campaign “Your Powerful Voice” is an incredible mix of online and interactive content that exhibits the exceptional work coming out of the market. Featuring up-and-coming Hong Kong bands Mr. and Rubberband, the agency TBWA/Tequila created an online platform for music lovers to produce their own music videos using tracks from the two bands. Once going onto the campaign webpage—which is part of the larger Levi website—visitors can use existing special effects or upload their own photos and messages to make the videos more original. Each newly created music video will link to previous examples, generating what the agency claims will be the “longest online music video” ever.

In the first five days of the campaign more than 3,000 contributions were made, and the website received over 20,000 unique visitors. Participants could also print out Levi coupons on the site, with more than 2,000 being printed in the first week. Representative from the two bands pushed the Levi’s site to their fan base via social media sites such as Facebook, blogs and forums. The campaign has been supported by youth magazines such as East Touch, New Monday and Face, as well as on local radio stations. A series of in-store mini concerts with Mr. and Rubberband were also planned.

Incredible you say? Welcome to Hong Kong, the guerilla of Asia’s advertising industry.

Check out the “Your Powerful Voice” campaign: http://www.levis-yourpowerfulvoice.com.hk