Why a HK building featuring CG visuals of Cathay's campaign captures HKers' hearts

Recently, a Hong Kong skyscraper featuring computer-generated visual creations of Cathay’s latest campaign “Every move counts” and the spirit of Hong Kong Olympic swimmer Siobhán Haughey, has wowed many Hongkongers with large-scale visuals, turning the historic building into a new landmark of the city.

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The move has also stirred up conversations across social platforms. Media intelligence firm CARMA saw approximately 150 mentions regarding the activation at The Henderson in Central, featuring Haughey over the past 24 hours. Of these mentions, 62% carried a positive sentiment, while 12% expressed negative sentiments. 

The majority of these mentions were found on Cathay Pacific and Siobhan Haughey's official social media channels. The sentiment surrounding these mentions has predominantly been positive, with netizens expressing pride and encouragement for Haughey, who is the first Olympic medalist from Hong Kong, said Charles Cheung, CARMA’s HK GM.  

“Some individuals have also praised the futuristic design of The Henderson and its harmonious integration with this media placement,” he added.  

A check by MARKETING-INERACTIVE saw Cathay’s Instagram post garner over 4,000 likes, with some saying that they previously thought the building to resemble a giant razor. However the new campaign has turned it into a beautiful landmark.

Unearthing insights 

Explaining the insights behind the move, a Cathay spokesperson told MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that the activation features hyper-realistic computer-generated creations simulating projection onto the curved features of The Henderson's façade in Central, creating powerful imagery at scale that ignite curiosity.   

“And by incorporating different viewing angles and insights from select influencers, we aim to elevate the discourse, deepen the audience interaction and generally advance toward our goal of inspiring people,” the spokesperson said.  

Cathay is encouraged by the level of public engagement and discussions sparked, as it provides an powerful platform to showcase the marvels of our home port, Hong Kong, to the world, the spokesperson said. 

“As we aim to inspire, measurement of success lies with a combination of the scale of the response but also qualitative aspects of the collective conversation – the importance of hard work, dedication at every step and self-belief,” the spokesperson added. 

The execution is part of Cathay’s “Every move counts” campaign, which aims to highlight the shared spirit among Haughey, Cathay and Hongkongers in their pursuit of excellence.  

“From Haughey's meticulous practices to Cathay's commitment to perfecting every detail, and the efforts of each Hongkonger in pursuing their goals, step by step. Developed in collaboration with Publicis Groupe, this campaign aims to evoke a sense of local pride and connect on a deep level,” the spokesperson said. 

Meanwhile, Haughey also shared a video of the activation on her Instagram, expressing her honour to become Cathay’s brand ambassador, as it also embodies the “Evey move counts” philosophy. 

“I know none of this would have happened if I haven’t been putting in the hard work every single day. With the Olympics coming up, I know every small move I make in and out of the pool, can make a big difference,” she said.  

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Henderson Land for a statement.  

Industry players’ reactions 

Industry players MARKETING-INTERACTIVE spoke to said this is a brilliant move to capture attention as this kind of activation is not frequently seen in the city.  

On the creative front, it is impressive and exciting to see Cathay leverage The Henderson facade in this case, according to Leung Chung, creative managing partner of Sunny Idea.  

He believes people are looking forward to seeing more of the possibilities on how brands and audiences can interact with this new icon in central. 

By featuring its film in the prominent outdoor environment of The Henderson facade, Cathay takes its brand visibility to the next level, said Desmond So, CEO, Uth Creative.  

“This bold move not only showcases its leadership and innovation but also instills a sense of pride in the Hong Kong brand. It effectively rebrands the building facade, transforming it from being associated with a giant shaver, as some people on Instagram mentioned, to becoming a symbol of the airline's leading and innovative spirit,” he added. 

In fact, it makes absolute sense for Cathay, as a global airline and the city's flagship carrier, to have Haughey as its brand ambassador.  

Siobhan's positive image and the pride that Hong Kong people feel in having her represent the city will undoubtedly contribute to the success of Cathay Pacific's campaign, according to So.  

Echoing his thoughts was Chris Kyme, creative director of local creative agency KymeChow, who said this is an intelligent use of celebrity for a change.  

“Usually Hong Kong advertising features gratuitous use of well-known personalities. Same old same old. Here we have a public figure who is relevant to the brand. This is the sort of quality Hong Kong should be showing to the world in its tourism advertising,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Kevin Shui, founder and chief producer of Good Cause Digital, said 3D mapping and projection ads and shows with good storytelling are gaining popularity and eyeballs around the world. “This is some innovation that our Hong Kong marketers and advertisers actively seeking for.”

He added, “It’s a delightful surprise to Hongkongers and marketers. At the first few seconds I thought it was real. Impressive out of the box creative which combines the popular Hong Kong sport icon Haughey, a Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific and a new Hong Kong landmark by Henderson Land. Looking forward to seeing Henderson Land turning this ‘surreal’ initiative into a reality in the future.”

Join us this coming 26 June for Content360 Hong Kong, a one-day-two-streams extravaganza under the theme of "Content that captivates". Get together with our fellow marketers to learn about AI in content creation, integration of content with commerce and cross-border targeting, and find the recipe for success within the content marketing world!

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