Hong Kong's unique spirit: A 'Never Normal' love letter to the city

Hong Kong—a city where those in the know already accept that it's a little bit bonkers. Frenetic, edgy, chaotic, intoxicating, vertical, crowded and intensely hot—it's definitely got its quirks and character, but that's all part of its enduring appeal. Normal is boring, and if there's one thing Hong Kong definitely isn't, it's boring. 

 

Now, over 40 brands and influencers from Hong Kong have come together to launch the 'Hong Kong Never Normal' campaign, whi. It showcases the city's adaptability and innovation across multiple sectors,ch officially celebrates the city's unique character and resilience.

 

Launched this month, the initiative features over 100 stories that highlight various aspects of life in Hong Kong, including its people, culture, and lifestyle, showcasing the city's adaptability and innovation across multiple sectors such as art, beauty, entertainment, and technology.

 

The campaign aims to counter negative perceptions of Hong Kong by showcasing its vibrant culture through over 100 stories on the Instagram account @HKNeverNormal. Notable participants include prominent figures such as film director Stephen Fung, business leader Allan Zeman, and Olympic swimmer Stephanie Au.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by 9GAG: Go Fun The World (@9gag)

 

The aim is to engage the public and foster conversation about Hong Kong's vibrant identity. The creators, led by TBWA Hong Kong, emphasise their goal of rekindling pride among residents for their city while addressing the negative headlines that have emerged in recent years.

 

Joanne Lao, CEO of TBWA Greater China, the creative agency that initiated this campaign, said: “Our ambition is to rekindle the pride HongKongers deserve to have towards their remarkable home city. While this launch phase aims to build awareness, engage and ignite buzz, future phases will involve more collaboration activities with our ‘Hong Kong Never Normal’ community of brands, creators and influencers”.

 

Supporting partners include home grown brands and start-ups across 12 industry sectors including art, beauty, entertainment, education, food and beverage, fashion, hotels, lifestyle, media, non-profit, retail, sustainability, technology and traditional Chinese medicine.

 

Paul Phillips, marketing director, SCMP, the campaign's official media partner, said: "We're proud to be the official media of Hong Kong Never Normal, supporting its mission to inspire pride and promote what makes our city unique. The SCMP tells the story of Hong Kong at home and abroad, and we are honoured to play our role in shaping the remarkable narrative of our city."

 

The campaign is set to evolve with more collaborative efforts in future phases, aiming to further engage the community of brands and influencers involved.

 

Campaign's take: Love or hate Hong Kong, there's no disputing its uniqueness. And it's good to have a campaign celebrating the city's quirks and idiosyncrasies that give it its soul. It's true that Hong Kong has never been 'normal'. That original fusion of East-meets-West made it unique from the outset, and there's still no place quite like it. Kudos to TBWA for creating this bold campaign that celebrates and captures Hong Kong exactly as it is—proudly, never normal. 

CREDIT:

Campaign partners: 

Official Brand Partners
Story Partners

Influencers/individuals
9GAG
A Spark of Madness
Allan Zeman @allanzeman
Animoca Brands
BeCandle
Chaotic Hong Kong Expats @chaoshongkong
Asiaray Media Group
Broken Finger Plus
Evelyn CHOI
Wing Yan @evelynchoii
Easy Group COA
Hong Kong Hong Kong Memes @hkmehmeh
Fleishman Hillard
Eu Yan Sang Jordan Leung @69ranch
Fork Lore Factiv Serrini LEUNG Ka Yan @gwendolyn.spot
Greater Bay Media Entertainment (GBME)
Hotel ICON
Stephanie AU Hoi Shun @stephaniehsau
Hong Kong Community Foundation 
Mil Mill Stephen FUNG Tak Lun @stephenfungible
HYPEBEAST
MPS International Consultancy
Vian LIN Ka Wing @vian_vn
Index Game N.I.P. Gin - Hong Kong Craft Distilling Co. Vivek Mahbubani @funnyvivek
LKF Group
Pirata Group
Media OutReach Newswire
Pomme
Ocean Park Hong Kong
Rooftop Republic
Ovolo Group
Sleepyhead
South China Morning Post 
The Lion Rock Press
TBWA
The Savory Project
The Sandbox
Tuck Chong Sum Kee Bamboo Steamer Co.
Young Soy Gallery
Yuet Wo