China remains a creative minnow on the world stage, but it is getting its act together with trademark speed. JWT Shanghai's 'Run free' campaign for Nike was the first time a Chinese agency won a gold Spike. It was also awarded at Cannes and nominated for a D&AD Pencil. And a gold for Guantang at the New York Festivals marked the first time a mainland agency won at a major international festival for a local client.
As the work improves, so the mainland emerges from the shadow of Hong Kong. At the HK4As, organisers considered scrapping this year's competition, such was the embarrassing dominance of entries from the mainland. China's victorious streak has a lot to do with its burgeoning economy and political status, which have provided a well-timed boost to its confidence on the international stage and, ultimately, the shift from adaptation to origination.
"Local pride is growing," notes Spencer Wong, ECD and VP of McCann Erickson Guangming China. "Consumers are looking for products they can relate to on a personal level, not products marketed in the same way around the world. Two years ago, it was all international campaigns translated into Chinese. Now, consumers are less willing to buy into an international face."
This has led to a greater emphasis on local consumer insight and finding local talent. "It is much easier for someone who lives in a certain city or region to know the peculiarities of that market," says Lo
Sheung Yan, regional ECD of JWT North Asia.
While this hasn't hindered the surge of international talent waiting to have a crack at China, they might be disappointed by what they find. "The degree of creative adventurism is still very limited (in China)," says Tom Doctoroff, CEO, JWT North Asia. "Creatives will find they are pushing out creative barriers, not breaking through them. And it's rare to find a non-Chinese creative chief — China remains a hostile place for foreign creative directors."
Some argue, however, that there is no need to look overseas for talent. "If creative leaders took more chances, they would find an untapped well of brilliance out there," says Vincent Pang, group CD at McCann Shanghai, adding: "China doesn't boast any spectacular creative successes, but she doesn't have any big failures either. Bland rules."
Lo agrees, and calls for a bit more bravery. "Creativity involves taking risks. Your heart must be in it and the creative strategy must be believable so that the client will want to take a risk with you."
JWT's campaign for local sports brand Anta is a case in point, claims Lo. "The campaign tackles the polarisation of rich and poor and taps into the anger people feel towards inequality," he says.
"The message is to release this anger and forge ahead," he adds, claiming that the ad's We are the champions soundtrack will help consumers to do just that.
While there is little danger of the Chinese contingent belting out Queen's famous anthem at Cannes or the Clios next year, the way things are going, few would bet against them in years to come.